Midwifery Today Community

Hello,

I'm an American currently visiting Melbourne with my boyfriend (an Australian citizen). I was planning to study midwifery in the US, but now I'm considering staying in Australia. Can anyone recommend a good program--i.e., one that emphasizes natural birth and holistic midwifery and/or allows students to gain (at least some of) their clinical experience in out-of-hospital settings? I'd like to stay in the Melbourne area but would certainly consider relocating for the right program.

Thanks so much!

Jenni

You might want to look into what is happening in Australia regarding midwifery and homebirth 

http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/

http://savehomebirth.com.au/news/?cat=49

http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/showthread.php?t=36009

www.homebirth.net.au

definitely check out those links the pp posted.

In Australia at the moment there aren't really any "good, holisitc, natural" programmes. Midwifery can be studied in a university, either as a 3 year nursing degree with an additional year as a specialist in midwifery, (nurse-midwife) or a 3 year bachelor of midwifery degree. While the B.Mid is the better option, from a midwifery perspective, it is still absolutely hospital-based. There are no other legal options.

There is a new legislation on the cards that, if passed, will mean that independant homebirth will be illegal. not saying you should run away from Oz, but you should be informed and aware. We can work to stop this legislation, which may see parents who birth at home fined up to $30,000 for trying to hire a MW. :(

Independent homebirth will not be illegal....women can still choose to birth at home.  However, medically trained and registered midwives will not be able to legally attend homebriths.  So women's options for homebirth support will be limited, but it will not be illegal to birth a baby at home.

as I read the law, it will be illegal to practice midwifery if not licensed, and people who incite anyone to practice midwifery outside the bounds of the law (ie: attending a homebirth for a licenced MW or working as an unlicensed one) could also be up for fines of up to $30,000

Yes, true, though I believe it has always been 'illegal' and a finable offense to practice midwifery without registration or license.  Women still attend other women though, as they have through the eons before regulatory boards popped up and assumed control.  Personally, as someone who will possibly be giving birth in the next few years, I am confident that I can still find the sort of birth support I would prefer (which for me is non medically trained nor registered support) so in that way, it is not illegal to have a homebirth, you know?  

Having said that, this legislation is perhaps the most archaic step towards fascism I have seen yet.

rojaza:

Having said that, this legislation is perhaps the most archaic step towards fascism I have seen yet.

Yeah. :(

What's happening to fight the bill's passage?

Did you not check out those websites?  All of those links detail exactly what is happening on the activist front.  Most notably, a rally in Canberra in September at Parliament is going to be HUGE.  The recent Senate inguiry into the MSR recommendations / proposed legislation was greatly dominated by the 'homebirth situation' which I think caught many people in the legislative process a bit off guard.

Women can make lots of noise and they are doing so.  This is the only way anything will change, or in this situation, at least get things back to where they were before.