Student midwives rewarded after nomination from grateful mum

 

Two Swansea University midwifery students who set up their own pregnancy support group have been honoured for their dedication to mums-to-be.

 

Holly Morse and Melissa Traynor established the Baby & Me group to help reduce social isolation for new mothers and offer a safe and supportive environment for parents to meet and share early parenting experiences.

 

The pair have just received a Patient Choice Award from ABMU Health Board after being nominated by grateful mum Laura Morris who said it was their guidance and advice that led to her having a successful home birth.

 

She said: “This was the most wonderful experience and outcome for me and all my family.

 

“I first started going to the group with my bump and found it to be lovely and welcoming. Since having my baby girl, I have attended regularly for taster sessions of interesting and useful classes and met mums with babies of a similar age.

 

“Holly and Melissa put a lot of effort and time into the group and I know it is highly valued by the other mums.  It is a great idea to have support from student midwives and they should be commended for having the idea and for their commitment to keeping it going despite considerable personal and work commitments themselves.”

 

Holly and Melissa, now third year students, were reunited with Laura when they were presented with their award certificates by Mark Child, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, at a ceremony held at Singleton Hospital.

 

The awards were introduced by ABMU Health Board to give patients, carers, relatives and visitors the chance to say thanks to a member of staff or team they feel have made a real difference and provided outstanding care.

 

Holly said they set up the student-led group as a way of improving practice while supporting women and were both delighted to see how well the group had been received. 

 

“We are very proud and very touched that Laura took the time to nominate us. It is lovely to know that we were able to make a difference,” she said.

 

The group still meets regularly at Swansea Wellbeing Centre in Walter Road, and Melissa said the continuity of care that it offers to parents was very important as well as providing them with the chance to meet other families at the same stage.

 

“It has been really satisfying to see friendship groups establish and parents supporting and learning from each other. We have been privileged to able to help families at such an important time of their lives,” she said.

 

Midwifery lecturer at Swansea University’s College of Human and Health Sciences Susie Moore said: “Holly and Melissa have been responsible for the entire vision of this group,   organising, fundraising and promoting it as well as striving to encourage other students to actively participate in the venture.”

 

She said their award was very well deserved and added: “They are both highly motivated students, reliable and  always willing to go above and beyond what is normally expected from students to support services that seek to improve maternity care. ”

 

Baby & Me – from Bump to One, meets every Monday in term time from 10am-11.30am. All welcome, free with suggested donation of £2. Swansea Wellbeing Centre, Walter Road, Swansea SA1 5PQ

Cydnabyddiaeth i fyfyrwyr bydwreigiaeth yn dilyn enwebiad gan fam ddiolchgar

 

Mae dau fyfyriwr bydwreigiaeth o Brifysgol Abertawe a sefydlodd eu grŵp cefnogi beichiogrwydd eu hunain wedi derbyn clod am eu hymroddiad i famau sy’n disgwyl.

 

Sefydlodd Holly Morse a Melissa Traynor y grŵp Baby&Me i helpu i leihau arwahanrwydd cymdeithasol i famau newydd a chynnig amgylchedd diogel a chefnogol i rieni er mwyn cwrdd a rhannu profiadau magu plant cynnar.

 

Mae’r ddwy newydd dderbyn Gwobr Dewis Cleifion gan Fwrdd Iechyd PABM ar ôl cael eu henwebu gan fam ddiolchgar Laura Morris a ddywedodd mai eu harweiniad a’u cyngor hwy a wnaeth arwain at enedigaeth lwyddiannus ei phlentyn hi gartref.

 

Meddai: “Dyma oedd y profiad a’r canlyniad mwyaf rhagorol i mi a’m teulu.

 

“Dechreuais i fynychu’r grŵp pan oeddwn yn feichiog yn wreiddiol ac roedd yn ddymunol ac yn gyfeillgar. Ers geni fy merch, rwy wedi mynychu’n aml ar gyfer sesiynau rhagflas dosbarthiadau diddorol a defnyddiol ac rwy wedi cwrdd â mamau gyda babanod o’r un oedran.

 

“Rhoddodd Holly a Melissa lawer iawn o ymdrech ac amser i’r grŵp ac rwy’n gwybod bod y mamau eraill yn ei werthfawrogi’n fawr iawn.Mae’n syniad gwych cael cefnogaeth gan fyfyrwyr bydwreigiaeth ac maent yn haeddu clod am gael y syniad ac am eu hymrwymiad i’w gynnal, er gwaethaf eu hymrwymiadau personol a gwaith personol sylweddol.”

 

Daeth Holly a Melissa, bellach yn eu trydedd flwyddyn, a Laura ynghyd unwaith eto pan gyflwynwyd tystysgrifau eu gwobr iddynt gan Mark Child, Aelod Cabinet Cyngor Abertawe dros iechyd a lles mewn seremoni a gynhaliwyd yn Ysbyty Singleton.

 

Sefydlwyd y gwobrau gan Fwrdd Iechyd PABM i roi cyfle i gleifion, gofalwyr, perthnasau ac ymwelwyr ddweud diolch wrth aelod o staff neu dîm sydd wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn ac sydd wedi rhoi gofal rhagorol.

 

Dywedodd Holly y sefydlwyd y grŵp a arweinir gan fyfyrwyr ganddynt fel ffordd o wella ymarfer wrth hefyd gefnogi menywod ac roedd ill ddwy wrth eu boddau gyda’r croeso cynnes a gafodd y grŵp. 

 

“Rydyn ni’n hynod falch ac mae’n meddwl y byd i ni y cymerodd Laura’r amser i’n henwebu.Mae’n braf iawn gwybod ein bod wedi gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth,” meddai.

 

Mae’r grŵp yn cwrdd yn rheolaidd o hyd yn Swansea Wellbeing Centre ar Heol Walter, a dywedodd Melissa fod cysondeb y gofal mae’n ei roi yn hynod bwysig, yn ogystal â rhoi cyfle iddynt gwrdd â theuluoedd eraill yn yr un sefyllfa.

 

“Mae wedi rhoi boddhad mawr i weld grwpiau o ffrindiau’n datblygu a rhieni’n cefnogi ei gilydd ac yn dysgu gan ei gilydd.Mae wedi bod yn fraint fawr i ni gael cefnogi teuluoedd yn ystod cyfnod mor bwysig yn eu bywydau,” meddai.

 

Meddai Darlithydd Bydwreigiaeth yng Ngholeg Gwyddorau Dynol ac Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe, Susie Moore: “Holly a Melissa sydd wedi bod yn gyfrifol am holl weledigaeth y grŵp hwn, gan ei drefnu, codi arian ar ei gyfer a’i hyrwyddo yn ogystal ag ymdrechu i annog myfyrwyr eraill i gymryd rhan ragweithiol yn y fenter.”

 

Dywedodd eu bod yn haeddu’r wobr yn fawr, ac ychwanegodd: “Mae’r ddwy ohonynt yn fyfyrwyr cryf eu cymhelliad sy’n ddibynadwy ac sydd bob amser yn fodlon mynd cam ymhellach i’r hyn a ddisgwylir fel arfer gan fyfyrwyr i gefnogi gwasanaethau sy’n ceisio gwella gofal mamolaeth.“

 

Mae Baby&Me – from Bump to One yn cwrdd bob dydd Llun yn ystod y tymor rhwng 10am a 11.30am. Croeso i bawb, mynediad am ddim ond rhodd awgrymedig o £2.Swansea Wellbeing Centre, Heol Walter, Abertawe SA1 5PQ