Launceston is home to the first birth centre in the country. And it started in 1983.
Launceston midwife Anna Holloway estimates that she has helped welcome more than 300 babies into the world in her 26 years at the birth centre.
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The centre has been running since 1983, and at its peak in the 90s, was seeing 120 births a year.
In the past 15 years, it has averaged somewhere between 30 and 40 births annually.
The centre acts as an alternative for mothers who do not wish to give birth in hospital.
Mothers who use the centre can choose to give birth at there, or in their own homes.
Mrs Holloway gave birth to her first child, a girl, in a home birth, and her second at the Launceston Birth Centre, which is how she became aware of its existence.
Sarah Haberle is Mrs Holloway’s daughter, and treasurer of the centre’s committee.
She gave birth to her three children at home, an experience she said she felt very fortunate to have.
“It’s a very intimate experience,” Mrs Haberle said of the home and centre births that the centre facilitates.
“It’s very dark, you’re left mostly on your own with your partner, there’s candles, music if you want.”
Mrs Holloway said that a woman who had only given birth in a hospital might be struck by the differences between the two.
There are no monitors or gowns, and quite often, water is involved, she said.
“The most common thing that people say to me [about home birthing] is, ‘How would you have coped if something went wrong? Is there safety equipment?’,” Mrs Haberle said.
“I’ve had six births in the one family, so you really do become part of the family”
- midwife Anna Holloway
“Because [as a midwife] you’ve known this woman for six or seven months, and it’s just her that you are focusing on – no other patients – you can pick up straight away if anything is not right,” Mrs Holloway explained.
If that’s the case, the Launceston General Hospital is nearby – close enough for some mothers to walk to, and others will be driven over, but that’s a rare occurrence.
The centre first opened as part of the matron’s flat at the Queen Victoria tower, on High Street, then moved to the nurse’s home, before opening in a two-bedroom home near the maternity unit of the current Launceston General Hospital.
Midwife Jean Vasic was part of the centre when it first opened, and said that, today, it remains a “grass roots level” of midwifery care.
“Couples should always have access to their own midwives,” Mrs Vasic said.
“They they will grow to trust their midwives and build confidence in themselves, with continuity of care, the ability to empower the mother is encouraged. This will result in a life long, memorable and joyful birthing experience.”
Memorable birthing (for the right reason) is something that Mrs Holloway says she is passionate about.
To this day – and her daughter attested – she still has mothers she has helped through birth stop her in public, and re-introduce Mrs Holloway to the child she birthed so many years ago.
“I’ve had six births in the one family, so you really do become part of the family,” Mrs Holloway said.
Jasmijn Van De Winckel is at the other end of her career, and is an eligible midwife, meaning she is qualified to provide pre and post-natal care, which is Medicare funded.
She works with the birth centre and in the public hospital system, which she says allows her to see the full breadth of maternity choices available to Tasmanian women.
She said one of the highlights of her career so far was attending her first home birth.
“Underneath one of the stormiest nights and after a long and hard labour, their little baby was born gently in the comfort of their home,” Ms Van De Winckel said.
“The relief and joy of this moment has been one of the most amazing moments as a midwife. Since the birth of their first baby, I have been honoured to attend the birth of their three other children.”
While Mrs Holloway and Mrs Haberle say they could not imagine giving birth in a hospital, they stressed that home birthing or non-hospital birthing wasn’t for everyone, not only for those who have high-risk pregnancies, there are those who will be more comfortable in a hospital environment.
“But it is about giving women the choice,” Mrs Haberle said.
And they believe it is a choice that more woman are turning to.
“It’s a bit of a thing in our society now – going back to organic, to paleo, to growing your own vegetables,” Mrs Haberle said.
“It’s going back to the roots. And as part of that people are interested in different kinds of birthing.”
“Women remember their birth 30, 40, 60 years later, whether it is a good or bad experience,” Mrs Holloway added.
“It’s not a sickness, it’s a life experience. It’s a family experience.”