October 10 2024
Meet the Midwife at Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital
You are in safe and trusted hands at Calvary Lenah Valley maternity unit, which has been caring for mums, bubs and families of Hobart and the surrounding regions for more than 80 years.
Our highly skilled, experienced, and caring midwives support parents before, during and after the birth of their new babies.
And they love their job. Find out below what brings our team joy in their important roles.
Our people
How long have you been a midwife? 33 years
Why did you become a midwife? I was working as a paediatric nurse and loved working with families and babies. I saw doing midwifery as a career progression pathway adding to my skill set.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I loved everything about my role. It is simply the best job in the world. Challenging, rewarding and exciting. I feel so privileged to work in this unique part of healthcare.
What is your favourite memory in the role? I have so many wonderful memories it is hard to choose one. I do especially love working in the birthing suite and being part of bringing new life into the world. Getting to know the woman and developing a trusting relationship with her and her support people is such a fulfilling experience for everyone involved.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? I love the camaraderie and dedication of my peers. Everyone works extremely hard to provide quality women-centred care.
How long have you been a Midwife? 10 years
Why did you become a midwife? I’ve had a fascination with pregnancy and childbirth for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I remember asking mum lots of questions about it. Then when I was 16 and looking at career options, my then pregnant cousin knew that I was considering midwifery and invited me along to be one of her support people for her labour. That sealed the deal, and midwifery became my first preference when applying to uni.
What do you like most about being a midwife? It’s a challenging job that changes from day to day. It’s anything but routine – you never know what kind of shift it’s going to be until it unfolds! The opportunities to learn are endless, and you get to forge these beautiful relationships with your patients, their families, and your colleagues.
It’s a very rewarding job too. I love my shifts in birthing suite, where you generally start your shift looking after someone in early labour. You get to go on this emotional rollercoaster with them as their labour intensifies, then you have the privilege of watching their birth and witnessing them fall in love with their baby and each other, then when you go home for the day, you’re still on cloud nine. If you’re ever looking for a job where you can make a difference in someone’s life – midwifery is definitely one of those jobs.
What is your favourite memory in the role? There are so many to choose from. One of the most memorable was from my first year as a midwife. My patient unexpectedly had her baby over the toilet when she went to do a wee and I had to catch the baby with my bare hands as there was no time to put gloves on!
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? I’ve only joined the Calvary team recently, but I love that it’s a close-knit team. These are people that have worked together for a long time, and whether you’re a midwife, nurse, doctor, or healthcare assistant, everyone is kind to each other. The unit is beautiful and feels more like a homely environment than a hospital environment.
How long have you been a Midwife? 17 years
Why did you become a midwife? Since I was a child, I’ve always had a keen interest in babies, pregnancy, and childbirth. I thought initially it was just a desire for me to experience motherhood firsthand. However, after completing my degree in nursing I realised I could combine my two passions of nursing and babies, quickly pursued a career in midwifery and have loved it ever since.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I enjoy the fast paced, ever-changing nature of midwifery. It requires a high level of critical thinking and your practice and skills constantly evolve. And, of course, because you get to care for gorgeous babies! Every day is different, and you can make a real impact with the care you provide.
What is your favourite memory in the role? There are so many, but it is always lovely when you are able to be involved in the birth of multiple children in the one family. It’s very special meeting an older sibling that you helped into the world.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? The amazing team. We are small but very dedicated and always aim to provide the highest level of care to the women who have come to Calvary.
How long have you been a midwife? 30 years
Why did you become a midwife? I always wanted to be either a midwife or paediatric nurse from when I was just a little girl. I completed my general nursing training and applied to do midwifery as soon as I was able and haven’t wanted to do anything else since.
What do you like most about being a midwife? It is just a beautiful area of nursing. Helping make one of the most important days in someone’s life as wonderful as possible is incredibly rewarding. As is helping to teach and encourage new parents to start this amazing journey with the skills and confidence to make it a wonderful experience.
What is your favourite memory in the role? I don’t really have one stand out memory. Every birth is beautiful. Every time someone thanks you for making a positive impact in their journey is amazing. All the fantastic doctors and nurses I have had the pleasure of working with are wonderful. They all create memories that reinforce how great this job is.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? We have a small unit which means that you can look after someone who comes into the unit with antenatal concerns, be there in the delivery suite to assist in the birth of their baby, and then care and support them afterwards on the post-natal floor. We also can work in the special care nursery with premature babies and their families.
Plus, and as a lactation consultant, I also get to help those families who need extra support after discharge. You get to make an impact throughout the whole journey.
How long have you been a Midwife? Three years
Why did you become a midwife? After nursing for eight years in various specialties, midwifery was the specialty where I felt I could make the most difference in women’s and their families’ lives, not just medically but physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I love the bond you make with the women in what can often be the most important and vulnerable time in their lives. I like being able to accommodate whatever they may need to support such a major life event for them and their new little family.
What is your favourite memory in the role? I think memories of the families that may not have had the smoothest journeys and getting to see them finally take their newest additions home!
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? Being a small unit, we work very well as a team and support each other. I also like the extended stay we offer mums after they have had their baby. It supports women to have confidence in themselves, protects the bond with their baby, and helps in their feeding journey – in whatever way they decide to feed their baby.
How long have you been a Midwife? Eight years
Why did you become a midwife? I always loved babies and was really fascinated by birth.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I love caring for families and seeing them meet their new little addition.
What is your favourite memory in the role? I find every birth amazing and no matter how many births I have been a part of it never ceases to amaze me.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? It’s great to be able to follow families through their journey from the antenatal period, birth, and the postnatal. We get to know families very well over their extended stay and you can form a really special bond.
It has been so nice to see people that I have looked after before coming back to have their second babies with us. That has been really special.
How long have you been a Midwife? A long time, more than 30 years.
Why did you become a midwife? I always wanted to work with women and families helping them through one of the most important times in their lives. I have always had an interest in pregnancy and childbirth.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I think I have the best job, very diverse and rewarding. Midwives are very autonomous, and we don’t just provide medical support.
I find it very rewarding caring for women and their families. There is great variety in the care we provide, from antenatal through to the postnatal period. I love being an advocate for women, providing care, education and support to the women and their families, and breastfeeding support as a lactation consultant.
What is your favourite memory in the role? There are many over the years. People ask me about how many babies I have delivered but there are so many I’ve lost count.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? I enjoy being part of a dedicated team of midwives who support each other.
How long have you been a midwife? Nine months
Why did you become a midwife? As a student nurse 23 years ago, I have the privilege of doing my very last placement on a maternity unit. I loved being able to support women on their journey to becoming a mum. From that time, I always dreaming of becoming a midwife. Over two decades later I finally fulfilled that dream. Better late than never!
What do you like most about being a midwife? I love seeing women become empowered through the different stages of becoming a mum and I love that I am able to be a part of that journey.
What is your favourite memory in the role? My favourite memories are building a bond and forming trust with a woman as she labours and gives birth. It is one of the most amazing privileges I have as a midwife.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? I love being part of a supportive team that always pulls together to deliver the best care to women and their families.
How long have you been a Midwife? 32 years
Why did you become a midwife? Initially I chose nursing because I wanted to travel and work. When I watched a baby being born during my nursing training I cried, and I knew that was the profession for me.
What do you like most about being a midwife? I love connecting with mothers and their family. It’s simply about the strong, lasting connections and helping women through their birth and post-natal period.
What is your favourite memory in the role? Sharing the special moment when a baby is born with their parents and family. I recently helped deliver a baby with a mother who I had delivered as a baby. It was a connection I will long treasure.
What do you love most about being part of the Calvary Lenah Valley Maternity Unit? Sharing values with my colleagues and working together to achieve family goals. I feel lucky to work with such a dedicated, capable team. We all work hard to achieve great outcomes.
If you'd like to join the team at Calvary, please follow the link here.
