Midwife

Elisabeth Grimsrud

My name is Elisabeth, and I’ve been a midwife for 33 years. I’ve worked in maternity wards of various sizes and different units, but I’ve spent the longest time at the ABC unit, which I helped start in 1997.

I knew I wanted to become a midwife from the time I was in high school. I’ve always been fascinated by how amazing the female body is, being able to grow and give birth to a whole new human being.

From the time I was a newly graduated midwife, I’ve enjoyed working with women who want a physiological, natural birth. It brings out the primal woman in all of us!

After a fairly long career, I felt the time had come for some professional development, which led me to complete a master’s in public health in 2014. Throughout the years, I’ve been passionate about development and research in midwifery and have kept myself updated by attending many midwifery conferences in Norway and abroad, mostly paid for out of my own pocket.

I also love good midwifery literature, so I’ve read a lot of books and professional articles over the years. I enjoy midwifery literature as much as a good novel.

When the ABC unit was being launched at Aker Hospital in 1997, it felt like a gift falling into my lap—I just had to be part of it. There, we were able to practice midwifery through the holistic care that was offered, and that’s why I didn’t see any reason to work anywhere else.

Still, I did take a break from ABC to try something different between 2009 and 2012. First, I worked as a professional consultant for the Norwegian Midwife Association, and those were two rewarding years with new challenges and experiences. When I missed clinical work, I returned to Ullevål, first spending about a year in the observation unit for (sick) pregnant women before finally coming 'home' to ABC.

For the last six years of ABC’s existence, I was the clinical midwife there. In that role, I was responsible for organizing two anniversary seminars (the 20th and 25th anniversaries). The seminars maintained a high academic standard with speakers from both Norway and abroad, and we received positive feedback from the participants.

When ABC was closed down, it was a huge loss for me. I almost saw ABC as one of my babies. It felt so wrong that something I and others had worked so hard for was just shut down after a rather unpleasant process. For me, it was out of the question to finish my career working in a large, medicalized maternity ward. That just wasn’t for me.

That’s why I was so happy when I could continue working with some of my colleagues from ABC at Min Fødsel! I love my colleagues and the way we work, so I won’t be easy to get rid of.

I’m married to Pål, have two daughters and a stepson, two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, and one more on the way.

In my spare time, I like to spend time at our cabin in the mountains or by the sea. I knit almost constantly and get withdrawal symptoms if I don’t have a knitting project available at all times. It has become a form of 'self-medication.' Right now, I’m knitting a lot of baby clothes. I also enjoy cooking good food and sharing it with good friends.