N.Z. midwifery at crossroads — claim

Press, 6 September 1986, Page 8

N.Z. midwifery at crossroads — claim

New Zealand midwifery is at the crossroads, according to the immediate past president of the International Confederation of Midwives, Ms Margaret Peters. It seemed that crucial decisions about the present status of midwives and their future directions had to be made, with midwives taking a key role in those decisions, she said. Ms Peters, the key speaker at the first national conference of midwives in Christchurch this week-end, said that perhaps the time was ripe for midwives to seek a ■more independent role in nursing. For a long time midwives in New Zealand had been under the umbrella of the nursing association. In Australia, the midwives had separated from the nursing associa-

tion three years ago, and were now enjoying an increased membership and the ability to respond pertinently and quickly to issues that affected them. They were also getting greater recognition and were consulted by Government and health groups. At present it appeared that the training facilities in New Zealand were not sufficient to meet the demand for midwives. From March, 1981, to March, 1986, only 134 of the 1000 midwives registered in New Zealand were trained in New Zealand. The rest, most of whom were from overseas, were trained in midwifery overseas. Most of the registered midwives in the Australian state of Victoria, by comparison, were Austra-lian-trained, she said. It was up to New

Zealanders to decide where midwifery should go, she said. The possibilities ranged between the extremes seen in Canada and the United States, she said. In Canada midwives were not legitimised and were forced to practise “underground.” As a consequence there were no regulations or controls, and the lives of women and babies were at risk. Midwives in the United States showed what could be done. They take a more holistic approach to women, she said. As well as working with women with low-risk pregnancies and their babies, the American midwives worked in preventive areas, such as taking pap smears, practising minor gynaecological care, and administering contraception and weil-women clinics.