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Yesterday I read about the Save the Children's launch of the #FirstDay campaign.

Yesterday I was told that 2.9 million babies a year never reach the second month of their life.

Yesterday I was horrified to learn that over 1 million babies a year don't live to see their second day.

Yesterday I was thankful that I had qualified midwives to help me and my daughters make the smooth transition from labour, to birth, to life, so that they did have a tomorrow.

So why am I telling you this? Some of my friends already know the fragility of a new life and while it is an exciting time, it can also be equally as frightening. So the challenge is to write a 100 word post on "what my midwife did to make sure my baby had a second day".

I took for granted that I would have a "good birth" with my first daughter. I was in a good hospital, with a great reputation and thankfully a calm attitude. I remember almost being left to my own devices because I was so chilled but then my waters broke and everything accelerated, I wasn't so calm, I wasn't so chilled but my midwife wouldn't allow me to panic and talked me through. The little one was rocking in my pelvis, her heart rate was dropping and their was talk of surgical intervention, my midwife knew I didn't want that and encouraged me to carry on. My eldest daughter arrived, naturally and without complication because of that midwife. 

My second daughter decided that she was going to arrive at home, within 2 hours of labour starting .... she also arrived before the midwives did. But despite her safe and speedy arrival, the midwives were on hand to cut the cord, check her weight and find a small heart murmor.

Those days maybe a distant memory now but the actions of those midwives made sure I have and continue to create memories with my girls.

(Okay so that might have been a little more than 100 words)

So what can we do, aside from writing our own blog posts?

Save the Children want to:

•    Save the lives of 2 million newborn babies a year

•    Ensure that every baby is born with the support of a trained and equipped midwife

If you’ve got one minute:

Sign the petition to ask David Cameron to put a global plan into action in 2014 that will ensure every baby is born with the life-saving help of a trained and equipped midwife and use his influence to get world leaders to do the same.

Text a donation: a donation of £3, the price of a cup of coffee, could save 10 newborn lives by buying 10 tubes of antiseptic cream. Text COFFEE to 70090

Share the link to the newborn campaign online and ask people to take action or donate

If you’ve got 10 minutes or more:

- write about the campaign online and why it’s so important that the world acts this year to save newborn lives

- Join the 100 word challenge blog linky here

If you would like to share this post, please mention @savechildrenuk and #firstday