Midwives - they are angels in comfy shoes who help to bring new life into the world day in and day out.

Today is International Day of the Midwife 2016 which recognises and celebrates the work midwives carry out to ensure mothers and their newborns receive top-notch quality care.

Members of the Bay of Plenty District Health Board Midwifery team celebrating International Day of the Midwife 2016. Photo: BOPDHB

The theme of this year's International Day of the Midwife is 'Women and Newborns: The Heart of Midwifery'.

'We would like to believe we are the heart of the hospital, bringing new life into the world every day,” says Tauranga Hospital Midwifery manager Esther Mackay.

'Those special moments for families captured forever in their memories are part of our working day, making us feel privileged observers but vigilantly ensuring safety.”

Describing the work midwives undertake, Ester says they bring their expertise in decision-making at a normal birth supporting new practitioners or taking over the more complex care. In the postnatal ward, midwives also educate women and families as they begin their journey into parenthood.

'Working in partnership we give women and families the tools to make informed decisions in bringing up their children and to continue their parenting journey with confidence.”

The team also puts in a lot of time and effort daily into a number of initiatives like smokefree pregnancies, immunisation programmes in pregnancy and after birth, safe sleeping, breast-feeding and much more.

With both midwives and nurses working in maternity, today is a great day to celebrate both professions working together as a team, says Esther.

'Multi-coloured balloons show our appreciation of our nursing colleagues in the ward and neonatal unit, who celebrate International Nurses Day on May 12, also valuing the relationship with obstetric and paediatric teams in the care of women and families.

'All midwives and maternity staff are responsible for promoting healthy pregnancies to facilitate healthy outcomes for mother and baby,” says Esther.

To celebrate International Day of the Midwife, a flash mob of local midwives gave bemused onlookers a treat when they performed a dance near Phoenix car park on Maunganui Road today.