Join in the Big Midwife Dip to celebrate International Day of the Midwife on 5 May
A group of maternity staff from East Kent are having a celebratory dip on 5 May, the International Day of the Midwife. Here’s how you can join in.
A group of midwives and maternity staff from East Kent are having a celebratory dip on 5 May, the International Day of the Midwife (IDM), and they’d love for others to take part.
The group started sea swimming a year ago and found that the cold water and communal swimming was very beneficial for their mental health and wellbeing.
Escape in the water
“Ours is a very stressful job, and everyone in the group has found swimming immensely beneficial in reducing stress, improving wellbeing, team building and also helping some members cope with menopausal symptoms,” midwife Rebecca Buckingham told us.
“When we’re in the water we can only focus on the experience, our breathing and our bodily sensations. You are unable to think about any other worries and are completely in the moment. It is, in every sense of the word, an immersive experience. This is why I thought it would be great to reach out to other midwives and maternity staff, and suggest a coordinated swim to celebrate IDM.”
An international celebration
Rebecca and the swimming group are inviting other midwives, maternity staff and support workers from around the world to have an outdoor swim in their local body of water, whether it be a lake, river, the sea or a waterfall. You can request to join the group’s Facebook group where you can share photos of your Big Midwife Dip and meet other participants.
“We’ve got people from all over the world taking part – the UK, Abu Dhabi, Australia,” Rebecca said. “There are already lots of groups of midwives and maternity workers round the UK who do cold-water swimming. But this is the first time that a coordinated outdoor swimming event for midwives has been organised. We’d love for you to join us.”
For more details about the Big Midwife Dip on 5 May, request to join their Facebook group.
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Abigail Whyte
Abi writes swimming news stories and features for the Outdoor Swimmer website and manages the social media channels. She loves to swim, run, hike and SUP close to her home in Herefordshire. While she’s a keen wild swimmer, Abi is new to the world of open water events and recently completed her first open water mile. She has previously written for The Guardian, BBC Countryfile Magazine, BBC History Magazine and Ernest Journal.
