I was recently contacted by a journalist who was keen to write a story about private midwifery as a career. He told me his audience is people who are contemplating a career in health, and he hoped to shed light on the ins and outs of the particular career that was in the spotlight. He told me he wanted to present information in an informal, conversational manner, and even hoped for a bit of humor; that by the time a reader had read the piece they would have not only an idea of the particular career profile, but also know something about the person who had been interviewed for the article.
It all sounded good. Sure, I said, I'm happy for you to interview me.
With the wonderful technology of bluetooth in the car I was able to commit a 40 minute time slot as I drove from Vermont to Preston, between the homes of two new mothers. I talked passionately about the fact that birth is not an illness; that midwives form a trusting partnership with the individual women in our care; that our focus is the woman and her baby. But this did not seem to be useful information, as far as my interviewer was concerned. He told me the story shouldn't be about women who birth or midwives in general; it needed to be about what I was actually physically and mentally doing and feeling in my job. And it should be about the vivid little details involved in the processes you perform. I came away from these interviews with a sense that I had not satisfied the journalist's investigative drive. I felt that I was in one world, and he was in another, and that what I said was simply not making any sense. I felt disappointed, because the more he plied his questions, the more my attempts at answers seemed to be unacceptable.
I write a lot about my experiences and feelings and the vivid little details of my job. I hope any readers of this and other midwifery blogs are able to grasp the passion and values that midwives share with the women in our care.
Since the introduction of the Australian government's maternity reform package, new career opportunities are being opened up for midwives who want to practise privately. Midwives have obtained their Medicare eligibility notation, and hung up their shingles (set up web pages and social media sites). Here's a quick overview of what is required to get to this point in a midwifery career:
- Graduate from a university course that leads to registration as a midwife
- consolidate midwifery experience for at least 3 years full time employment across the full scope of midwifery practice
- undertake the Midwifery Practice Review through the Australian College of Midwives
- obtain a detailed reference that meets the AHPRA requirements, gather all the required documentation, have copies made and witnessed, and apply to AHPRA for notation as a Medicare-eligible midwife. Expect this application process to take several months.
- purchase professional indemnity insurance
- join a private practice, or set up your own private midwifery business.
Is private midwifery practice a realistic career option?
The Midwives in Private Practice (MiPP) collective has had between 20 and 30 active members since it was formed in 1989. Most of these midwives have had other employment, such as casual work in a maternity hospital, in addition to their private work. There have been a small number (estimated 5) for whom the private midwifery practice is their family's main source of income. Most MiPP members over the years have had their own caseloads, with homebirth being an option for all midwives.
With the government's maternity reforms, time will tell if more midwives are able to sustain private practice. Some who have Medicare are not experienced in homebirth, and it would not be wise for such midwives to offer homebirth care without first undertaking a program of learning and mentorship to extend their practice to homebirthing.
Other midwives might want to offer an opinion on this.
Joy Johnston
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