Influencing childbirth in Saudi Arabia: Roa Altaweli

Today we want to Shine the Light on Dr Roa Altaweli – an inspirational midwife from Saudi Arabia. Although Roa is well  known to many, we wanted to tell the rest of the world about her amazing career, her creativity and her leadership. If you want to be inspired….then read on!
‘I love being a midwife and would like others to love this profession as much as I do’.

Dr Roa Altaweli is the first midwife from Saudi Arabia to obtain a PhD. Roa was born in Jeddah, she is a registered nurse and midwife, and has worked as a midwife at National Guard Hospital in Jeddah and as a teaching assistant at Dar Al Hekma University.

Roa decided to pursue a academic career and obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Practice of Midwifery from King’s College London and then a Masters and PhD in Midwifery at City University, London.

Roa now works as a Clinical Director of Nursing at East Jeddah Hospital, Saudi Arabia. She is. a founding Board Member and Vice-Chairperson of the Saudi Midwifery Group and a member of a Saudi Ministry of Health initiative called the Optimizing Maternal Mortality and Healthcare Advisory Team.

I hope that midwifery education in Saudi Arabia can be as strong as in the UK

Roa says. “I love being a midwife and would like others to love this profession as much as I do. My aim is to empower women to have natural childbirth in Saudi Arabia and help in the development of direct-entry midwifery courses that prepare competent, qualified midwives.”

And Roa certainly takes ’empowering women’ seriously, by keeping connected to women and childbirth.

‘Due to the limited and trusted  Arabic resources about natural childbirth I created ‘Rahmah Birth’  in April 2016 to increase the awareness of natural birth, for women in Saudi Arabia and around the world.  Rahmah (my mother’s name who passed away January 2014) means Mercy in English. My mother always believed in natural childbirth and gave birth at home to my older brother Khalid who passed away in November, 2016. I dedicate this work to her and my brother.
Instagram @rahmah.birth
twitter @rahmahbirth
facebook page rahmahbirth

We are amazed that Roa has any spare time – but she does, and then she likes to paint. Her work is beautiful – and she’s allowed us to share a few of her masterpieces with you!

 

Roa’s 5 Top Tips for midwives considering studying for a PhD

1. Love midwifery, and keep practising as a midwife

2.  Participate in teaching students, women and families.

3. Update your self with evidence based article reading

4. Communicate with other midwives

5. Remember there’ll be hard times. You’ll need courage and resilience to continue!