District’s midwives share their stories.

Ambrose Hansen is excited about beginning her career as a midwife in Sydney Local Health District.

“From a very young age I was like ‘I’m going to be a midwife.’  Every time someone was pregnant, I would talk to them constantly and if there was a baby around. That was just my personality trait. I was going to be a midwife, then here I am being a midwife!” she said. Midwives provide care for women and their families to ensure they feel safe and supported during their pregnancy, labour, birth, and early parenting journey. They empower women and their families to ensure they can make informed decisions about their maternity care.

As a new graduate registered midwife Ambrose is currently working in the post-natal ward at RPA’s maternity unit, caring for women following the birth of their baby.

“It’s a very special kind of connection. You get to grow with families,” Ambrose said.

Fellow midwife Melanie De Ferranti is a registered midwife at Canterbury Hospital but had an earlier career as a drama teacher. Like Ambrose, she felt l becoming a midwife was her calling.

“I was searching for something nutritious in my work life, that gave me connection and a nourishing vibe. I was on my pathway to motherhood as well, so being present at births and with pregnant women was the way forward.” she said.

Melanie also builds a special connection with women and families through the continuity of care model where women have access to a named midwife to support them.

“Continuity of care is a very satisfying part of the job. To follow through with someone from pregnancy to falling in love with their baby, and get to know them as a family, you get to see them learn and get confident is really satisfying.” Melanie said.

Over a third of women accessing maternity care in the District, receive care through a midwifery continuity model, such as the Midwifery Antenatal and Postnatal Service (MAPS), Canterbury Antenatal and Postnatal Service (CAPS), Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and The Birth Centre at RPA.

Following consultation with the local Aboriginal community, the District has also recently established an Aboriginal MGP, which will provide respectful and culturally safe, midwifery continuity of care for Aboriginal women and families.

International Day of the Midwife in 2023 is marked with the theme ‘Together Again: From Evidence to Reality’. It highlights all the work underway to inform and improve maternity care around the globe.