ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a range of self-care practices, rooted in longstanding healing traditions and for which there is a growing body of evidence of their effectiveness. Capacitar International offers a range of practical self-care practices, which are effective and safe as well as easy to learn, use and pass on to others. Midwives are passionate and committed individuals who through their working day strive to provide safe, holistic, nurturing care for women, babies and often their families. Resilience can be considered as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult situations: for midwives to continue to practise in the face of the difficulties and adversities they encounter. Much has been written about resilience in midwifery and it is argued that midwives should not be required to develop resilience to withstand a damaging and unreasonably pressured working environment. Capacitar subsequently became the name of what is a large, non-profit, international organisation, working in over 41 countries around the world.