Life is very busy; too much work to get done.

My feet have not hit the ground since being home. I have been back from holidays for 12 days and now feel like it is time for another holiday….my university marking (150 papers) is almost completed, my personal study: Visual learning is way behind….and I am trying to catch up… I never realised how difficult this unit would be… One of the assignments is to look at a floor plan of a house … that someone else has chosen, so you don’t see the finished product and you have to draw the house around the plan. For me this is very difficult as I am not a visual person in that sense…. I don’t seem able to look at a floor plan and then imagine what the outside of the house is supposed to look like…. So I will have fun doing that one…. The second issue with this unit is working out the computer programs so that I can create and alter images…. So really this is not only a education unit but a computer one as well… as you are learning several skills.
Also there is the family to see..... keeping up with the kids and the grandkids, friends etc.... we managed to catch up with friends from the country which was good and I also managed to start a new clinical position one day a week, which will keep me grounded and realistic with my expecations of the students I teach and aware of changes at the coalface.

Attended “The Magic of Midwifery”… on Friday 13th it was an excellent study day….. The education team did a phenomenal job on organising this day… when you have such a successful day you have second thoughts about resigning from the committee and continuing…. On the other hand it is good to go out on a high note. For me it is time to move on and contribute in some other way to the College by doing something else and allowing fresh blood into the education team and a new stream of thinking.
There are several key components for organising these conference / educational days, initially you do need topics that will attract midwives to attend, and this can often be difficult because the needs and wants of midwives within the State are varied, you have public, private sector and independent (private practice) midwives all with different needs. Also considering the costs involved, because if it is too expensive they will not attend. Secondly it is choosing presenters that will be inspirational, because I think midwives attend these days not only for education but to be inspired and network. Work places can be stressful and the load on a midwife can be mammoth therefore it is essential from time to time to refocus and remember why you became a midwife and be motivated to be ‘with woman’ with like minded people.

The aspect I enjoy most about the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) study days, conferences etc is the networking the collegiality and they are never at the same venue. There is always the ability to network; discuss different models of care; debrief cases; and discuss different ways of approaching issues. …… You always learn something new and strike up new friendships and partnerships…. It’s just a fantastic forum of like minded people. So next time there is a conference or study day…. Go…. Experience it and utilise the experience by networking……. Share the learning experiences.

Often my husband feels I am having an affair with my computer, off course it would have to be a virtual one…… (Wonder if that happens in second life?) Just kidding! ... As I spend so much time on it….. Working…. Emailing…. Studying…. Blogging….. Writing memoirs…to think we use to use pen and paper…… how times have changed….that seems so tiresome now…..some times just browsing or surfing the net…. But I get so caught up and passionate about midwifery I can be browsing for hours on end.

After this conference my new soap box discussion topic will be memberships to Professional Colleges….. And why are they important for professional bodies…… so watch this space. Do you think they are important?

Mother of all rallies:

As you may be aware if you have been reading my blog that on Monday in Canberra was the Homebirth rally.
I was excited to participate by having a virtual placard present, which I think is a fantastic idea. It was good to see the sea of virtual placards in attendance of the people who could not physically get there.


Women, babies, families and Midwives from all over Australia attended the rally to show support for Homebirth – the choice for women to have a homebirth, as from 2010 due to National Registration and legislation independent midwives would not be allowed to register to practice as a midwife if they did not have indemnity insurance.



What was exceptionally disappointing was there was very little media coverage about the rally. I rushed home after work to watch the news and subsequent current affairs programs and no one reported on the rally, not one channel – how unfair is that!
This is big news, over 2000 women, babies and families attended to show how they felt and no one picked up the story, my question is why?
This story made page 16 in the West Australian on Tuesday, bottom right hand corner, that’s just not good enough, who is listening to our voices?

Is it that we are women / midwives and the story is not big enough, do we not matter?

I do find it interesting that when the AMA has anything to say or protest about any issue it is always reported in the news, why is that?
What do you think?

The photos were supplied by a colleague midwife who attended the rally.

If you wish to read about what the rally was like from someone who attended visit Lisa Barrett's blog - rally thoughts!

watch this space!

Celebrating our Land, our People and our Profession.

International Day of the Midwife (IMD) was on May 5th. The Australian College of Midwives WA Branch, celebrated this occasion on Saturday 2nd May at UWA. It was a day of celebration to which approximately 60 Health professionals attended. It was nice to see familiar faces of the midwives that generally celebrate and come to the College events. This is a time for midwives to get together and network, gossip and generally catch up with colleagues that you have not seen since the last IMD celebration.



This time I met an exceptional woman, a beautiful Cherokee midwife who has worked with the Inuit women of Canada, she had such long hair I just had to take her photo.



It is very important on these occasions to get the catering correct, because as midwives we like to chat, eat and have a nice cup of tea or freshly brewed coffee. UWA did a great job of the catering there was good food and beverages. The day started with an official Nyungar Welcome to Country and a traditional Nyungar dance - performed by Justine, it was breathtaking.



The rest of the morning was spent discussing Aboriginal Health, relating to mother and infant mortality and morbidity. Heather Hancock from SA University gave a riveting presentation on her work in the Northern Territory and Alice Springs. She also reminded us as Midwives to continue providing quality care, remember to be happy, joyous and passionate about our beautiful career. I couldn't agree with her more, we, as midwives need to be happy and joyous in our work providing women with continuity of care. You know the famous saying ' if you love what you do, you do it well' or something along those lines.


Fun was had by all in the Laughter workshop:




With the afternoon came the laughter workshop, some people like this sort of thing, me no, its not my cup of tea, however i did do it to experience something different. But can't say i am in a hurry to do it again.

I did enjoy the last session which was the panel discussion on the way forward for the maternity review report.



The nuts and bolts of this discussion was that we as midwives need to work together to achieve better outcomes for women. So that women can have the informed choice they so rightly deserve. This means, midwives becoming more politically savvy,find out who your local politician is and start emailing or writing to them saying what it is you want as a midwife. That is a medicare provider number, this is what will give us what we want, that is access to all pregnant women in the first trimester, from 12 weeks. This way the woman will get informed choice and all her birthing options, that is Midwifery Led care, Birth centre, teams, shared care, homebirth and obstetric care.



It was good to see so many midwifery students attending the study day. We need to encourage students to attend because they are our future, and need to become actively involved in the College.

Remember to watch out for information relating to National Registration & Accreditation 2010, the Maternity Review Report, Indemnity Insurance for independent midwives and the Complaints committee relating to National Registration; All this topics will be up for public discussion and this is when you need to make your comments, make your voice heard. If you see articles in the news papers or on the news, that are untrue or unjust, respond or send it to the Australian college of Midwives and ask them to respond, this is how we are noticed. However always remember to be professional.
Thank you to all those who attended the day to make it a success.



The time is now, for you to start being heard as a Midwife.

Happy International Midwives Day 2009.

Great news for Australian Midwives:

This is great news for midwives, read the full report;

THE HON NICOLA ROXON MP Minister for Health and Ageing:
Maternity Services Report:

Recommendations in a nutshell:

Improving choice for Australian women by supporting an expanded role for midwives

Consideration of the expansion of access to Medicare and the PBS for midwives – but only if accompanied by stringent professional requirements for midwives

Consideration of support for professional indemnity insurance for midwives

The development of new national cross-professional guidelines to support collaborative multidisciplinary care in line with best practice

Consideration of the establishment of a single integrated pregnancy-related telephone support line

Improved data collection and analysis, and further research

Providing increased support for the maternity workforce, particularly in rural Australia

The release of this report has generated many different responses: here are a few:

Rural doctors welcome maternity review
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has welcomed the Australian Department of Health and Ageing’s Maternity Services Review Report. The association has said it provided a strong way forward for improving access to maternity services in the bush.
For a long time now maternity services in rural areas have been under increasing pressure and at least half of rural maternity units have been closed down over the past decade.
It is a well known fact that pregnant rural women are increasingly having to travel great distances to give birth as there is limited maternity services available for them.

The Maternity Services Review Report provided an opportunity for all stakeholders including consumers, doctors and midwives, and government to focus urgently on getting much-needed maternity services back into the bush.

The next question that has raised debate is that of indemnity insurance for independent and private midwives. I think that it is fantastic that the Commonwealth government is considering indemnity insurance for midwives. National Registration will be introduced in 2010 and all midwives will be required to have indemnity insurance to be registered. This will prove difficult if we do not have government assistance and we will lose many midwives.
Women are intitled to choose where, who, how, they will be assisted with their birth.

6 Minutes.com.au, reported this story:
GP obstetricians will be angry

if they have to foot their own medical indemnity insurance while midwives received government help, a leading obstetrician says.
The federal government’s new Maternity Services Review says subsidies for indemnity insurance would help private midwives who risk financial ruin by being sued.

The Age.com.au reports:
Furore over midwife report as doctors go on the attack
THE Australian Medical Association has accused Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon of being "gung-ho" about the role of midwives and misrepresenting the findings of the Government's maternity services review.

It will be interesting to watch what happens and what the expectation will be relating to " expanded role of the midwife" "advanced level of professional education and experience" that will be expected of midwives.
In 2007 some Midwives in WA completed the 'expanded role of the midwife" course in preparation for this role.

Will UK & NZ trained midwives have to complete the expanded role of the Midwife when they come to work in Australia? they already work to this level, autonomously and independently.

The Age also comments

this could potentially allow midwives to prescribe medicines, open private group services and contract their services to hospitals. Midwives would also be given access to the Medicare system, although the report did not recommend Commonwealth funding for home births.

"

It is about time this happened - Women already pay for private services for independent midwives, why should they be disadvantaged for the informed choice they make - why not allow them to claim from the Medicare system.

Specialist doctors argue that Australia's strong safety record for mothers and babies shows that the current system is working, while advocates of home births have accused doctors of being responsible for soaring surgical delivery rates.

It is interesting to use the strong safety record for mothers and babies, however this also works in favour of midwifery, also, I feel it does not indicate the current system is working, if that was the case we would not have women choosing unattended births or freebirth occurring. Why are they happening, because women are not being listened to by obstetricians they feel they have no choice.

It is sad but no surprise that Dr Capolingua uses that "F word" "Fear" to reinforce the medical model in childbirth instead of working together with midwives in a collaborative way.
It was also disappointing to see very little or no support of homebirth via funding.
Another good aspect of this report was to see increased funding and maternity services for Indigenous women.

The report also discusses workforce issues, such as; aging GP's, Obstetricians, and Midwives, the average age of midwives being 45.6 years.

I am delighted to see that finally a Health Minister is listening to what WOMEN want, and that is CHOICE and to recognise that childbirth has become so medicalsied with high intervention, cesarean sections and the poor breastfeeding rates.