Meet Liz Halliday
I started my career in Midwifery in 2006, joining Trinity College Dublin as a mature student. After several years working in the Irish maternity services, serendipity struck and I found a new career working with Private Midwives, providing antenatal and postnatal care, facilitating home births and offering support in hospital for families on the east coast and into the midlands of Ireland for 11 years.
I have been privileged to work with hundreds of families, learning something new with every one that I have cared for. Supporting families through previous maternity trauma, breastfeeding challenges and helping them to gain access to basic care for their babies (sometimes denied to families who choose to birth at home) inspired me to undertake training in a variety of skills in order to offer my services to the families of Ireland.
Tongue Tie Practitioner
Until 2014 I had barely any knowledge around tongue tie, anterior ties were all we were taught about it in our Midwifery training. Looking back I now know that even the small amount of information I was giving prior to then was largely incorrect!
Through attendance at ALCI and La Leche League conferences as well as self directed study, a passion for thorough evaluation of the infants in my care grew. The waiting lists for training as a Tongue Tie practitioner are long, but I was lucky enough to be offered a place training with Private Midwives in 2021. After 2 years of hitting the books and many months observing infant evaluation and release at The Tongue Tie Clinic, Bray (huge thanks to Dr Gillian Smith and Fiona Rae IBCLC), I was delighted to complete the practical aspect of my training in June 2023. I’ve now been offering full feeding assessments alongside tongue tie diagnosis and release (if appropriate and with consent of course) for 3 years.
Birth Trauma Resolution
Working with families who had previously suffered trauma as part of their maternity journey was always a challenge that I enjoyed rising to, and the aspect of my work which inspired me to train in perinatal trauma therapy. I had the pleasure of training with psychotherapist, Jenny Mullan, who has developed a solution based therapy model targeting perinatal and birth trauma specifically.
Since qualifying in Birth Trauma Resolution in 2021, I have been delighted to have helped many families in Ireland to resolve their trauma and move forward from the symptoms that were so intrusive in their lives. Working in a focused, solution-based manner allows my clients to commit to a short course of targeted therapy designed to remove the emotional component of their experience and to return to living a normal, positive life.
Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE)
In 2022I attended an online course at Teeside University studying to become a practitioner in this important paediatric screening examination. Having cared for many families who chose to birth at home, I was aware of the many obstacles that can present around home birth, including that of accessing the NIPE check. Although I am not currently offering this examination as a stand alone option, the knowledge and experience that I have gained through my qualification and practice informs my assessment of babies every day.
Professional Midwifery Advocate
In 2018 I trained as a Professional Midwifery Advocate at The University of Chester. As the first (and as far as I know, the only) PMA in Ireland, I am delighted to offer my services to fellow Midwives who are in need of a confidential and supportive ear. Should this be due to an incident, investigation, or a desire to engage in reflective practice in a more structured manner, my door is always open.
Vicarious Trauma Therapy
Professional Midwifery Advocates are not therapists but through Birth Trauma Resolution I have also trained in Vicarious Trauma Therapy within a maternity setting. Vicarious trauma is harmful, not just to the individual, but to their colleagues and clients/patients too. Breaking the cycle of vicarious trauma is essential if we wish to improve both maternity experiences and outcomes for the families of Ireland as well as the working experience of our treasured Midwives, Obstetricians, Anaesthetists, Sonographers, Physiotherapists, Phlebotomists and any other professions associated with maternity care.
Having the skills to address these issues among my colleagues in Ireland is fulfilling and gives me great hope for the future of our maternity services.
Outside of Work
Yes, I’m a person too! I’m living in south County Wexford with my partner and cats. I have 2 adult children living in Dublin and family living all over the world. I love to knit and crochet. If not out supporting families I can usually be found listening to an audiobook and making blankets in the evening. I also enjoy tabletop gaming, baking, growing plants and veggies, and socialising with friends all over Ireland.