Today

After a long day I sit here at 11:59pm to just capture a few minutes of my day for Makayla to post in the morning.

Today I have been blessed in many ways – to be there at a wonderful birth, to see a woman who had a difficult time in birth transforming into an amazing mother in front of my eyes, to the good fortune to share another pregnancy with a dear client and friend, to have news that I will have a new nanny in the middle of next week (thank goodness!).

However I have also experienced a really sad day.  I cannot work out what we do to make sure that women REALLY know that they have choices in their care.

Today I have experienced the good (above), the bad (women “finding” us well through pregnancy) and the ugly (women experiencing things no one should ever have to experience and “finding” us way down the track).

I really, really respect the choices that women make – seeing a GP, caseload midwifery care, care with us, private obstetrician, elective caesarean, water birth – but I just WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE CHOICES.  The choices may be simple to make – being off the bed when they birth their baby – or complex – having a home birth in many areas in Queensland.  But we all do have the ability and the right to make choices for ourselves and our babies. 

Please take the time today to just pass the information on to a pregnant friend, relative or colleague.  They have choices.  If they don’t feel “right” in their stomach about the choice they have made, they need to get more information and make another choice. 

Liz x

What's right for us.

When I became pregnant I had no idea what was involved, just that i wanted a natural birth. We had private health cover and an obstetrician lined up but something didn’t feel right. We met with My Midwives and knew their model of care was the right choice for us.

Over the pregnancy my husband and I both looked forward to the antenatal visits in their cosy office, which came to feel like a second home. Any concerns or questions we had were met with honesty, up to date information and experience allowing me to make my own decisions, and be supported in whatever decision I made. Having my own midwife allowed me to get to know her over the course of my pregnancy, and her to understand me as an anxious first time mum.   When I went into labour I felt comfortable knowing she was only a phone call away and was there to reassure me, hold my hand, support my husband and greet my little one when she entered the world.

Before I had a baby I didn’t realise how much I needed the post care support service. We don’t have family close by so having someone you trust visit you at home just took one less stress out of those first few days, plus you didn’t have to get dressed and leave the house for a baby clinic. They were available 24/7 and came over any time we needed them to make sure all 3 of us were doing okay. Plus, I couldn’t wait each day to show off the little person we’d seen grow in my belly for so long.

I can’t wait to have another baby!