Lianne Schwartz
I love my work as a midwife. I also run advanced skills and self-care retreats for midwives (https://www.deepeningthejourney.com), and teach in the Master of Primary Maternity Care.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Leanne C
@LeanneC it sounds like you're really clearly delineating one of the key differences between continuity of care as we explore it here, and a team approach - one leads to deeper satisfaction, while the other can be challenging for both women and midwives (even though midwives can feel like the team approach makes it easier - the research clearly shows...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Natalie Pomeroy
Welcome @NataliePomeroy !
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Lianne Schwartz replied to A'aoneMonica Mamea
Welcome @A'aoneMonicaMamea and how wonderful that you're here to learn more about this model of care - and yes, relationships are just so important - for everyone!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Welcome @CharlotteForbes - this is a great place to expand your knowledge!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Claire Campbell
Welcome @ClaireCampbell! You might have to come back and update us once the baby comes. :)
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Ariele Bauers
Welcome @ArieleBauers! Please share with us what you're learning/realising as you work through the course!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to freda verner
Hi @fredaverner - love reading that you want to give the best care you can. I think you'll learn (and confirm some of those things you already know) as you work through the course.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Safa Akeel
Welcome @SafaAkeel. We'll be interested to read your comments as you work through the course, from the perspective of both doctor and mama...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Heather E
There certainly needs to be ways to work together with mutual trust and respect.....when we talk about relationships being at the base of safe care, it includes those collegial ones. What do you think might help to create more respect and improved relationships amongst MIPP and the public maternity service?
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Heather E
What a fantastic story Heather! How wonderful that you, your daughter, and family were able to experience that.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kate Bartlett
They certainly are the key!
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
How wonderful that some of you have expressed that you've never seen a 'turf war' - that the role of midwives and doctors are respected. This is heartening!
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
I see a range of experiences and comments here, from not being able to think of a scenario where midwives feel unable to ask each other for help, to stories of intimidation, fear, and bullying.
The challenges can be different in different areas - where in one area a homebirth transfer may be delayed due to fear of how they'll be received, in another area,...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Murdina Campbell
That's interesting that you're noting that change of the amount of time community midwives have to spend on checking women in their homes. I wonder if fear comes into that as well? That the midwives themselves are less trusting of a listen-in and a reassurance, so are more likely to refer (and thus defer responsibility). What do you think?
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Murdina Campbell
Welcome @MurdinaCampbell. I love seeing that you're commenting and engaging throughout the course (I came to this intro after reading your other comments later in the course!)
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Sophie Whitehead
Great to hear @SophieWhitehead and welcome to the course!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Emily Johnson
Welcome @EmilyJohnson! Please ask questions and make comments as we work through the course so you can learn even more deeply, and share your own experience.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Annie Liang
Congratulations @AnnieLiang and welcome to midwifery, and this course. So happy you were able to experience student continuity - this is why we need continuity of care experiences to remain as a mandatory part of all BMID education!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Truc Trinh
Welcome @TrucTrinh and how wonderful that you were able to have your own experience of midwifery continuity!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kathryn Weymouth
Welcome @KathrynWeymouth and I'm so sorry to hear about your ongoing challenge. All of us who have been through something like that know how almost-unimaginably difficult it can be.
Fantastic that you're here and i"m sure you'll strengthen your knowledge around benefits and value of relational midwifery.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Klaudia Dobosz
Welcome @KlaudiaDobosz! I was also a doula prior to becoming a midwife. This course is absolutely full of wisdom that is relevant as a doula - both from the relationship sense, as well as deepening the understanding of the maternity care system.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Naomi Mouatt
Hi @NaomiMouatt - great that you're already working in a model that supports continuity! I'm sure you'll learn a lot about the benefits as you work through this course (and by observing the women you're working with of course!)
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Deborah schwerdt
Welcome @Deborahschwerdt! How wonderful that you helped develop a continuity model over there - fantastic. Look forward to reading your comments as we go about what worked for you there, and the challenges you face.
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What a great story @MurdinaCampbell
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
Reading the comments below, there's a theme that emerges:
While we can't know how the outcome may or may not have changed, we CAN say that Janet's own experience of pregnancy, birth and the early days of mothering (including breastfeeding) would have most likely been different.
Having a different experience - feeling supported, connected, and the sense...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kelly McBride
Fantastic @KellyMcBride - wonderful news!
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Welcome @RebeccaVirginiaSmith - please share with us what you learn and ideas you have and make sure you reach out to other Melbourne midwives - we have quite a few doing this course!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kathleen Condon
Hi @KathleenCondon and welcome to the course. We'll be keen to hear your insights as you work through the course.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Stacie Pollard
Welcome @MariaByrne and @StaciePollard!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Stephanie Archibald
That sounds great @StephanieArchibald - it really is all about relationships and communication. Keep us posted on what you learn!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kira W
Welcome @KiraW and how wonderful you're moving into private practice! This course will definitely support your confidence that you're doing the right thing.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Sorca P
Welcome @SorcaP and great to have you here with us. I hope you find your inspiration again to take your midwifery calling into a direction that supports you, as well as the women and families you work with.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Christine Stavrakis
@ChristineStavrakis welcome to the course. I'm sad to read what you wrote about midwifery and not having the time to be with women. As you know, midwifery is literally about being with women, and any system that doesn't support this fundamental pillar needs to change.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Beritha Masango
Welcome @BerithaMasango. I think this happens to so many dual nurse-midwives - the midwifery side is so compelling!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Tani Pax
Welcome @TaniPax - so nice to have you here!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Heather E
@HeatherE contact us at the links above and we can have a chat about options. There are many!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Heather E
@HeatherE to your question about how we can make MGP the norm - please keep that at the forefront as we continue through the course. Who knows who you might connect to even within this course - a contact that makes a difference, or an idea that sparks another and starts the ball rolling...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Heather E
@SarahHaddrell thank you for sharing
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One of the things we feel most excited about is that new research consistently supports this style of care as being best for women, for babies, for families, and for care providers.
In order for there to be any possibility of change happening, we have to have the evidence to back it up, and we have that in spades.
It's so easy to feel cynical about the...
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Please share anything specific you come across that speaks to you!
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@HeatherE sounds like you've been very mindful in how you've nourished and supported yourself through the time off, and I also hope you can keep them all going through your return. It will be crucial!
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Great list @TaniPax
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@TaniPax it is hard!
@SarahHaddrell the issues you bring up are familiar to so many...we want to help gather momentum to so that these issues are addressed nationall/globally, not just in individual units and areas. That's a big part of why we created this free course!
@HeatherE such a good point that other health professionals like GPs are also... -
Lianne Schwartz replied to Kate Bartlett
@KateBartlett and @HeatherE let's keep this part of the conversation going as we move through the course - it's so important that continuity works for midwives too (and some really important things need to be in place for it to work well for midwives).
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Tani Pax
@TaniPax absolutely - midwives need training in how to effectively develop and sustain continuity of care relationships with women and families.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Tani Pax
@TaniPax yes, and how incredibly sad that such a basic thing would be on a wishlist and not already accepted as a necessity.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kira W
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
What a big range of experience - both personally and professionally - in these comments. What's sad to read, though, is just how frequently the fragmented model is what's being experienced...
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Tani Pax
Thank you for sharing the breadth of your experience @TaniPax - and so happy you got that fourth birth <3
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Sarah Haddrell
Thank you for sharing your story @SarahHaddrell - it's powerful and what a motivation for you as a midwife.
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
Reading these comments, there is a familiar thread echoed. Janet's story isn't new - it is experienced (in part at least) much too frequently. This seems to be true all around the world - and women, their babies and families are suffering as a result.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Katie McGowan
@KatieMcGowan it's amazing how quickly (compared to human history!) hospital birth has become the norm.
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@AnnaKwiatek-Kucharska how wonderful that you were able to find a midwife and give birth at home!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Jessica K
Welcome @JessicaK. We look forward to hearing from you as we make our way through the course - perhaps some ideas will emerge about how to increase the level of continuity even in your public hospital!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Cindy Scott
Hi @CindyScott and welcome to the course. It sounds like you have a varied and interesting work history and experience! Look forward to having you with us.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Summer E
Welcome @SummerE and how wonderful that you're in your final year!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Lara R
Welcome @LaraR and congratulations on your birth! I'm sure you'll relate very well with the content in this course, from both your personal and professional experiences. Look forward to seeing you throughout the course.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Elicia Randles
Welcome @EliciaRandles and @VallenGeorge !
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Welcome @DanielleAlipanopoulos! Being a new grad midwife, this is the perfect timing to be looking in depth at the research and practice of continuity of care.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Caitlin Williams
Welcome @ErinP and @CaitlinWilliams !
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Katy Wright
Welcome @KatyWright and congratulations on being on your way to being a midwife!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to kate ruhle
Welcome @kateruhle! Look forward to reading your comments as you're just in the beginning of your MGP journey.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Thokozani Miya
Hi @ThokozaniMiya. It sounds like you have a challenging position there! I'm sure you'll learn lots of strategies and information through taking this short course. Welcome.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Nasteho Omar
Welcome @NastehoOmar and how wonderful you're here learning with us, and I'm sure you'll be able contribute with your own experiences as well.
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Welcome @SucdiMahamedMahamud
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Helen FP
Welcome @HelenFP! What a great intro to continuity of care you're doing by joining us here! Look forward to seeing your comments as we work through the weeks together.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Leah Whitehouse
Hi @LeahWhitehouse and welcome to the course! Please get in there and ask lots of questions and we have so many midwives taking the course here.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Ayot Adhiambo
Welcome @AyotAdhiambo. I think you'll find a wealth of information on the kind of care you want to invest in for the health of you and your baby.
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Welcome @MirianaFenechCaruana and how wonderful you're studying midwifery!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kate Nicholson
Hi @KateNicholson! You'll learn a lot about midwifery and maternity care in here, and hopefully contribute something from your own experience of birth as well. Welcome.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Louisa L
Hi @LouisaL . You'll find a wealth of information (and hopefully you'll engage in some good conversations) around work/life balance and continuity of care.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Gemma O'Sullivan
Welcome @GemmaO'Sullivan. This is a great place to start for information - and please invite any of those GPs, other health professionals, or even women in the community to join us for this course so they can hear the information first-hand!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Leanne C
Welcome @LeanneC . Sounds like you had an incredible workspace as a midwife - it's so sad that this changed. Great to see you here, though - your love of midwifery is clearly still strong!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to BENARDETTE KUNDA
Welcome @BENARDETTEKUNDA! I think you'll find plenty of great information to share as you make your way through the course...let us know how your colleagues receive it!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kate Bartlett
Hi and welcome @KateBartlett! I'm quite sure this course will give you the motivation to prioritise it where you can - look forward to reading your comments as you journey through the course!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Helen L
Welcome @HelenL. As you work through the steps, keep us posted about what you're learning in terms of how this can be implemented in a small unit!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Christy Filipich
Welcome @ChristyFilipich !
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Jennifer Schultz
Welcome @JenniferSchultz. We are also deeply committed to systemic change and it's great to have you on board with us for this 3 week journey.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Beth Kuhne
Welcome @BethKuhne
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Sarah Haddrell
Welcome @SarahHaddrell ! Great to have you on board - I'm sure you'll get a lot out of this course to help you with your goal of making continuity the standard model. Please keep engaged, and ask questions as you go!
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Lianne Schwartz made a comment
Hi, I'm Lianne Schwartz. I'm a midwife and educator with Griffith University in the Bachelor of Midwifery and Master of Primary Maternity Care programmes, as well as running retreats for midwives (www.deepeningthejourney.com).
I was born in New Zealand, grew up in Canada, moved back to NZ in 1999 and lived for over 8 years in Australia. I now live in Bali,...
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@GamuchirayiMonicaMapiye Generally the midwives each take a caseload of women so no single midwife is overwhelmed by numbers. Overall, it works out the same as midwives doing shifts, but it's organised differently. You'll learn more as you go through the course and feel free to ask more questions!
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Did you have a look at step 3.5 in this course, that talks about the Beaudesert Hospital and what Hazel Britain did in that area? That might be a great place to start.
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@KayliWild these are great questions. And the limitation of ANY system is that it's only as good as the individuals within it. Having said that, over the years I've found that working in close relationship with women seems to have a positive effect on midwives. By being in that relationship - and seeing the impact of the pregnancy journey on the birth, and the...
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We absolutely agree with what you're saying in your last sentence @KayliWild - and the research sounds like a great subject for a Masters or PhD thesis!
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@HelenHicks you'll probably be interested in the discussion later in this course - we explore the economics of continuity of care models of care...
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Yes, @AlisonContarino , many of us know all too well the challenges of standing up to the status quo, and yet, if midwives aren't there for women, who will be? Thank you for being one of those courageous midwives who has been there for women - and at the same time I absolutely understand and have empathy for the toll it can take.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Grainne Martin-Wells
@GrainneMartin-Wells I always find this fascinating also - that the 'savings' in continuity of care are not just emotional, psychological or physical - it's quite real dollar savings as well!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Caitlin W
@CaitlinW Isn't it great that this is true! The care many health care providers intuitively believe in is also best practice and incorporates the latest evidence.
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Andrew Bradfield
Absolutely @AndrewBradfield - I love your use of the word 'snowball' with regard to word of mouth sharing - it's quite true that things can spread quite quickly!
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That's a great start @GrainneMartin-Wells - after all, the experience of women is the cornerstone of maternity care
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Great that you have both short and long term vision @CharlotteHogarth !
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Rachel C
Great work Rachel!
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Kayli Wild
There does need to be collaboration between midwives in a continuity-based group practice and the obstetricians who will support them if pregnancy or birth becomes more complex and needs additional medical support. That's vital! Ideally, both parties (midwives and obstetricians) understand and support their mutually-supportive but quite different roles in the...
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Those regular meetings are such a great way to keep connected - in strong relationship - with each other. Sounds like you have a great thing going there.
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@JuneGrof
We used the word power deliberately in that paragraph ( eg "By nature, any health care provider is in a position of power in any relationship with the person requiring the service") because there IS an inherent power differential that needs to be acknowledged and worked with by the professional involved so that power dynamics don't play out - where... -
Lianne Schwartz replied to Stacey Mcmillan
This is certainly a huge issue @StaceyMcmillan
Trauma from a previous pregnancy, birth or postnatal experience is becoming so common and midwives need tools to be able to assist women through this. Especially when we know how healing a subsequent positive, supported experience can be! The research does seem to be clear on the healing power of being... -
Lianne Schwartz replied to Julie Fuller
That does sound huge @JulieFuller - and very needed
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Lianne Schwartz replied to Rachel C
I love your wedding expo idea @RachelC - because information about maternity options certainly needs to come before pregnancy! So many women have no idea of their full options of care. And I also love the board outlining models of care - that sounds like a great achievable goal to get started on...
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You've put this well @JulieFuller . The current perception of what makes a 'safe birth' is a critical aspect of why maternity care is how it is. And fear (of birth, of what might happen, of how things can go wrong) is often easier to sell than the normalcy of birth and the power of women's bodies.
