Interest in midwifery

Press, 13 March 1986, Page 9

Interest in midwifery

The increasing demand for home births has the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Home Birth Association welcoming the possibility of three new midwives. Two women have applied to the Health Department for approval as midwives and a third is interested in taking a job after she returns from overseas this month. The branch’s co-ordina-tor, Ms Alison Locke, says the branch has had at most, two midwives at any one time and welcomes the prospect of three. She says they will

needed for what promises to be the branch’s busiest year. With a workload of about 10 home births a month, the branch looks set easily to top the record 70 births handled last year. Ms Locke said the popularity of home births had been building steadily during the last 10 years. She attributed this to a trend away from hospital technology in birth-giving, a desire to be in control of the event, and the fact that doctors had more confidence in home births M

and were recommending it as an option. The branch also runs anti-natal classes. Ms Locke said the prospective midwives would work part-time, so that they could work at another job to supplement their incomes. The appointment paid half the hospital midwife salary. The branch’s present midwife, Mrs Ursula Helem, will be bidden farewell at a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Home Birth Association on May ,3. ■ r