17/04/2026
When care with a Midwife or other maternity care provider becomes "provider centric". The influence, personal bias and preferences of the care provider are constantly trying to steer a womans choices to align with their personal ideology and opinion.
Often we talk about the influence care providers have promoting interventions, but less light get shined on the opposite. When care providers are trying to influence women to decline interventions. This can be pain relief options, induction of labour, cesarean section, ultrasounds, blood tests, vaccinations, vitamin K etc.
I understand and am outraged at the over use of many interventions that are leading to poorer outcomes, especially long term outcomes, and birth trauma. And I am outraged at coercion and lack of informed consent regarding these. Do not misunderstand what I am trying to say.
I am encouraging us as Midwives, as care providers, as women, to also remember that the coercion and influence can be from both ends of the spectrum.
We have a responsibility as care providers to check ourselves regularly in regards to how we provide information. Every one of us has bias, and it's being aware of this that helps us separate it from our care and keep the woman at the centre.
We are here to meet women where they are, explore options, explore reasons behind choices, but ultimately respect that the womans decision is authoritative. We are not here to lead them down "our" paths.
Some women describe that they didn't want to ask for pain relief in fear the Midwife would think differently of them, let them down. What is this?!
Midwives are WITH WOMAN. Thats the derivative of the word Midwife.