Sunshine Coast Private Midwife Reveals Growing Popularity of Midwifery Care

QUEENSLAND, Australia July, 2013 – Since 1990, there has been approximately 10 to 15 deaths directly related to complications in pregnancy in Australia each and every year. According to the Report of the Maternity Services Review, Australia also has a very high rate of caesarean births.*

The same report reveals that there has been a steady growth in the number of births by caesarean section in both private hospitals (increasing from 22 per cent of all births in 1991 to 41 per cent in 2006) and public hospitals (rising from 16 per cent in 1991 to 28 per cent to 2006).

Despite these staggering statistics, in the last few decades, Australia has made significant progress in improving the safety of pregnancy and childbirth by ensuring that all mum’s-to-be receive proper maternity care. The Commonwealth, states and territories, through the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference have, as a principle, committed to continuity of care—and, wherever possible, continuity of carer. Important to making such a commitment a real option for mum’s-to-be, is the Medicare rebate the government has implemented to support the vital continuity of care model. This rebate is available for Medicare eligible midwifery practices such as Sunshine Coast’s private midwife practice- Know Your Midwife.

Mary Young, a Sunshine Coast private midwife and director at Know Your Midwife says, “There is a lot of research done throughout the world that shows that continuity of care and birthing with a known and trusted private midwife will lower prematurity, the induction rate, the caesarean rate, the epidural rate, and also postnatal depression. Closer to home, the Government Maternity Services Review states the same evidence.” www.knowyourmidwife.com.au/

Continuity of care enables women to develop a relationship with the same caregiver (or team of caregivers) throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. It is also linked to numerous benefits including reduced interventions in labour, enhanced experiences and satisfaction during pregnancy and childbirth, greater preparedness for birth and early parenting, and reduced health care costs. The government report supports the benefits of midwifery-led continuity of care.*

Mary explains the growing demand for a private homebirth midwife, “The increasing popularity for midwifery and continuity of care especially in the demand for a homebirth has now skyrocketed in most recent times. Roughly 75 per cent of our births are homebirth – the rest will birth in a hospital with us as their midwife still providing the proper and adequate continuity of care that both the mother and newborn bub require. Thus, I launched Know Your Midwife to help mothers have a better chance of experiencing the birth they truly want and deserve; whether that is by protecting and enhancing the natural birthing process or finding natural ways to enhance birthing in which medical interventions are required or desired.”

Know Your Midwife is a private practice group of experienced maternity specialists including homebirth midwives and an obstetrician. Every Sunshine Coast private midwife who is an active member of Know Your Midwife offers continuity of care from conception to parenthood through their programme called the Circle of Care. Each private midwife provides maternity care options for all of the mothers-to-be who seek their help and services. www.knowyourmidwife.com.au/

“The biggest difference we can make as a society is to be open-minded and recognise the widely held views on ‘normal birthing’ are not necessarily conducive to the birthing experiences most women want. I launched The Childbirth Manifesto to encourage all of us to open our minds once again to the possibility that birthing can be calmer, gentler, and more natural,” Mary explains.

To learn more about the maternity care options and other services offered by the Sunshine Coast midwives at Know Your Midwife, visit www.knowyourmidwife.com.au/.
 
Source:
* http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/maternityservicesreview-report
 
 
 
 

Contact Information

Mary Young

Director/Midwife

Know Your Midwife

(61) 0400 901 437

marykymyounbg@gmail.com.au