Desert Storks

Secret Midwives Business

Welcome to Desert Storks, a web site for Eastern Goldfields women and their families from the midwives of the Australia College of Midwives Kalgoorlie Sub Branch. We want to share with you ‘Secret Midwives Business’.

The midwives of the maternity unit are a magical group of individuals who bring so much experience, fun, laughter and passion to their midwifery and to the unit of the Goldfields. We believe that if women are to have safe birth options and trust in their own abilities, then the empowerment of the midwife is crucial in the delivery of care. This is our goal. Empowerment begins as we nurture our student midwives while they learn. We also need to help in the growth and development of all other midwives that come our way.

So, it is through the teaching and support provided by the midwives and the knowlegde and direction provided by the doctors that together we nurture the women to learn and to trust in their innate abilties. We are all team players and it is this team effort the makes Kalgoorlie so special and opens the way for what really makes our SECRET MIDWIVES BUSINESS.

ACM Philosophy Statement for Midwifery

Midwife means ‘with woman’. This meaning shapes midwifery’s philosophy, work and relationships.

Midwifery is founded on respect for women and on a strong belief in the value of women’s work of bearing and rearing each generation.

Midwifery considers women in pregnancy, during childbirth and early parenting to be undertaking healthy processes that are profound and precious events in each woman’s life. These events are also seen as inherently important to society as a whole.

Midwifery is emancipatory because it protects and enhances the health and social status of women, which in turn protects and enhances the health and wellbeing of society.

Midwifery is a woman centred, political, primary health care discipline founded on the relationships between women and their midwives.

Midwifery:

focuses on a woman’s health needs, her expectations and aspirations

encompasses the needs of the woman’s baby, and includes the woman’s family, her other important relationships and community, as identified and negotiated by the woman herself

is holistic in its approach and recognises each woman’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual and cultural needs, expectations and context as defined by the woman herself

recognises every woman’s right to self-determination in attaining choice, control and continuity of care from one or more known caregivers

recognises every woman’s responsibility to make informed decisions for herself, her baby and her family with assistance, when requested, from health professionals

is informed by scientific evidence, by collective and individual experience and by intuition

aims to follow each woman across the interface between institutions and the community, through pregnancy, labour and birth and the postnatal period so all women remain connected to their social support systems; the focus is on the woman, not on the institutions or the professionals involved

includes collaboration and consultation between health professionals.

Definition of the Midwife

A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational program, duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practise midwifery.

She must be able to give the necessary supervision, care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries on her own responsibility and to care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, procurement of medical assistance and the execution of emergency measures in the absence of medical help. She has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the woman, but also within the family and the community. The work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and extends to certain areas of gynaecology, family planning and child care. She may practice in hospitals, clinics, health units, domiciliary conditions or in any other service.

(This definition was jointly developed by the International Confederation of Midwives and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics – later adopted by the World Health Organisation)

The International Day of the Midwife

International Midwives Day is an occassion to celebrate and promote the profession of midwifery. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises midwives as the health professionals best able to deliver safe, cost effective maternity services to the majority of families.
A midwife is educated to give all necessary care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn period.
Midwives believe that childbirth is a normal and significant life event for women and their families.

Midwives around the world celebrate on May 5 each year

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) launched the ‘International Day of the Midwife’ initiative in 1992.

The aim of the day is to celebrate midwifery and to bring awareness of the importance of midwives’ work to as many people as possible. This is achieved in many different ways according to what works best in each country.

Johnsons Baby Midwife of The Year

Midwife of the Year Award

JOHNSON’S® baby Midwife of the Year Award was launched on International Midwives Day (IMD), May 5, in 2000 to raise the profile of midwives and increase public awareness of the important role midwives play in the care of women and their families before, during and after the birth of their babies.

Although the award is only in its infancy it has already been a wonderful success in lifting the mood, spirit and profile of midwives. This success has the capacity to make this event one that will be clearly recognised and anticipated annually for what it is – a celebration and acknowledgment of the vital role midwives play in our communities. Read more »

PREGNANCY PLANNING

This does not mean rushing out to the nearest baby store. It means getting into shape medically before getting pregnant and it includes both you and your partner. You want your body to be in peak condition so that when you do get pregnant you give your child the best possible start.

Pre-conception check up
Your first step should be to take a trip, with your partner, to your doctor for a pre-conception visit. This will enable you to make sure that you are up to date with your regular health screenings and immunisations, to discuss any concerns about the pregnancy that you may have and to decide on any lifestyle changes that may need to be made. Your doctor will be able to get a good picture of your overall health and any aspects of your medical history and your family’s medical history that could affect your pregnancy. You should also be asked if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as any herbs or supplements, as these may have to be altered before or after conception.

If you, as the prospective mother, have a pre-existing medical condition, such as diabetes, asthma, lupus or high blood pressure, it is important for both you and your baby to make sure that the condition is under control before you get pregnant. For instance, women with diabetes must ensure that they have excellent control of blood sugar levels around the time of conception as this reduces the chance of the baby having a congenital abnormality. Read more »

Pregnancy tests - chorionic villus sampling

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a pregnancy test that checks the baby for genetic or biochemical abnormalities. The placenta is made of the same cells as the baby, so the baby can be tested by taking a small sample of the placenta. The sample is removed using a slender needle inserted through the abdomen. The tissue (chorionic villi) is then examined in a laboratory.

Unlike other pregnancy tests such as ultrasound, CVS isn’t a general check of the baby’s health but a specific test for particular abnormalities, such as Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis. The risk of miscarriage following CVS is one in 100, so it is important to thoroughly understand the benefits, risks and complications before agreeing to take the test. Generally, CVS is offered between 10 and 19 weeks gestation. Read more »

New Born Screening Test

The Newborn Screening Test, sometimes called a ‘Guthrie test’ or ‘heel prick’ test, is part of the normal care for newborn babies in Australia. This blood test is used to screen all newborn babies for some rare metabolic and congenital disorders. In Australia, advanced technology allows the testing from a single blood sample for over 30 different health problems.

These include congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria (PKU), cystic fibrosis (CF), galactosaemia, and several conditions affecting the breakdown of fats (fatty acid oxidation defects) and proteins (amino acid metabolism disorders). Many of these conditions are genetic, and inherited from two healthy parents each carrying the abnormal gene. Read more »

Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is a medical procedure performed on a pregnant woman to withdraw a small amount of amniotic fluid from the sac surrounding the foetus. By about the 16th week of pregnancy, the developing baby is suspended in around 130ml of amniotic fluid, which the baby constantly swallows and excretes. The goal of amniocentesis is to examine a tiny amount of this fluid to obtain information about the baby - including its sex - and to detect physical abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome or spina bifida. Amniocentesis is only performed on women thought to be at higher risk of delivering a child with a birth defect.

Problems detected by amniocentesis
Amniocentesis can detect a number of disorders that will affect babies, while they are still a small foetus in the uterus. These conditions include:

Down’s syndrome.

Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

Cystic fibrosis.

Genetic disorders - amniotic fluid samples can be DNA tested to identify a wide range of genetic disorders, including Fragile X syndrome, phenylketonuria, Tay-Sachs disease and sickle cell disease. Read more »

PREGNANCY AFTER 35 YEARS OF AGE

PREGNANCY AFTER 35 YEARS OF AGE

While many women over 35 years have normal pregnancies, those over 35 do have special considerations for pregnancy. Making the right choices early on and working with your doctor or obstetrician can help your pregnancy be trouble-free.

Making the right choices
What’s healthy for you is often healthy for your baby. What’s harmful to you may harm your baby even more. Before and after you become pregnant:

do not use recreational or illicit drugs;

do not drink alcohol; and

do not smoke. Read more »