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35 years as a midwife – Jane Kerrison visits mothers at home and helps parents during birth in the Triemli Hospital in Zurich. With each additional experience, her enjoyment of the job grows.
SRF Kids children’s reporter Fenja (10) accompanies midwife Jane Kerrison on her home visits. Depending on the route, the woman from Thurgau travels from parent’s house to parent’s house by bike or car. There she gives advice about birth, examines expectant mothers and their babies in the womb, and also supports new mothers with breastfeeding.
Hormones can trigger baby milk and baby periods
On this one afternoon the sentence is often said: “Great, I didn’t know that!” For example, at the changing table: Children’s reporter Fenja notices that the two-week-old baby’s nipples are slightly swollen.
It’s called a witch’s breast.
The midwife explains that this happens due to the mother’s hormones, which the baby absorbs through breast milk. “They call it a witch’s breast,” adds the midwife. The baby, whether girl or boy, can produce small drops of breast milk.
Girls may also develop mini periods due to their mother’s hormones. Mother Anja confirmed that this was even the case with her baby.
Profession as a midwife yesterday and today
According to Jane Kerrison, the profession of midwifery has changed quite a bit in recent years. In the past, the father often washed the baby immediately after birth. Today, the whitish, greasy mass is left on the baby’s skin because it protects the child from bacteria and thus from infections. The vernix, as it is popularly called, serves as a skin protection cream.
Legend:
SRF
Jane Kerrison from Thurgau has been supporting expectant parents as a midwife for 35 years. She visits expectant parents at home or works in the birthing room at Triemlispital Zurich.
Nowadays, every third child in Switzerland is born by caesarean section. This is because many parents choose this way of giving birth. When Jane Kerrison began working as a midwife, the majority of cases of a cesarean section were in an emergency situation.
“When a woman becomes a mother – it’s emotional.”
Jane Kerrison accompanies parents in hospital, at home and also in refugee homes. Your days are often long, sometimes stressful and difficult to plan. Nevertheless, she has remained loyal to her job for 35 years. Because thanks to their experiences, their knowledge of births, different cultures grows and so does their joy in their job. The most beautiful thing is to watch a woman change into a mother.