Midwifery Today Community

Just to start things off here :)

I live in Australia now; I moved here 20 months ago, and I love it :D

Any other Australian folk on this board? Jump in and say hi! i'd love to have a thread where we can share practicalities of midwifery specific to Australia.

Hello!

I'm in Victoria, near Geelong. I've lurked (and occasionally posted) on the MT forums for many years. I'm a certified doula (CBI) and am just about to undertake a 4 year double degree in Nursing/Midwifery, with my plan being to go straight out into the community as a private midwife

Whereabouts are you located?

Hi Isis :) I'm in northern NSW

I love that part of the world :) I used to spend a lot of time in Byron Bay. I am Sydney born and bred, met and married a Victorian thus our settling down here.

Hello,

I'm American and live in the US, but I may very well be moving to Australia in a few years. My boyfriend is from Melbourne and is here on a work visa.

majikfaerie, I see you're a lay midwife. Are you able to practice legally? 

We are getting news coverage here in Vancouver, BC, Canada about the devestating losses in the fires.  My deepest condolences to our Australian friends.

Thanks Gloria, it is a very sad time. I am not personally affected, but I have friends who have lost family members, or have friends who have lost their homes in Kinglake and Marysville. Bush fire is one thing, fire storm is another. The fires are still burning, hopefully they will be under control by the weekend when more northerly winds are forecast. Northerly winds will bring hot air and also the power to merge the currently burning fires.

Hi there....Magik & Isis...I think I know you from other forums!

I'm currently a student doula and hoping to do midwifery in the future.....I am mama to two. One hospital birth, one glorious homebirth......well, it changed my life of course. I don't think I would be here, on this path if it wasn't for my children!

Anyway, just wanted to drop in and say hi to all the other aussie birthworkers!

???? Where did that interesting piece of information (about the birth of Jesus) come from majikfaerie?  I think there is a lot of evidence that midwives have attended women in Hebrew cultures throughout recorded history.  If unassisted means that the mother gave birth spontaneously without medication &c, then that's probably true.

Anyway, this is my first posting to the forum, and I have jumped in boots and all so to speak!

G'day all.

I have just found this forum, and as I am new to forums please be patient if I don't do it right.

I am an independent midwife in Melbourne.  My practice is mainly homebirth, with some teaching, and a lot of writing on the side.  I was a leader in Maternity Coalition for many years, and now I am working with a great group of women to establish BaBs, a peer support group.

If you are interested in the Maternity Services Review, please keep an eye on the MIPP blog http://midwivesvictoria.blogspot.com/   I am trying to keep it up to date as information comes in.

For those who aren't aware of the review, it has been done by the Health Minister, and it looks as though there may be a breakdown of some of the monopoly of maternity care that has virtually forced all Australian women into medical/obstetric care for many years now.   

We are watching for any news of professional indemnity insurance that is affordable for midwives.  This will be a key factor in whether we are able to continue practising after 1 July 2010, when a new law about regulation of health professionals, requiring indemnity insurance, is enforced.

Hi Jenni

there is no legal lay midwifery in any state or territory in Australia.  Even the doulas who attend births without a midwife present could be charged with 'holding out' (as midwives).

Yay, Joy!  Great to have you here.  Thanks for the links for keeping up with the political shenanigans in Australia.  Gloria 

I was just going to post about the political shenenigans regarding the MSR report Joy beat me to it!

Joy,

Do you know if direct-entry/non-nurse midwives trained in the US can become registered midwives in Australia? Does one need a Bachelor's degree in Midwifery?

Jenni:

Joy,

Do you know if direct-entry/non-nurse midwives trained in the US can become registered midwives in Australia? Does one need a Bachelor's degree in Midwifery?

HI Jenni

I'm not sure of the detail, but there are overseas educated direct entry midwives working in Australia.  At present each State or Territory has a Board or Council that is the statutory body, responsible for registrations and accreditation of courses.  For example, the Nurses Board of Victoria is where midwives (even those who have done the B Mid and are not registered nurses) are registered http://www.nbv.org.au/web/guest/home There is a section under Registration for overseas applicants/inquiries.

Australia has a mutual recognition agreement with New Zealand, so anyone registered in NZ is automatically accepted in Oz.   I know of some who found it easier to register in NZ then come across the Tasman.

I don't have a Bachelor's degree in Midwifery or anything else.  I'm one of the old school who learnt midwifery (and nursing) on the job in a hospital.