Although Leselle is set on being a midwife for life, she didn’t always see herself working with people.
“Back in high school I was going to be a zoologist, because I love animals,” said Leselle.
“Then I got jobs at the newsagent and pub and realised I actually quite liked working with people. I went to a careers expo, and at the time we were studying reproduction in biology so I think it all just converged and I thought midwifery sounded like a great idea. And it turned out that it was!”
Leselle discovered the challenge and reward of working in a rural hospital very early on in her career.
“I grew up in Queensland and studied a dual degree, Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery at University of Queensland. My training was all done in big, busy tertiary hospitals, so when I graduated I decided to go to the country and try something different for a bit of a challenge. I ended up in regional Victoria, in a hospital much smaller than Leeton.”
“It was a great experience. You have to know what you're doing and be confident to work more autonomously, without huge amounts of physical support around you, and be ready to build up and use your emergency skills.
“I moved around a bit after that, to NSW, back to Queensland, and back to NSW again. I came to Leeton from Mudgee, so a similar sized town but a slightly bigger hospital, and further away from its major referral hospitals.”
It was the desire to deliver the type of care she was most passionate about that prompted Leselle’s move to Leeton.
“I was drawn to the role in Leeton because of the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP). I'm very passionate about the MGP model of care and I’d just reached that point in my career where I wanted to be able to work in a model that allows me to provide the kind of care I want to provide, for the women I support.
“Continuity of care and having a known midwife, or team of midwives, to look after women in pregnancy, there's really, really strong evidence to show that that it leads to reduced intervention and reduces the rate of preterm birth. It also reduces the risk of women and families losing their babies.
“Midwifery-led models of care can be challenging to implement, despite the mountains of evidence based research. Not all communities are fortunate enough to have access to midwifery-led care so I am just very excited to be in a community that does. Leeton is very lucky.”
Leselle aims to empower and educate women, and make them feel informed and supported and in control of their birth choices.
“Women are the expert of their own body, and I trust them to make decisions. I’m here to help and guide, and to support and advocate for them if things don’t go to plan.
“For the majority of women, pregnancy and birth is a normal physiological process. As a midwife I empower women to trust their body. Being pregnant and birthing and feeding our babies, our bodies are designed to do that. It’s just a normal life event for our bodies.
“To be there and watch that process, it’s a privilege.”
Leselle is settling in well in Leeton and enjoying the chance to explore between shifts.
“Leeton is a beautiful town, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I grew up by the beach and love the outdoors so I've been checking out some spots to jump into the river for a swim and go for bushwalks and that sort of thing.
“Another thing I love to do is circus aerials - silks and lyra and that sort of thing. So that's a bit of fun!
“I'm hoping to get across to Wagga to join a group there. It’s a really fun way to exercise and the people that do it create these communities that are so supportive, and all about celebrating everyone for their skills and journey, whatever stage they’re at. It’s creative and physically taxing, and using your body that way gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you achieve a new goal.
“I did a lot of competitive sport when I was younger so it’s been really healthy for me do something that is just about challenging myself, I don’t have to be the best.”
Leeton’s Midwifery Group Practice now has a team of four permanent midwives, ready to guide and support you through your pregnancy, birth and beyond.
“If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy you don’t need a referral to come and see us – just give us a call on 5943 2148 and make a time to come in and meet us. There’s no obligation, we can chat about what we can offer you and what options there are, and you can decide what suits you. You’re the expert in your own body, we’re just here to support you and provide the care that works for you.”