Homebirth Midwife works in a Tertiary Hosptial

For the past nine years I've focused my midwifery on providing independent midwifery services for women and the families who primarily want to give birth at home. I love my work and believe passionately about the importance of the choice of birth place. For family reasons I am now only attending a limited number of births as an independent midwife and felt the need to network with the hospital system. The way I've chosen to do this is by working casually within a major teaching hospital.

I've just spent one shift in a birth unit and have found the medicalisation of birth has increased even more than when I was previously employed by a hospital. This saddens me no end. Research clearly shows that high intervention birth does not improve out comes in fact it increases the complications for mothers and babies. Within my own practice women birth under their own steam, in their own time with the people they choose to be with them. I would love this model to be available to women publicly - by that I mean free through Medicare.

I was talking to a hospital based midwife about the reasons for the extremely high intervention rates - her answer actually floored me. She said "its the women". Her logic was that they are apathetic and don't take response for the own health care. I didn't quite know how to respond to these comments (that is without responding rudely). But these comments have got me thinking - what is the best way I can influence women's experience giving birth and I think it is education. Not of the women, but of the midwives. This may be my path to take on this new journey.

After having a break for midwifery for the last 18 months - I've come back with renewed energy and passion. I am going to fight for better birth out comes and positive experiences for women and their families.