Supporting midwives, supporting each other

Endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) and the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM), Midwifery: Preparation for Practice has long been upheld as the definitive midwifery text for Australian and New Zealand midwifery students. Now in its 4th edition, the text presents a global model of midwifery best practice that is supported by a range of examples from the Australian, New Zealand and international midwifery contexts. In this chapter sustainable midwifery practice is explored, with discussion about the meaning of sustainable practice, and the importance of sustainability for midwives and midwifery. The practicalities of how midwives sustain and support each other in practice are explored separately for caseloading and employed midwives. Although there are similarities for midwives wherever they work, there are different considerations of what can help to sustain midwives during their career. Relationships and networks are identified as important to sustainability, with the partnership relationship explored to determine how it can work to promote sustainability, both between the woman and her midwife and also between midwives. Negotiating and developing respectful professional relationships can lead to improved support and sustainability for each individual midwife and the profession as a whole. Finally, two case studies are provided, one for New Zealand and the other from Australia, showing how midwifery models of practice can work to sustain each other.