New beginnings for midwives

The program was established last year with three midwives taking part in the year-long workplace experience.

Women’s and newborn clinical nurse manager Donna Baker said the program was designed to grow the midwifery profession for the future and develop OPH as a workplace of choice for midwives.

After completing the program, Christine Atkinson and Courtney Dhillon will continue midwifery at OPH, while Donna Reuterink will transfer to a hospital in Ballarat in Victoria.

Ocean Reef resident and mother-of-three Ms Atkinson said midwifery had changed her life.

‘I was a teen mum and midwives helped to build my confidence as a mother, so now I feel like I can do the same for other women,’ she said. ‘It is great to be able to instil that confidence and empowerment into mums.

‘We get to greatly impact women’s lives.

‘It’s like a wedding; the birth of a child is an event no woman would ever forget and we get to have an influence on that to make it as positive an experience as possible for them.’

Osborne Park resident Courtney Dhillon said the role of a midwife was to educate and support women throughout their birthing experience.

‘It’s really nice to see a lady in clinic and you see her on the ward because you get to see that relationship, especially with new family, develop,’ she said.

‘It’s a real honour to be part of that.’

Ellenbrook resident Ms Reuterink said that as a mother of two she enjoyed helping women through the vulnerable and often stressful time of labour.

‘My focus is on the safety of the woman and her baby; whatever I’m feeling comes second,’ she said.