Disappointment and delight.

So I’ve been a bit quiet lately. The reason may surprise you as even I couldnt figure out why I wasn’t motivated to write.

But it’s the budget. Yes the budget! Now I know I’m supposedly a grown up but I’m not that grown up, it’s surprising a budget could put me in a spin. But us midwives have been fighting the good fight whilst being undervalued for a long time now. Since I was a student a carrot had always been dangled. We were told by the Ministry of Health that 2020 would be our year.

First we had a court case, but were advised that although we had a very strong case it would be resolved quicker via mediation. So after a very looooong process an agreement was reached where we were to have a new pay structure. One where our urgent call outs in the middle of the night for a baby that was moving less than normal, or a mum who had a pain in her side were acknowledged. One where there was adequate payment to cover the petrol costs of numerous postnatal visits to a women 90 minutes away. One were there was at least an attempt to remunerate us for being on call 24/7 365 days a year. But the last government reneged on their promise to follow the mediation recommendations and the fight started again. We’ve marched, we’ve rallied, we’ve ranted and we’ve cried. We’ve cared. And we’ve just kept going.

I could explain all this payment process in minute detail but it’s really confusing. The basic rundown is that we get less than the minimum wage for hours worked. Which when you have two lives in your hands and that responsibility is weighing you down can feel like a real kick in the guts.

So although I completely understand the financial impact that COVID has had and the struggles that so many New Zealanders are facing - I am so pissy that horse racing is worth more than the the health of women and children and sustaining the workforce in a maternity system that is considered the best in the world. But is also considered unsustainable by the ones who work in it.

The reason it’s the best in the world is it’s continuity of care model. No other country has a universal system where a woman is under the care of one midwife throughout her entire pregnancy, birth and for the 6 weeks afterward. In a lot of first world countries the woman gets one visit and a phonecall after she’s had her baby. We visit between 7 and 11 times depending on a woman’s needs. And we know those needs because we know her so well!

Don’t worry, my rant is nearly over for now.

We have been overlooked. Again. Midwives are leaving in droves. The rest of us are stretched. We need to be able to afford to pay a locum when we are exhausted. We need decent pay to attract the next generation of midwives.

The purpose when I started this blog was to share far and wide what a midwife actually does so people would understand our role and the expectations on us. We aren’t trying to rip off the taxpayer, we are just trying to get paid for the hours we work. That’s all.

I’m writing this post while waiting at a homebirth. My awesome student is listening to the baby and massaging the woman’s back. She’s doing a great job. So is the mama. Nana is bathing the most adorable and chatty toddler in a bucket by the fire and dad is sorting towels and other things we will need. It’s a beautiful picture. The lights are dim. We are ready to greet the new arrival and so we wait. There’s no rush.

Meanwhile, I am reclining on the couch like a queen because I got thrown from my horse today onto the tarseal and can hardly move without squeeling. Yes I know, no one is surprised by my falling off, but it was all the fault of a rampaging cow whilst I was distracted by an alpaca. It could have happened to anyone!

If we had a better system I could have phoned in sick. Mind you then I wouldn’t have been able to have a laugh while we lined up in the hallway - along with the toddler in her high chair - whilst talking to the mum in the shower and eating her delicious bacon and egg pie (cold with no cutlery - dad dished up, his mind was obviously on other things 🤣). Special moments like these stay with you and are why homebirth is so special. Way better than the bloody OSM bar 😉.

My student is dosing me up on homeopathic remedies and I’m sure I’ll come right soon 🤞.