First Nations Midwifery

This means recognizing each woman’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual and cultural needs. It also acknowledge that a woman and her newborn baby does not exist independently of the woman’s social and emotional environment. This includes incorporating an understanding in assessment and provision of health care (Yanti et al., 2015). The fundamental principles of women-centred care ensures a focus on pregnancy and childbirth as the start of family life, not just as isolated clinical episodes. These motherhood phases take into complete account the meaning and the values of each woman. Providing women centred care helps women make an informed choices, being involved in and having control over their own care, this also includes their relationship with their midwives (Johnson et al., 2003). This demonstrates that midwives are able to attend for women during pregnancy, childbirth and in early parenting years. In addition to this, midwives also provide education for women in order to have a healthy lifestyle (Woods et al.,

Post Partum care is generally short as the mother and infant are taken care of by the nurse midwife at the birthing center for 24 hours after the birth. In birthing centers, all postpartum care is administered in the patient’s room where the child was also given birth (Fisher 1996). After the child is born, the mother is always eager to begin breastfeeding. A few hours after the birth, when the mother is able, family members and close friends come bearing food and gifts for the mother and child. Gifts of natural herbal remedies and teas are also given to the mother to aid her health. The birth of children is very common in Amish communities with women bearing, on average,

Jones (2012) explains that if the baby died during birth or pregnancy the baby was not considered a being, and if the baby survived, Indigenous men would hold ceremonies to establish the baby as a ‘being’. When the baby was birthed the umbilical cord would be severed by a sharp stone and the placenta would be buried. The Policy of Assimilation (1961) noted that more research into Aboriginal health was needed and Aboriginals’ required education in regards to pre-natal and post-natal care. The ministers felt that bush birthing was not hygienic and risky to health of mother and baby. Jones (2012) Ascertains that almost every aspect of Indigenous Australians lives was controlled by the state, and because of this some Aboriginal women would attempt to stay away from the authorities, and give birth in the bush quietly so as the baby would not be seized and removed. With the authorities upholding the power over Indigenous populations, this destroyed the traditional rituals that surrounded childbirth, the state government authorities saw themselves with the best of intentions, but did not take into account the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing and the traditions of the Indigenous

I believe as a Midwifery Student at Australian Catholic University (ACU) that childbirth is a natural life process. Within my philosophy, my aim is to provide a women-centred care based on evidence- based practice. Also the importance of supporting women with cultural variation, social circumstance and understanding other specific needs throughout the woman’s pregnancy. The women-centred care is an essential quality to a midwife as it ensure that the women is educated in healthy lifestyle choices within pregnancy, childbirth and during parenthood. This relationship of “women-centred care” is the key to midwifery practices as Australian College of Midwives (2009) refers to the philosophy of maternity care that promotes a holistic approach by recognising each women’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual and cultural needs. In retrospect, it is important to reflect on your past experiences during your midwifery practice but also your life beyond midwifery.

This essay demonstrates significant factors, a midwife and the women may face within Australian public hospitals. As a midwife the key skills are understanding of what supports and impacts the normal physiological process of labour and birth. This essay will discuss two influencing factors that have a negative effect on the normal progress of labour and birth. This will be seen, firstly by discussing the cultural and environmental impacts of labour and birth. Then, examining how the midwife may best support and facilitate the adverse effects of normal physiological process. This essay also discusses a positive labour and birth environment within the Australian standard model of care.

After having less liberty than desired under the care of an Obstetrician while delivering my older sister, my mum decided to seek care from a Midwife for her last two delivers. In comparison to her reflections about her first birth, when recalling my birth she remains enthused about the respect, care and freedom her Midwife gave her. The impact self-governance has on birth always strikes me when my mum speaks of her experiences. It is evident that allowing laboring women to assume ownership of their own bodies affects them, and subsequently their children, for a

I learned that Aboriginal seniors in Canada have more health care concerns than non-Aboriginal seniors and their needs are not well understood and were taken for granted by health care providers. I can apply in my nursing practice what I have learned from this topic that I will respect and acknowledge their culture and way of life. In addition to that, I will keep in mind that Aboriginal seniors needs more intensive support than non-aboriginal because of what they experienced at the reserved and residential schools. I want to learn more about their traditional practices

oppression in health care was the sterilization of First Nations women in the early 1970s,

Diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by the loss of the ability to control the glucose level in the blood by the loss of insulin. This disease can be of many types, but the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are mostly seen in Australia, with type 2 being more common (AIHW, 2011). 4% of Australians have Diabetes, and according to the 2004-2005 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, diabetes was three times more common in Indigenous Australians than in the Non-Indigenous Australians.

A general understanding of the history of midwifery is important when considering why it would have such a positive effect on indigenous women’s health. Acculturation diminished the traditional midwifery practices and there is evidence that the health of indigenous women has suffered. Midwifery was an old indigenous tradition that was gradually eliminated throughout acculturation. The Skye article states that in the 20th century, there were laws passed that made midwifery illegal and punishable by law. (Skye, 2010) This caused negative effects on health because there was no longer a focus on the overall wellbeing of the individual and the loss of culture was a traumatic experience for indigenous populations in Canada. The article also states that midwives were highly respected in indigenous culture and midwives shared a spiritual connection with the mother, child, family and whole community. It outlines that midwives coached the mother and community throughout all stages of pregnancy. They ensured that all of the needs of the mother were met nutritionally, physically, and spiritually. Midwives also performed the role of educators to their communities and they passed on many traditions and aided in spiritual development and healing. Throughout the process of acculturation, knowledge of health and traditional medicine was lost. (Skye, 2010) The Caroll article talks about the historical

For hundred of years, women have wrestled with their womanhood, bodies, and what it means to be a woman in our society. Being a woman comes with a wonderful and empowering responsibility--giving birth. What sets us aside from other countries is that the process and expectations of giving birth has changed in our society; coming from midwifery, as it has always been since the early times, to hospitals where it is now expected to give birth at. Midwifery was a common practice in delivering babies in

Pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders women currently experience more illness, disability and injury than non Indigenous Australians pregnant women, and these avoidable health inequalities arise because of the circumstances in which the indigenous women grow, live, work and age. This essay will discuss the health Pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in remote areas and how there health is impacted by social determinants of health. The first part of the essay will contain literature reviews on the relevance, authority, timeliness and perspective of five resources that contain information on pregnant aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women remote areas. The second Part of the essay with discuss the two critical

In the Alaskan native communities, the midwife was a central role. According to the stories Mulcahy heard from the women in the village, the midwives knew how to heal, and that was why they were trusted over western care (Mulcahy 44). Some village women also could not pay a doctor’s fees so they went to a midwife (Mulcahy 47). The women Mulcahy interviewed shared their positive experiences with the midwives. They were helpful with prenatal care as well as postpartum care by doing chores around the house for the mother (Mulcahy 48). When the Community Health Aide Program was introduced, midwives transitioned from just delivering babies to also caring for the sick, thus increasing the significance of the midwife (Mulcahy 63).

Through the Grandmother’s Law women are assisted through the birth by strong and supportive women. Traditional healing practices used by Indigenous midwives during the birth, include therapeutic massage for relaxation, sand, heat, smoke and fire to help with pain and being spiritually strong after birth was important for the mother and baby. Traditional rituals aimed at stopping bleeding, healing, warming will be used.

Hearing the word midwife leaves many people thinking of unprofessional, inexperienced women who help deliver babies naturally, without the help of medication. In truth, nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have attended additional schooling for women’s health and are taught to make women feel as comfortable as possible. In the beginning, remedies were the females’ legacies, their “birthright”; these females were known as “wise-women by the people, witches of charlatans by authorities”. (Ehrenreich, 1973). “Females were wanderers, traveling from one place to another, healing the sick and wounded.” (Ehrenreich 1973). These women were among the first human healers and they were especially helpful when it came to childbearing. The midwives