Interview with Sylvianne, Midwife at Union Professionnelle des Sages-Femmes Belges (UPSFB)
Sylvianne, committed midwife: sowing for the next generation
Since 2004, Sylvianne has been working as a midwife: “I’ve worked in hospitals, then in an NGO, and in private practice on the front line, close to women and families.” These years, she explains, have given her a broader perspective on the profession, its strengths… and also its vulnerabilities.
Making a difference for the next generation
Quite early on, I felt the need to engage in ways beyond direct care, by defending the profession. Midwifery is a women-led profession that serves women. Like many healthcare roles, it remains far too invisible, structurally underfunded, and often underestimated in its true role in public health. What I do today, through advocacy, coordination, and representation, I do with a very clear conviction: this work is not just for us, it is above all for the next generation, so that those who come after us can practise under better conditions than we experienced.
Change takes time, but it happens, and sometimes you have to accept sowing before you see growth.
Balancing care for others and oneself
Being a woman in healthcare means constantly navigating balance. Flexibility is essential, but it comes at a cost. Finding the right balance between professional and personal life is an ongoing challenge, especially in a role where there is rarely a “pause.” We support, we watch over, we show up… all while caring for our own families and lives.
Caring for others should never make us forget to care for ourselves.
Protecting what is entrusted to us
Using secure solutions like Doctolib Connect makes a real difference for sharing health data safely between professionals.
Many midwives can relate to this: we regularly receive photos of wounds, scars, or infants’ stools. On unsecured apps, these images can get mixed with personal photos. Beyond the sometimes amusing or awkward side, this raises real questions of confidentiality and respect for patients.
Dedicated, secure tools truly change the game.
Being a woman and driving change
Being a woman in medicine means wearing many hats at once: caregiver, leader, tightrope walker balancing professional and personal life, and driver of change.
It is a demanding path, at times exhausting, yet profoundly meaningful.