Perth Voice Interactive

MIDWIFE Tamzin Mondy says she’s seen many new mums left disappointed and dejected by the mainstream maternity system.

“I often describe them as refugees,” she says. “They’ve been through the mainstream system and realised it doesn’t meet their needs.”

She reveals she’d felt troubled when women told her they “weren’t allowed” to do things their own way during birth, such as standing up.

“These words made me think ‘where are we? We’re not in a prison’.”

She stresses no-one in the system means any harm and she’s worked with plenty of caring obstetricians, but workers are often overloaded and burdened by strict tick-the-box requirements that don’t always cater to individuals. Ms Mondy says women’s experience with the public health system can also be fragmented: women see different doctors from one visit to the next, and might meet an obstetrician for the first time moments before giving birth.

“My personal view is that the system is badly broken and not meeting the needs of women,” she says.

Soon to open her own midwifery practice in West Perth, Ms Mondy hopes to offer women more choice, providing a continuity of individualised care from the pre-natal through to post-natal.

Once working in palliative care, she’s been in midwifery 17 years, most recently practising in Queensland.

In 2010 a federal government report recognised people were crying out for midwife-led care options. Legislation was passed enabling midwives to offer a Medicare rebate for services, knocking the price for full-term care down from $5500 to around $2000.

The sting in the tail was that midwives had to secure collaboration with doctors, and only a handful have signed on. The AMA has pushed hard to ensure its members are retained as the primary caregivers, arguing it’s safer.

GPs don’t need midwives—who are specially trained maternity nurses—but midwives need GPs.

Ms Mondy is negotiating with King Edward hospital for admitting and consultation rights. If it happens it will be the first arrangement of its type in WA.

by DAVID BELL