Alaina Reed ‘25 is a global affairs major with a minor in entrepreneurship & innovation. During winter break in 2023, with support from the Nanovic Institute, Alaina traveled to England to study COVID-19’s effect on maternal health. This year, Alaina returned to England to examine midwifery policy to shape her understanding of future policy recommendations.
Over a year ago, I decided that I wanted to utilize my final year at Notre Dame to research a question that mattered to me and a community somewhere in the world. Notre Dame has so many talented individuals and resources to make this a reality, so I went about identifying my question. I knew I wanted to investigate a question surrounding women’s rights and have always been drawn to Europe and the advancements they have made in gender equality. This path led me to midwifery, the common European practice of accompanied birth by a trained (almost always) woman who has cared for an expectant mother her entire pregnancy. I found this centuries-old practice of accompaniment to be a dignifying way for mother and baby to pass through this oftentimes traumatic process. So, I began focusing on England, a country that both heavily utilizes this practice and is home to the National Health Service, the nationwide public health insurance program. Learning about the practice of midwifery and the scale of the National Health Service (NHS) prompted the question, does accompaniment through midwifery realize dignity in the public healthcare system?
This question has been mulled over, changed, changed back, expanded, narrowed, and more over the past year of considering how to best answer the question. But, last January, I began to really sink my teeth into answering it. I received a Nanovic Research Grant last winter break and was able to spend three weeks in London and Oxford, England, in various archives and libraries, as well as having conversations with experts about how midwifery has changed over their careers and throughout its history in England. The NHS has experienced significant strain on its capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive influx of emergency cases. I was lucky to be in contact with experts in the field because the published research on the event is still small. I finished the trip with a deepened and more diverse understanding of how midwifery impacts women at a vulnerable point.
This semester, I am taking my capstone class for my major in global affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs. Over the course of the semester, I realized that I wanted to do some form of interviews with relevant stakeholders. I considered my experience studying abroad at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, and decided I could use my connections at the university to potentially interview midwifery students about their experiences with the NHS, why they decided to pursue midwifery at a time when retention rates in hospitals were falling. I got in contact with two professors, I received IRB approval, and with the support of the Nanovic Institute, I packed my bags for Norwich.
Upon arrival, I received an email saying that a higher-up in the university did not approve the project and I would not be able to interview students. I was so disappointed and began to lightly panic. How could I utilize my time in England for data collection even though the planned route had become untenable? I consulted Dr. Kimmey and my research advisor, Dr. Susan Ostermann, and came up with a new plan. On my previous trip, I worked with the archivists and librarians at the Royal College of Midwives, the trade union and professional organization of midwives in England. I contacted them and was able to get a last-minute appointment in London to review some of their materials. The librarian gave me the document, “Providing quality care for women: a framework for maternity service standards” which is an in-depth description of midwifery standards. I am utilizing these metrics to compare against data from the National Maternity Dashboard to understand how hospitals around England are meeting professional standards. I will use my experience in London and Oxford learning about midwifery policy to make policy recommendations on how to improve care for women and babies’ health and realize their right to a safe and dignified birth.
This trip tested my ability to adapt when even the most carefully laid plans fall to pieces. My advice to any other student pursuing research is to be flexible and curious. Because of my web of connections and preparation, I was able to pivot to a solution that still advanced my project and my pursuit of answering the question I have been asking all year.