Midwife's Reassuring Promise to Terrified New Parents
A seasoned midwife is making a heartfelt promise to new parents who feel overwhelmed or frightened after welcoming their baby into the world. With nearly 14 years of experience, she is encouraging those who may have never held an infant before to take one crucial step immediately after birth.
The Daunting Transition to Parenthood
Becoming a parent is a monumental life change, shifting one's focus entirely to a tiny new human. While many individuals have prior experience with babies through family or friends, this is not universal. Some people lack large families, siblings with children, or are the first in their social circle to have a baby, meaning they might enter parenthood without ever having held a newborn.
This situation can be extremely daunting, particularly for first-time mothers who may find themselves alone overnight in the hospital with their newborn once visiting hours conclude. The isolation and uncertainty can amplify fears about basic care tasks.
Claire Wilson Metcalfe's Pledge
Claire Wilson Metcalfe, known online as theproudmidwife on TikTok, has been a practising midwife for almost 14 years. She has made a firm promise to any parents anxious about not knowing how to change a nappy, burp their baby, or even how to hold them properly.
She stated emphatically: "If you're new parents, or you're in hospital with your newborn baby in the cot next to you. If you don't know please do me a favour and ask."
Claire explained that she has frequently been approached by first-time parents inquiring about fundamental skills. "I've been asked before by new parents, if it's their first baby, how do I hold baby, how do I change babies nappy, how come you are very confident holding this newborn baby?"
She reassures them: "And the reason you don't know how to do it is you've not had a baby before. If you have not come into contact with somebody who already has a newborn baby and been changing their nappy... Then why would you know?"
It's Never Too Much Trouble
The midwife urges parents to simply admit: "Sometimes you've just got to say this is new to me, please can you show me. It's never too much trouble, we are happy to show you because it can be really daunting when you have this little human being."
Importantly, Claire emphasises that seeking guidance is not a sign of neediness. "And by the way, asking your midwife or a healthcare professional how to do something is not needy. Sometimes people say to us 'I know this is a stupid question'. It's not a stupid question."
She frames questioning as a protective measure: "If you ask questions about something you don't already know how to do, it's protecting your babies safety. It's making sure that you're checking you're doing something right and safely."
Shared Experiences from Mothers
In response, mothers have shared their own hospital experiences with midwives, hoping to comfort other parents. One person recounted: "I was 19 when I had my first was low risk on a birth unit I was the only 1 there my partner left to go home it was night and I cried cause I didn't know what to do. I had no-one else no family apart from my partner, I pressed the buzzer and I remember saying I don't have a clue on how to put a nappy on. the student midwife spent hours talking me through everything I will never forget her."
Another expectant mother expressed her concerns: "I’m due my first baby in a month and I’m worried that I don’t know how to feed them or change their nappy or wind them, all I know is how to hold a baby."
These testimonials highlight the widespread anxiety among new parents and the critical role midwives play in providing reassurance and practical education during those initial, vulnerable days.
