Stories
Australian women have shared their stories (with consent) of having the same midwife care for them throughout their pregnancy, birth and beyond. Read below.
First -time mum Anna of Dunsborough, said the strong bond she built with her same private midwife Barbara during the pregnancy, birth and weeks following the birth of her baby Ida, was fundamental to the excellent perinatal experience she had.
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Midwife Barbara, of Cape to Cape Midwifery, said it is the continuity of care from the same midwife that enables the excellent outcomes for women and newborns within this growing model of care.
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Anna and her husband had originally chosen Barbara as their private midwife to support them in a home birth.
“I went into labour two days before my due date and laboured at home for around 15 hours,” Anna said. “It was amazing to be able to be at home and the professionalism of our midwife Barbara made us feel safe at all times.”
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“I was getting exhausted and wasn’t fully dilated yet, with baby malpositioned, so Barbara made the call to go to the hospital,” Anna said.
“I was fully dilated when we arrived and shortly after that our daughter was born, unassisted and witnessed by our same midwife and my partner.”
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“Postpartum, our same midwife Barbara visited us multiple times at home and her level of care was amazing,” Anna said.
“My heartfelt gratitude goes to our amazing continuity of midwifery care midwife who walked the whole journey with us, from 10 weeks of my pregnancy.”
Midwife Barbara with baby Ida & Mum Anna
Aleisha with baby Jos
Aleisha & her husband Hendrik fell pregnant with baby Jos via IVF and the private midwifery care she received from the same midwife at New Life Midwifery, during the pregnancy, birth and weeks following the birth of her baby boy Jos, was everything she had dreamed of.
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Midwife Alex, from New Life, said midwives get to know their woman physically, emotionally and mentally, and support them to reach their goals for pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
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Although Aleisha originally wanted a home birth, her waters broke at 35 + 1 weeks so her midwife advised her to attend hospital due to the early labour.
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“I was fully dilated when I arrived, but reassured by our same midwife who was there with her team midwife colleague Alex who we had also gotten to know," Aleisha said.
"With their support, I went on to have a drug-free birth of baby Jos who breathed immediately at birth, remained skin to skin on me for an hour, as well as a natural delivery of my placenta, and I felt like a superwoman!”
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“Postpartum, our same midwife team visited us multiple times at home and their care was so reassuring as we adjusted to becoming first-time parents,” Aleisha said.
"Having that continuity of midwifery-led care was an incredible experience, and I hope every woman can feel as positive as I did about their pregnancy, birth and postpartum care,” Aleisha said.
Midwife Cara with Emma and her twins
For first-time mum Emma of Penrith, the private midwifery care she received from the same midwife Cara, in collaboration with an obstetrician, during the pregnancy, birth and weeks following the birth of her twin babies, George and Theo, was wonderful.
“When I found out I was having twins, I thought that would mean private midwifery care was not an option for me,” Emma said.
“However, my midwife Cara could continue to be my provider under a collaborative arrangement with an obstetrician and as a planned hospital birth at a hospital she had admitting rights in”.
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Midwife Cara said, "In cases like Emma's, a complex twin pregnancy, working collaboratively with our obstetric colleagues to ensure great outcomes whilst still providing one to one midwifery care is so important."
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Emma said "the continuity of care and trust that I built with Cara was so important to me in my difficult pregnancy, where I developed pre-eclampsia and had two transverse babies who needed to be delivered via a caesarean-section,” Emma said.
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"Having my same known midwife in the caesarean and recovery allowed the experience to be positive. She advocated for me to have skin to skin time, begin breastfeeding immediately, and keep my babies with me at all times which was extremely important to me. I felt safe in knowing she had mine and my babies’ best interests at heart.”
“Postpartum, our same midwife Cara visited us for 6 weeks of follow up support where I was given a lot of support to establish breastfeeding and reassurance that my babies were doing well as we adjusted to becoming first-time twin parents,” Emma said.
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Midwife Cara said "not only do midwives really get to know their women’s clinical history, but the women also build rapport with their midwife in this model, which is essential to making informed decisions and trusting themselves during birth”.
For first-time mum Daisy of Byron Bay, the strong connection she built with her same Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) midwife, during the pregnancy with her baby boy Charlie, filled her with confidence that she was capable of having the birth she desired.
Starting motherhood and a newborn’s life under the care of the same midwife is proven to have excellent maternal and neonatal outcomes, and Daisy is one of many women now choosing this model of care to give their babies the best start to life.
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Daisy & her husband Ben fell pregnant with baby Charlie after IVF. “I knew I wanted a hospital birth, but I also wanted a natural approach to birthing,” Daisy said. “After being accepted by the MGP at my local public hospital, I was assigned my midwife & we connected straight away.”
“I feel indebted to my midwife and her team whom I knew and trusted, and don't think my labour would have progressed so effortlessly without her,” Daisy said.
“I managed my early labour at home with phone support from my midwife before transferring to the hospital in active labour, where I went on to have a natural water birth of my baby boy en caul without any complications.”
“Postpartum, our same midwife team visited us multiple times at home and their care was so reassuring as we adjusted to becoming first-time parents,” Daisy said.
“I'm so grateful for my midwives being there for me every step of the way and hope all women can experience the benefits of midwifery continuity of care like I did” Daisy said.
