Midwives from Aboriginal Women's health centre Waminda will now be allowed to help First Nations women like Emma Ardler give birth at Shoalhaven Hospital after previous restrictions were lifted.
Waminda midwives are the first privately employed midwives to birth the babies of First Nations women in a public hospital.A development application for Waminda 's Aboriginal-owned and governed birthing centre will go to the council this month.
"It means bridging gaps, it means being supported, it means having my spiritual needs met," Ms Ardler said.Her midwife and Tasmanian Palawa woman, Tahlia Avolio, will become one of the nation's first privately employed endorsed midwives to provide the service, ensuring continuity of care for women throughout pregnancy.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, First Nations women are three to five times more likely than non-Indigenous women to die in childbirth."It's really important that we're able to do what we know is right for our people," Ms Longbottom said.An access agreement between Waminda and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has been signed to allow Waminda endorsed midwives "visiting rights" to Shoalhaven Hospital to birth babies.
"You have reduced interventions, better outcomes for women, improvements in birth weights, improvements in breastfeeding and psychosocial wellbeing," she said.Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr woman Melanie Briggs is Waminda's senior endorsed midwife and the first Aboriginal endorsed midwife in NSW. The midwifery program is part of a larger plan to build a birthing centre next year to enable First Nations women to birth away from hospital settings and allow ceremony back into the practice."We've designed it … the DA will go to council this month."'Aboriginal women's voices are being heard': Birthing on country program success
Aboriginal Women's Health Birthing On Country Womens Health Shoalhaven Hospital Waminda Closing The Gap Midwife Midwives Midwifery Culturally Safe Birthing First Nations Babies Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Aboriginal Endorsed Midwife
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