Meander Valley Midwifery

16/06/2026

Apologies my website and email server is down! eek hopefully back up and running soon!

16/06/2026

Supplements in stock, contact me today 😀

09/06/2026

There are a number of different approaches to the birth of the placenta.

Some women birth their placenta naturally.

Some have their placental birth medically managed.

There are pros and cons to each option.

If you have certain other types of intervention, such as induction or augmentation of labour, your options may be more limited, but you still have choices.

To answer a question that we get asked by many women: your placenta belongs to you.

It is always a good idea to get informed before you decide what's right for you.

If you'd like information about the birth of the placenta, visit https://www.sarawickham.com/byp

There, you’ll find links to blog posts, articles and information pages, as well as our book on this topic.

05/06/2026

Looking forward to presenting at the National Endorsed Midwife Conference! What diverse line up of speakers should be excellent and the 'Practical Magic' themed dinner will be a lot of fun too.

27/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H4oYb1uPX/

Another ripple…
Dawn Reid

Some ripples begin quietly — built over decades of dedication, advocacy, and deep commitment to women, midwives, and the future of care.

Dawn has spent more than 30 years working across maternity and healthcare — from clinical care to leadership, education, and now advocacy. Her work continues to shape the profession in ways that reach far beyond a single role or setting.

From private practice to policy, from bedside to boardroom — this is what creating change looks like.

✨ Now, Dawn is sharing her research into the experiences of endorsed privately practicing midwives providing homebirth services in Australia — amplifying the voices of those already building new models of care.

These are the ripples that become waves.

💛 And this is your reminder — every action, every voice, every step toward something better matters.

26/05/2026

26/05/2026

Sadly, midwives have been concerned about the rising c-section rates for a long time! particularly in the private sector. Mums and bubs are so vulnerable in this space!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ckceeis3i/

Two in five Australian women are giving birth via caesarean section, with the rate of surgical deliveries soaring almost 5 per cent since 2020.

12/05/2026

Research backs up what we as home waterbirth midwives already know.......

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/19/1919?fbclid=IwY2xjawRvW6JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEyWkFlQXNXeWI4RHo0Z0Nzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrXboPhItO99PMW_NEXfhecUBKFioiZiaTbPsUbsZKmU55sD36pfNCsxqxXL_aem_0g5qWApODuIEwg00gdN_gw

Background: Adequate pain relief during childbirth is a very important issue for women and healthcare providers. This study investigates the effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes of two analgesic methods during labor: water immersion and epidural analgesia. Methods: In this retrospective observa...

08/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cj55k5Qyr/

As night falls and new mothers say their goodbyes to family, friends, partners, and dayshift midwives begin handover, there is a noticeable change happening across many midwifery units.

Women are noticing it, families are noticing it and midwives are noticing it.

Since the roll-out of the Count the Babies ratios began last year, the impact of caring for a reduced and sustainable number of women and their babies is starting to shape a whole new workforce feel.

Where care felt like putting out spot-fires before, it is being replaced by hope that outcomes for women and babies will improve and workforce burnout and deskilling will diminish.

Read about QNMU member's Kath and Kavitha's experiences since midwifery ratios came into place 👇
🔗 https://bit.ly/4doUZgh

02/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FqWXitfSW/

Did you miss the Midwifery in Motion webinar? The replay is now available.

Watch the webinar unpacking the recent changes to the professional indemnity insurance (PII) landscape, exploring how to apply the Safety and Quality Guidelines for Privately Practising Midwives in light of these shifts, and discussing strategies for maintaining strong professional relationships in private practice settings.

Catch up here: 📺 https://youtu.be/XU2EK_-2HLc