Dear All Gill Hall, a Community Midwife in Canberra, is here with me and wants to clarify the issues around Canberra's Community Midwives and the Birth Centre. Hope it helps! AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY The Canberra Midwifery Programme (CMP) formerly known as the Community Midwives Program began in March 1999 when the existing community program which was a team of six full-time midwives merged with the Birth Centre midwives to provide one uniform service. Previously the two services had run parallel but relatively separately. Currently there are two teams of six FTE (seven) midwives who provide care for approximately fifty women per month - twenty five women per term. The teams are North and South, the women being allocated geographically with some flexibility to keep bookings\workload even between the teams. Women usually book with the program at approx. eight weeks gestation or whenever they 'find us' providing we have space for the month they are due. All their antenatal care is provided by their team of midwives except for one visit with a staff doctor at about twenty weeks. This is done as a clinic in the Birth Centre with the senior obstetric registrar who is sympathetic to our model of care. The women can be referred back to see this doctor if there are any concerns in the pregnancy or if they are overdue. In labour the women are attended by one of their team midwives, birthing in the Birth Centre (or Delivery Suite depending on circumstances). If they need to transfer their team midwife continues care. A second team midwife may take over depending on the length of labour, time of day, number of women labouring etc. Once they have birthed the women have three choices: they can go home four or so hours after birth, they can stay O/N in the Birth Centre provided they have another adult with them as there is no midwife rostered over night. After this first night or if needed after birth they can go to the postnatal ward. Once home their team provides postnatal support for approx. two weeks. Visiting every day until day 4 or 5 then another 3 or 4 visits spread over the next week or so. For more information please phone Rose O'Donnell Director of Nursing Women's and Children's Health or the Programme coordinator Roz Rebbeck at the Birth Centre. Please note the listed phone number was incorrect, it is : 02 62443145 I am also happy to talk to interested midwives, phone 02 62824814. Thanks Gill Hall (North Team) -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
