RE: [ozmidwifery] Obstetric Perception - Your thoughts?

[Sally Westbury]

I have been attending women at births for many years now. I love the flexibility of my work. I am fully supported by my partner and my extended family and friends.   For me being with a woman birthing is an intense experience and I choose not to have many women each month. Two women birthing each month is enough for me so that I feel that I am able to really be with my family. I am able to do most of my antenatal and postnatal work within school hours and then it is only 2 times each month that I am with a woman birthing. So at worst 2 nights each month I am away from my family overnight.. at best none. Not too bad realy.   Financially if we look at 2000 dollars per birth. There is an income of 2000 per fortnight. This is very roughly speaking.   I would be interested to see what people see as a full time case load?   There are great benefits to being with a known women. I love my work. I grow real relationship with women. I’m still longing for and missing the women in Victoria that I have left behind even as I see mothers born and babies birthed here and know that I am growing those connections here. I still think about women in Tasmania and remember the important lessons they taught me as a new midwife and wonder how those children are as the approach their teenage years. This is amazing work and my family is only enriched by my work as we have links and are loved by many in the community.   Oh gush gush gush… sorry but honest I so much adore the women I am with and am honored by being invited to journey with them. I am sure there are so many other midwives who would be so much happier and more enriched by working with known women.   Just imagine… instead of going home from work mostly frustrated… you went home feeling mostly elated… how would your family benefit from that??   My family support me entirely because they see how happy the work makes me and that spills over to our whole family life.   Gush.. gush.. gush….   In peace and joy   Sally Westbury