Employee Profile: Mo Tabib - delivering the next generation of midwives -
Mo Tabib, from RGU’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice, was recently recognised at the Scotland Maternity and Midwifery Awards for the development of Antenatal Relaxation Classes (ARC), which help women overcome fears and anxiety in childbirth.
What got you started in your current role at RGU and what is your background?
I have been a Midwife for 29 years and worked as a hospital, community, research, and independent Midwife to provide care for pregnant women and their families. Starting as a lecturer at RGU in 2013 put me in a very privileged position and allowed me to share my years of experience with the next generation of Midwives. Around eight years ago as a staff Midwife, I started using relaxation techniques for women in labour and this was nothing less than a revolution in my practice. The women in my care who chose to use such an approach rarely asked for pharmaceutical pain relief, were more likely to experience a shorter length of labour, and even those who needed medical interventions expressed having a positive experience.
Can you tell us a bit about your research?
Since I started using relaxation techniques, I have been obsessed with learning more about this phenomenon as well as sharing my learning with others. This has resulted in the development of ARC (Antenatal Relaxation Classes) for pregnant women and their families, RTM (Relaxation Training for Midwives) and RTSM (Relaxation Training for Student Midwives). Currently, I am studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Napier University (under the supervision of Professor Caroline Hollins Martine (ENU), Dr Katrina Forbes Mckay, (School of Applied Social Studies, RGU), Professor Tracy Humphrey (Queensland University), and Dr Sonya MacVicar (ENU)). The study aims to explore the influence of ARC on childbirth experiences from the perspectives of women and birth partners.
You were recently recognised for the development of the Antenatal Relaxation Classes (ARC) at the Scotland Maternity and Midwifery Awards, can you tell us a bit more about them?
In November 2019, ARC won the national ‘Maternity & Midwifery Innovation Award’. ARC has also been shortlisted for an RCM Innovation Award; myself and my practice colleague Geraldine Stevenson attended an interview in London in January and presented ARC to the panel; the winner will be announced on the international day of the Midwife (5th May 2020).
To date, 2800 women and their partners have attended ARC, near to 100 Midwives and over 300 RGU student Midwives have received the training.
2020 is the first ever global Year of the Nurse and Midwife, how important is it to celebrate the achievements of nurses and midwifes?
As much as this project is about ‘women, families and the next generation’, it is about the emotional wellbeing of the current and future workforce. After all, we are all connected, and it would be unrealistic to expect a high standard of health care from a workforce whose wellbeing might be compromised. I hope announcing 2020 as the first ever global year of the Nurse and Midwife will attract more attention to the wellbeing of all hard-working and influential Nurses and Midwives.
