"A midwife is a registered maternity health professional who specializes in normal pregnancy and birth. Midwives are qualified to care for the majority of women throughout the childbirth experience, providing all antenatal care, care in labour and birth, and postnatal care up to six weeks after the birth. The World Health Organisation recognizes that 'Midwives are the most appropriate primary health care provider to be assigned the care of normal birth". Midwives view childbirth as a normal healthy life event that encompasses, influences and is influenced by the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of the woman and those of her partner and children." The Maternity Coalition Inc.

By definition midwives are experts in the provision of care for women experiencing "normal" healthy pregnancies, births and early post-partum periods, and in the detection of abnormalities and appropriate referral. Midwives look at birth as a normal life event, and focus on forming a partnership with the woman and her family. Midwifery generally takes a holistic approach underpinned by a philosophy that pregnancy, labour, birth and breastfeeding may require 'support' to facilitate the normal rather than 'intervention' to prevent the abnormal. A midwife's approach to birth is 'unlucky if something went wrong'.

By definition obstetricians are medical doctors who are experts in caring for women experiencing 'abnormal' or complex health issues in pregnancy, birth and the early post partum period.  Obstetricians have many years of specialist training to manage the complexities that can arise for women during the journey into parenthood.  They have the expertise to do ceasarean births and other surgical requirements, and are familiar with pregnancy-related illnesses and conditions.  An obstetrician generally regards labour and birth as risky, or only 'normal' in retrospect.  Many commonly believe that women are 'lucky if nothing went wrong'.

You've probably heard about the hormone adrenalin which initiates our protective mammalian fight or flight response. What you may not know is that adrenalin plays a role in the birth process. If a birthing mother stops feeling safe, a flood of adrenalin through her body may slow her labour or even bring it to a complete standstill.  This instinctive response would have helped to protect our nomadic ancestors from wild predators, enabling a birthing woman to interrupt her labour and seek safety.

Choosing a birth option that maximises your sense of security is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your labour progresses well.  Both who you have with you and the place where you choose to birth are key in this decision.

Options are currently limited within WA. The Community Midwifery Program occasionally provides a domino option for low risk women who seek midwife-managed, one-on-one community-based care but want to birth in hospital. For more information, see the Domino Birth on the CMP FAQ.

You can birth in water at home, at the King Edward Memorial Hospital's Family Birth Centre, at Kaleeya and at Armadale Hospital. In a hospital environment, however, your ability to birth in water depends on factors such as whether you have been assessed as low-risk and whether there is a waterbirth-qualified midwife present.

See the CMP FAQ.

Contact an independent midwife to see if you can book in for a homebirth with them.  See the list of Independent Midwives on our Links Page.