Midwifery Archives

Learning to be a midwife 1980’s Scotland

Navigating The Australian Maternity System 1995

Arriving in Oz I joined an agency needing a salary as soon as possible.

First shift was a morning on the postnatal floor of a large public tertiary hospital, an old building, with no AC, a stinking hot 35-degree day, white dress and tights clinging as I worked under the whir of multiple fans, sweat trickling down my back.

A Community Midwifery Service QLD 1997 – 1999

An accurate quote ❤️

Midwifery is both joyful and painful. We see the best and worst day of people’s lives in our everyday experience. We are incredibly lucky to be part of women’s lives when things are bright and jubilant, but also when they are darkest and most difficult. It allows us to see the light and shade of life in its sharpest exposure
Alexandra Ryan

Another Day At The Office

Recently had the delightful task in the postnatal ward of weighing the newborn babies going home

Wheeling them to the scales one at a time in fish bowl hospital cots

Quickly, gently, wrangling them out of clothes and nappy

Talking to them , shushing them, apologising for ma cold hands

Placing them atop the scales on the blanket nest, tiny bums in the air, so cute!

Just as quick, dress em up again, straight back to mum’s arms

Next day a shift in emergency, seeing the polar opposite example of human

My Birth Stories

Maternal red thread, me, mum, granny, great granny and great great granny below

My births were rare in today’s world, both spontaneous labours, no vaginal examinations, no drugs, no interventions of any kind, nothing DONE to me. Afterwards both times, I felt like superwoman like “bloody hell if I can do THAT, I can do anything!”

Complications

Usually pregnancy is a joyful time but for some women things go wrong and hospital admission is needed.

Separated from family, friends and support network, stuck in hospital, often miles from home, joy is replaced by anxiety and fear

For some women …..