Registered Midwife Natalie Forbes has been highly commended at the Bayside Health Service Our Values Staff Recognition Awards, recognised for her compassion, respect, and commitment to excellence.
“I feel incredibly honoured to be recognised by my colleagues. I’ve learnt so much from the amazing people I’ve worked alongside over the past 10 years,” Natalie said.
Based in the Neonatal Unit, Natalie cares for babies born from 32 weeks’ gestation, supporting families through what is often an unexpected and emotional journey.
Her nomination highlighted the photographs, footprint cards and personalised keepsakes she creates for families, along with her commitment to helping them celebrate important milestones.
On Mother’s Day, Natalie collaborated with the medical team to safely arrange skin-to-skin contact for a mother who had been too unwell to visit her baby in the Neonatal Unit. She coordinated the baby’s transfer and captured special photographs of their first Mother’s Day together.
“Being trusted to care for their babies and hopefully make what can be a scary experience a little less daunting is incredibly rewarding,” Natalie said.
She said the best part of her role was watching families leave the unit together when it was finally time to go home.
A little house and a lot of love
Big sister Evie and parents Casey and Scott Cassidy have welcomed baby Jett (pictured above) to the family a little earlier than expected.
When Casey’s waters broke (at work!) at almost 35 weeks, she and Scott certainly weren’t expecting to meet their newest family member within the hour.
Scott dashed from a meeting and met the ambulance at the hospital, where their new baby Jett was settled into the Neonatal Unit.
To big sister Evie, the humidicrib is simply her new sibling’s 'little house', which she can visit.
Casey said registered midwife Natalie Forbes and the Neonatal Unit team had made the family feel well looked after.
“Everyone’s been really good,” she said.
For Natalie, helping families through an unexpectedly early arrival is one of the most rewarding parts of her work.