PURPOSE:
To reflect on and discuss love in midwifery: Present midwifery as motivated and sustained through a modified form of love; Share midwives’ personal accounts of experiencing love in their work; Invite delegates to reflect on what love means in the midwifery context and the role of love in their midwifery work, now and going forward.

DISCUSSION:
Given that compassionate relationships with both women and colleagues are central to midwifery, there is a surprising reluctance to discuss the role of love. A baby’s birth creates a new love, and midwives witness this love between parents and their newborns daily. Midwives understand the key physiological role of the hormone oxytocin in childbirth, attachment, breastfeeding, and the development of the capacity to love. There is strong global awareness of the need to humanise childbirth. Thus, midwives need to reflect on their role in creating conditions that support physiology and the humanisation of childbirth, where love grows and new families flourish. Exploring how love enhances and strengthens midwives’ working experience is crucial in a time when the world desperately needs more midwives (The State of the World's Midwifery Report 2021). Love may be what underpins midwives’ ability to thrive and be sustained in their roles. The State of the World's Midwifery Report 2021: WHO, ICM and UNFPA. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/21-038-UNFPA-SoWMy2021-Report-ENv4302.pdf

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
The presentation about midwifery as motivated by a modified form of love draws on and presents evidence from biological sciences, psychology, sociology, and theology. Authentic midwives’ stories provide rich, heart-warming accounts, telling of how midwives experience love in their work.

KEY MESSAGE:
Love is not just an emotion. Love is a fundamental human need, a value, a choice, and a powerful force for good. Love drives high quality midwifery care for women and families and meaningful, fulfilling work for midwives. Midwives recognise and feel proud of the love in their work. Poster session 2 (Group A)