Midwives and nurses in Lincolnshire will be joining parkruns in May to mark International Day of the Midwife (5 May) and International Nurses Day (12 May). Both of these days offer an annual opportunity for us to thank midwives and nurses and to celebrate the important contribution they make. The parkrun events are a way to celebrate these annual international days of recognition as well as a way for midwives and nurses to think about their own health and wellbeing, and encourage others to do the same.
Ahead of International Day of the Midwife, we spoke to Community Midwife; Amanda Mumby-Croft from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust who has been tasked with leading on the midwives takeover of Lincoln parkrun on Saturday 4 May.
As a community midwife, Amanda supports local women throughout their pregnancy journey from their very first antenatal appointment through to birth. Amanda ensures they get all the support they need to have a healthy pregnancy and she uses her own personal experiences to champion physical activity amongst her women. From encouraging low level movement for those who are currently not so active, to supporting women who were active before their pregnancy to continue to be active throughout in a safe and appropriate way.
“I always signpost my women to activities I think would be suitable for them, I think they like it when I recommend activities as they know it will be safe for them”.
Amanda’s Journey to Being Active
However, Amanda hasn’t always been active; for years between school life and establishing a successful midwifery career physical activity didn’t feature in her life as much as it does now.
In 2017 the Royal College of Midwives organised a staff wellbeing day to celebrate International Day of the Midwife; which included a swimming activity, massage, talks and healthy food. This acted as a catalyst and as a result, a group of midwives and doctors agreed to start running as a group and joined the local parkrun the following week. As weeks passed by, new midwives and doctors joined and there has been a steady group of them attending parkrun together every Saturday since.
It is since this event in 2017 that Amanda’s love for running re-sparked and running 5K soon increased to 10K and now having ran 6 marathons she has become a running advocate.
Parkrun for International Day of the Midwife
As a regular volunteer for the local parkrun, Amanda was asked to lead the takeover event on Saturday 4 May. This involved encouraging other midwives and maternity professionals to come along to either walk, run, or volunteer. Before the run starts, there will be a speech to highlight the special event and to publicly thank and celebrate our local midwives.
On Saturday 11 May nurses will be celebrating International Nurses Day by participating in parkruns at Witham Way Country Park in Boston and Belton House in Grantham.
Inspired to take part – or want to go along and cheer them on? Parkrun welcome beginners and you can walk or jog at your own pace. They also often need volunteers to help the events go ahead.
Find out more about your local parkrun in Lincolnshire here.
Encouraging an Active Pregnancy
Amanda has expressed an interest in becoming a This Mum Moves Ambassador for Lincolnshire; joining 40 other ambassadors across the county to cascade the messaging to others about the benefits and importance of remaining active throughout pregnancy and following childbirth.
If you’re planning a pregnancy, expecting a baby, or are a new mum, find out more about the benefits of keeping active, and how to do so safely on our Active Mums page.