Midwife Sabrina's friendship book

Click on the questions to see the answers.

1. What is your nickname and why? +

Sabri is short for Sabrina and in Italy we use many abbreviations for names.

2. What is your superpower (besides delivering babies) +

My superpower is cooking. Especially on my days off I enjoy trying out new recipes — strictly vegetarian — and serving them to my family. My specialty is pies; I’m really good at them.

3. What was your childhood dream? +

I love rock music and I dreamed of becoming an electric guitarist. I also tried to learn to play the guitar, but in the end it wasn't really my thing. Listening to music is better!

4. What is a fact about you that you don't usually tell but secretly want to reveal? +

I love children and I would like to have a big family.

5. Are there things that you secretly find difficult and for which you admire others? +

That's easy: speaking Dutch fluently.

6. What do you like to eat when you have time to sit quietly after a busy shift? +

Italian Pizza

7. What does your ideal day off look like? +

My ideal day off is walking in the woods or mountains with my family and then having a lovely picnic on a sunny day.

8. Are you a morning person or a night owl (or both because of your job)? +

I love working at night. The city and the places around me are at rest and the hustle and bustle of the day is gone. It gives me a sense of calm and focus that I experience less during the day.

9. What does your ideal holiday look like? +

My ideal holiday is divided into two parts: one part to relax by the sea and one part to visit as many different places as possible. For me, staying in one place is a waste of the holiday, because I like to discover new things. And the best part of a holiday is tasting the local food.

10. What is a moment in your life that you always look back on with a smile? +

When I was studying midwifery, I practiced with a stuffed toy Rafiki (the monkey from the Lion King), because I didn't have any dolls at home. My brother also brought this stuffed toy to my graduation, which made me laugh a lot, because only he knew what it had to do with my degree.

11. What's the best spontaneous decision you've ever made? +

Becoming a mother.

12. When and how was your first contact with maternity care? +

The first contact with maternity care was certainly by chance. I did not know obstetrics, but I had to choose a university faculty in the medical direction. By chance I read about what obstetrics is and I thought it would be the perfect job for me, since I have always looked with curiosity and interest at all the physiological phases that a woman goes through, from puberty to menopause.

13. What's the most hilarious thing you've ever experienced during childbirth? +

I remember one birth where the partner, encouraging his wife to push, was almost like a sports coach. "1-2-3, push!" It was a bit awkward.

14. What would you do if you had to wait in a delivery room for an hour? +

I would support the woman by massaging her back and trying to chat a bit during the breaks between contractions, if she is still responsive.

15. What is your “midwifery life motto”? +

''Women give birth on their own; what matters is how the midwife guides the family on this beautiful journey''

16. If you had to choose: always a water birth or always a stormy home birth? +

Always a water birth

17. What's your favorite baby name of late? +

Aria: It was the name of a character from the series Game of Thrones, but in Italian it means "sky". I think it's a very beautiful name for a daughter who is so wanted.

18. What music do you have playing in the car when you're on duty? +

No music during my shift, I have to concentrate and music distracts me in such a situation. I prefer to listen to music after my shift

19. What is your favorite snack during a long shift (or during labor)? +

Fries, especially after giving birth.

20. If people were to describe you, how would you want people to remember you? +

I would like them to remember me as someone who is always smiling, kind and always willing to help. I hope my positive attitude and willingness to help others will make a lasting impression.

21. If you were to give birth yourself, what would your ideal birth look like? And who would be there? +

I would love to have a home birth, which is practically impossible in Italy. I would love it if a good colleague of mine, who currently works in London and with whom I have always had a wonderful relationship, could be there to support me. She has the ability to make me laugh even in the darkest moments. Of course, my partner and our baby would also be there

22. If you had a time machine and could relive one moment in history, what would it be? +

The birth of my son: it was a long and at times difficult labor, but the emotion you feel when you see him for the first time is something indescribable

23. If you could give one last piece of advice to all pregnant women, what would it be? +

Enjoy this wonderful period in your life to the fullest. Take the time to take good care of yourself and pamper yourself every now and then. When you feel good and relaxed, it also radiates to your baby and everything comes together in a loving and healthy environment.