MIDWIFE WHISTLEBLOWER — TESS LOVELY Tess Lovely gave over 25 years to midwifery. A homebirth midwife for many years, she knew what physiological birth could look like when women were given time, trust and support. Later, as a labour ward coordinator in the North East, she became increasingly concerned about the medicalisation of birth. Eventually she moved to the South West, hoping to finish her career by the sea, managing a small continuity team. Instead, Tess says she was bullied by the very profession she had devoted her life to. Concerns were raised about her treatment, including through Freedom to Speak Up. Tess continued speaking up for women, including challenging interventions where she believed women were not receiving adequate pain relief. The impact on her was devastating. She became desperately unwell, weighing just eight stone, and reached the depths of despair, a deeply dark place. Employer referrals to Social Services and the NMC followed. Then Tess came to me. Together, we worked through her grievances. At the time, she felt like a broken little bird. She endured investigations, disputes and a process in which she felt her union, the Royal College of Midwives, was not the advocate she desperately needed. Eventually, with a heavy heart, she accepted her only option was to walk away from a career she had devoted herself to. Her NMC case closed. But Tess didn’t disappear. She rose. Today that little bird is an eagle. She has returned to her roots — supporting women through birth, trauma and healing through Birth From Within. Tess’s story matters because she is not alone. I keep hearing variations of the same story from midwives who say they spoke up, challenged care or advocated for women — and then found themselves under scrutiny. We need to start listening to the midwives who survived the system & who bravely come forward to tell their story. Tess did. And now she’s flying. 🦅❤️ @TessLovely4 @KenZeroHarm @ArturNadol7566 @DebiEvansMatron @nmcnews