PURPOSE:
Introduction: Implementing sterile water injection (SWI) for low back pain management during labour in a Ghanaian maternity setting revealed both systemic challenges and transformative opportunities. The purpose of this presentation aims to present the challenges faced and lessons learnt during the implementation of a novel intervention in midwifery practice.

DISCUSSION:
This reflective paper adopted a narrative inquiry approach, drawing on elements of autoethnography to explore the researcher’s lived experience during the implementation of SWI for low back pain management in a maternity care setting in Ghana. Reflections were documented simultaneously throughout the project using field journal, supervisory memos, and informal debriefs with midwives’ participants. These entries were later thematically reviewed and organised to highlight key lessons learnt, adaptation, and professional growth for both the midwives and the researcher.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Despite resource limitations and initial unfamiliarity with the technique, midwives embraced training, supported one another, and advocated for evidence-based care, enabling this simple, low-cost intervention to be effectively introduced. Midwives’ efforts not only contributed to improved client experiences but also demonstrated the power of frontline healthcare workers in driving sustainable innovation. Midwives have the potential to transform everyday clinical and health problems, such as pain management into opportunities for meaningful, sustainable improvement in healthcare delivery for women.

KEY MESSAGE:
This experience underscores a broader truth: when midwifery workforce is enriched, empowered and supported through training and mentorship, they can be catalysts for change. Empowering midwives through adequate professional education, training, support, and trust enables them to lead sustainable, low-cost innovations such as SWI for labour pain relief that can transform everyday maternity care, even in resource-constrained settings. This message emphasizes both the transformative role of equipping more midwifery hands, and the value of simple, evidence-based interventions when effectively implemented through frontline healthcare workers such as midwives. Poster session 2 (Group A)