It’s the year to thank a midwife

Eve Jeffery

At just six weeks of age, baby Sylvi has no idea that it’s the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, but her mum Priscylla says she wouldn’t be without her midwife.

‘Birthing is women’s business. The support and knowledge they bring to it, it just feels so right. As my mum’s not around so it is maternal support as well which was really important for me. There’s a lot of nurturing beyond just scientific medical support.’

Midwifery Unit Manager, for the Byron, Murwillumbah and Tweed midwifery group practice, Patrice Hickey, says the midwives care for low-risk women during their pregnancy, labour and birth. ‘Midwifery care continues at home for the first month after the baby is born. We provide person-centred care, which means we work to deliver individual care to each woman.

‘Our team of midwives work in collaboration with obstetric consultants and staff at The Tweed and Lismore Hospitals for support and transfer, if required at any time.

‘Already this year, more than 50 new babies have been welcomed through the Byron Birth Centre. As part of our midwifery service, we also provide the option for women to be supported to give birth at home.’

A brand new middy

New midwife Grace Kingston grew up in New Brighton and went to St John’s in Mullumbimby. After high school at Woodlawn, she moved to Melbourne and then on to study midwifery at the Australia Catholic University. She finished her course in November last year and is doing her grad year at a Melbourne hospital.

Ms Kingston says she decided to become a midwife because she is interested in women’s health and liked the idea of being involved in birthwork. ‘Being a midwife is great because you have the opportunity to make a really positive difference, it’s an honour to be a part of such intimate milestones in people’s lives and be able to encourage and empower parents.

Ms Kingston, who did a month as a volunteer in a birth unit in Tanzania, says that she is enjoying her grad year and was well prepared for the workforce. ‘It’s pretty much what I expected it to be. We do enough clinical placements that I think we develop a good understand of the reality of the job while we’re at school.

‘The most challenging thing is trying to fulfil my administrative obligations without detracting too much from the time I can spend with the women. Paperwork is a really massive part of the job and I’m sure with more experience I’ll get better at this.’

Ms Kingston says she couldn’t say what she likes most about the work. ‘I don’t know what the best thing is, I love it all. I look forward to going to work every day which I feel very lucky about. I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.’

When women become mothers

Michelle Popple has been a midwife for 17 years, and has been on the staff at Byron since they opened eight years ago – she was at Mullum Hospital before that. She saw baby Sylvi come into the world and she was also there when Priscylla had her first baby seven years ago.

Ms Popple, who can’t even guess at how many births she has been a part of, though she says it must be hundreds, believes women on the whole just love their midwives and most have very fond memories of the women who watched them become mothers. ‘Even if you never see them again, even if you don’t recognise them again when you see them, you still love them – love the whole experience of what they did for you and the support that they gave you.

‘The best thing about being a midwife is just watching women become mothers and that family develop and grow. The best thing ever is the look on a woman’s face, the absolute joy that they have brought that baby into the world.’

Fun fact: According to the World Health Organisation, the world needs nine million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.