October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Stillbirth is one of the most devastating events a family can experience. It is often a hidden tragedy that causes significant personal, social and financial consequences for parents and families. In Australia, stillbirth is the birth of a baby who has died either: • any time from

International Day of Rural Women - 15 October 2022   Access to maternity care is difficult for rural women.  Many must travel long distances and accept unwanted (and unwarranted physiologically) interventions due service limitations. In 2022, the Country Women’s Association (CWA) is spotlighted this issue for their annual Awareness week. CWA NSW, supported by NSW Nurses

World Mental Health Day – 10 October 2022   The upheavals that have taken place across the globe as a result of COVID19 are significant and long lasting with the burden being felt acutely throughout the caring professions, with nurses, carers, teachers and doctors carrying much of the load. Many of these are female dominated

International Day of the Girl Child - 11 October 2022 In 2022, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl (IDG).  In these last 10 years, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to have their

We need to rethink the role of midwives   True equity of access in community and primary healthcare will only be achieved by midwives working to their full scope of practice. The midwife practices in a wellness model, understanding that most pregnancies and births are normal biological processes. As defined by the International Confederation of

Mother's Mental Wellbeing R U OK? Day prompts Australians to reflect upon what their friends and family members are saying, doing and how they’re living. However, everyday, is an opportunity to ask a new mother is she is OK.  Ask her how she would like to be supported or ask if there’s something enjoyable or

Women subjected to maternity care without their agreement report feeling dehumanized   Being able to make decisions about one’s life – including the right to choose one’s own maternity care – is key to a person’s autonomy and personhood. “The legal authority in childbirth is the woman giving birth, not the providers of care. Yes,

Women's insight into how maternity care and birth impact on breastfeeding. Women's insight into how maternity care and birth impact on breastfeeding?   One of the key success factors for breastfeeding is early initiation of breastfeeding after birth.  Women who felt positive about the birth commented that this gave them confidence impacting positively on their

"Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support". All mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, within the first hour after delivery and should receive practical support to enable them to initiate and establish breastfeeding and manage common breastfeeding difficulties.  Yet current birthing practices and lack of support in the postnatal

Spain responsible for obstetric violence What will be the impact of this finding for Australia? The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has found that “States parties have an obligation to take all appropriate measures to modify or abolish not only existing laws and regulations but also customs and practices that