Midwives provide antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal care to women, babies and families and are the experts in normal pregnancy and birth. Midwives provide care in many different settings including acute hospital care and in the community both in Broken Hill and our remote health services. Midwives also provide special care for unwell newborn babies and breastfeeding support for women who require extra care in the early days, weeks and months of motherhood.
The Far West LHD will recognise local midwives today with an afternoon tea and awarding the Far West LHD Midwife of the Year. The winner will be nominated in the NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards to be announced in Sydney later this year.
The theme for this year’s International Day of the Midwife is ‘100 Years of Progress’ and celebrates 100 years of establishment of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). The ICM aims to strengthen the midwifery profession by promoting midwives as the experts in normal birth and to enhance the reproductive health of women, newborns and their families in all countries around the world.
Women and families in the Far West are lucky enough to receive the gold standard of midwifery care, which is care by a small group of known midwives to provide continuity of midwifery care throughout the pregnancy, birth and early postnatal period. Care from a known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period results in better satisfaction with the birth experience and an increased chance of establishing and continuing breastfeeding.
Far West LHD Executive Director of Nursing & Midwifery/Director of Clinical Governance, Ms Wendy Gleeson thanked midwives for their hard work, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Midwives work tirelessly to ensure women, newborn babies and families have access to excellent care in our rural and remote communities. Pregnancy and birth is unpredictable and I’m very proud of the efforts and expertise of our local midwives to ensure women receive safe and quality maternity care.”