SWAN Hill District Health (SHDH) has maintained a service for mothers, babies and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like at other regional health services, the period has caused pressure at times, but the midwifery and obstetric team has risen to all challenges.
Like all services, SHDH plans for rare events when it’s on maternity bypass. These plans are made to ensure safety of mother and baby.
Then, a midwife will always be available for assessment and support, and to organise ambulance transfer to another service if needed.
SHDH says these plans are for emergency contingency planning, not an alternative to normal operations.
In the second of a two-part series, new parents and a midwife share more stories, as SHDH counters any fears about the service closing, saying it’s committed to providing 24-hour maternity and obstetric service to the region.
To discuss your pregnancy care or book an appointment, contact the SHDH midwifery unit on 5033 9269.
CLARE AND JESSE’S STORY: THREE GIRLS
CLARE and Jesse live south of Kerang. They had their second baby at the start of the COVID pandemic, and their most recent, Ivy, a week ago.
“My first birth was intense,” Clare said. “She was posterior. It was about a 12-hour labour – the part at home, and then the time in midwifery.
“We got into the hospital at 2am and she was born at 10am.
Jesse said: “It was strong right from the get-go. There wasn’t a build-up.
“The contractions just sort of started coming thick and fast, so we rang, and the midwives assessed the situation, and told us to come in.
“It didn’t feel short to me. No, it felt long. It was right through the night.
“You are first-time parents, you don’t know what to expect. All the midwives were great, calming, just helping us through.
“It is an eye-opening experience for a start. They help you through it. It was really good. It isn’t as if we were panicking, but their explanations and support really help.
“They explain what is going on and reassure you, things like, ‘This is natural, this is the transition phase’, and explain what they’re expecting next. They physically held Clare at the difficult time and helped her through, saying, ‘This is good, this is what we want, you are getting through to the next phase’.
“We could see and hear the midwives checking on the baby, and that’s reassuring, so we can concentrate on getting through the contractions.”
Clare agreed: “They were definitely very supportive, especially memorable the first time round, when we had no idea what was going on. The second birth was quicker, only a few hours. You recover much faster.
“Strangely, this last birth was my most difficult. I was induced due to some blood-pressure issues that came up just in the last week. The first two girls came at 39 weeks, and with Ivy we were at 40 weeks with no sign of labour.
“And it took a while for the induction to work, so it felt like a struggle. We thought maybe just breaking my waters would work, but that wasn’t the case.
“She was posterior and it did feel hard. I used the gas, but I didn’t want an epidural, and can’t have morphine. Changing positions helped. It was good that the midwives are always there to say, ‘Oh well that’s not working, let’s try this’, and make the suggestions, because at that stage you want the guidance. I’m just so grateful that we are able to have babies not too far from home.”
Jesse said: “Yes, Kerang and Cohuna (hospitals) aren’t delivering babies, so we’re very thankful to come to Swan Hill.
“You can tell that everyone who works here, that they do actually love their job. It’s not just that they have to be there.
“They enjoy being there and dealing with all of the different things, and enjoy caring for the families. I think that’s a big part of it. It is a brilliant service.”
VARAIDZO’S STORY: ENJOYING THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY ROOMS
I DID have it in my head this time that we might have to share the room, and I was a bit worried about it.
So finding that you now have family rooms, where it is private, and your partner can stay, was a great relief.
It was nice having the quiet, knowing I can just get up and no-one else is watching, and no-one else is disturbed as I attend to the baby. And Eric could just come and keep me company, or even have a sleep because there is the space. The girls were totally comfortable visiting.
I have given birth to all three girls here, at Swan Hill. All experiences were different and good in their own way. But, I think this particular one was better.
I guess because I haven’t done it for so long because of the gap between the children, I needed more help. I just felt the midwives all came in and explained everything. They were super helpful, during labour and afterwards. And especially giving me time to rest. I really appreciated that.
BETH’S STORY: A MIDWIFE
ABOUT 10 years ago, I travelled over to Kenya to do volunteer nursing. I caught my first baby, and that was where I decided that that was definitely what I wanted to do.
So, I was based in Swan Hill midwifery as a registered nurse, and did my midwifery study through La Trobe in Bendigo, and my clinical time here in Swan Hill.
I have seen a huge change in myself over the three years, going from a nurse, with a medical mindset, to evolving into being so passionate about women’s care and physiological birth and helping women to have a positive birth experience, no matter what type of birth it was.
I love my work. It is my favourite thing. I think about it all of the time. I had four weeks off and still I was reading, thinking, and engaging with pregnancy and birthing research and information. Midwifery consumes my thoughts most of the time.
I love all aspects of working in midwifery, every part of it. I love the postnatal care, helping mums and dads to learn about their baby, learn about breastfeeding. I love supporting women in labour, because it’s such a momentous, intense, but wonderful, time. We are there when babies come into the world, and we get to support women and their partners when that happens. It is amazing. And I really love antenatal care, because that is the best opportunity to provide parents to be with education so that they can empowered to make their own decisions and to choose the path that they want to take.
JAMIE’S STORY, THE BIRTH OF OLLIE
JAMIE and her partner had their first baby at Swan Hill midwifery.
The couple lost their second and third babies during pregnancy due to a severe genetic cardiac abnormality, causing great distress and sadness. Happily, their last two children were well, and born back home at Swan Hill, most recently, Ollie, a grand 4.5kg baby boy
“The first 20 weeks are always very stressful, I feel,” Jamie said.
“Even until you get them in your arms, you are sort of like worried. And I probably get more anxious towards the end, worse than I am in the first 20 weeks, due to having experienced two stillbirths.
“They are saints down there, at the Women’s (Royal Women’s Hospital). But you sort of always feel like you’re a number. We always loved birthing here at Swan Hill. We were so relieved when we were told that we could come back home for the rest of our pregnancy care and birth.
“My labours with Willow and Ollie were quite similar. I laboured at home and then came up to midwifery and gave birth to both within an hour-and-a-half. Both births were great.”
Jamie said they always felt valued and well care for.
“Also, our family are near, which is comforting and easier,” she said.
“We have had nothing but the best care for all three pregnancies that have delivered here.”
