A new approach is needed to address the disproportionate rates of stillbirth among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, according to Melanie Briggs, an Aboriginal midwife at Waminda. The national stillbirth death toll is six in 1000 births. Among Aboriginal women, the death toll is more than double, at 13 babies in every 1000, said Briggs. "The number of our babies being born asleep is not acceptable and our babies are more likely to be unwell or born sleeping, double that of our non-Aboriginal population," she said. "For me to provide quality care in community maternity care, as well as social and emotional support, is crucial to preventing any stillbirths." Waminda, the South Coast Women's Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, has been advocating for a Birthing on Country program for over four years. The organisation welcomes the Government's National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan - particularly Action Area 2 of the plan, which recommends stillbirth prevention initiatives like Birthing on Country. "This new plan is welcome but there is a lot of work to be done," said Faye Worner, the CEO of Waminda. "Stillbirth can be in Aboriginal communities through early and frequent access to trusted, professional and community-based maternity care that is immersed in tradition and culture. "That's why Waminda has been advocating for a Birthing on Country model of care, to enable midwives and women from community to build professional relationships that have a strong foundation of trust." Read more: Two children airlifted to hospital after Princes Highway crash Granties Maze, the $10 million fun park people forgot about Phillips prepares to be NSW Country's point of attack at national titles The Birthing on Country model of care refers to a culturally appropriate and holistic transition to motherhood and parenting. Briggs said this would enable Indigenous women to access culturally safe maternal care, and would drive down the rates of stillbirth. "Birthing on Country is not only about the place of birth, it's also about the wraparound care to enable the woman to get the best quality care during her pregnancy to have the best outcome," said Briggs. "It's about providing evidence based maternity care that is continuous throughout the pregnancy. So early pregnancy, labor and birth and up to six weeks postpartum. "Then the midwife and that woman build a relationship of trust and engagement and allows a woman to be able to create really positive relationships. "And then that woman, if she feels like her baby's not moving, or, you know, we can talk about smoking cessation, which are two major factors around reducing stillbirth, if that woman feels that she can trust her care, which is a midwife." "It's important that women are connected to culture, in their pregnancy, as well as outside of pregnancy, because culture gives us a sense of belonging, and it gives us a sense of connection to each other." Briggs said such culturally safe initiatives will also contribute to closing the gap. "Birthing on Country will definitely improve the next generations health longevity and it'll create a generation that will thrive and grow equal to that of our non-Aboriginal brothers and sisters in community," she said. "Once this is up and going, we'll see that gap closing." Waminda has been lobbying for funding to be able to put these plans into action. "We've been lobbying for a long time," said Briggs. "There's the state level funding, which is the service delivery, which is employing more midwives...to provide that continuity of care throughout the whole of pregnancy care, and birth and postpartum. "And then we've also been lobbying for federal funding to to give us a space where we can provide that that maternity and child care outside of the hospital and have the specialist service coming into us." NSW Labor Senator Kristina Keneally, who lost her daughter to stillbirth and was in charge of creating the Select Senate Committee on Stillbirth Research and Education, hopes to see the government's plans be put into action. "I want to see this plan actioned," said Ms Keneally. "We have the plan and pathway, and I call on the NSW and Federal governments to work together to make it happen."
CEO of Wamina Faye Worner and Aboriginal midwife Melanie Briggs (left) welcome the Goverment's Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. Image: supplied by Waminda.
A new approach is needed to address the disproportionate rates of stillbirth among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, according to Melanie Briggs, an Aboriginal midwife at Waminda.
The national stillbirth death toll is six in 1000 births. Among Aboriginal women, the death toll is more than double, at 13 babies in every 1000, said Briggs.
"The number of our babies being born asleep is not acceptable and our babies are more likely to be unwell or born sleeping, double that of our non-Aboriginal population," she said.
"For me to provide quality care in community maternity care, as well as social and emotional support, is crucial to preventing any stillbirths."
Waminda, the South Coast Women's Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, has been advocating for a Birthing on Country program for over four years.
The organisation welcomes the Government's National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan - particularly Action Area 2 of the plan, which recommends stillbirth prevention initiatives like Birthing on Country.
"This new plan is welcome but there is a lot of work to be done," said Faye Worner, the CEO of Waminda.
"Stillbirth can be in Aboriginal communities through early and frequent access to trusted, professional and community-based maternity care that is immersed in tradition and culture.
"That's why Waminda has been advocating for a Birthing on Country model of care, to enable midwives and women from community to build professional relationships that have a strong foundation of trust."
Waminda have been lobbying for funding for a Birthing on Country program, which would help drive down the "unacceptable" stillbirth rates in Indigenous women. Images: supplied by Waminda.
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The Birthing on Country model of care refers to a culturally appropriate and holistic transition to motherhood and parenting. Briggs said this would enable Indigenous women to access culturally safe maternal care, and would drive down the rates of stillbirth.
"Birthing on Country is not only about the place of birth, it's also about the wraparound care to enable the woman to get the best quality care during her pregnancy to have the best outcome," said Briggs.
"It's about providing evidence based maternity care that is continuous throughout the pregnancy. So early pregnancy, labor and birth and up to six weeks postpartum.
"Then the midwife and that woman build a relationship of trust and engagement and allows a woman to be able to create really positive relationships.
"And then that woman, if she feels like her baby's not moving, or, you know, we can talk about smoking cessation, which are two major factors around reducing stillbirth, if that woman feels that she can trust her care, which is a midwife."
"It's important that women are connected to culture, in their pregnancy, as well as outside of pregnancy, because culture gives us a sense of belonging, and it gives us a sense of connection to each other."
Briggs said such culturally safe initiatives will also contribute to closing the gap.
"Birthing on Country will definitely improve the next generations health longevity and it'll create a generation that will thrive and grow equal to that of our non-Aboriginal brothers and sisters in community," she said.
"Once this is up and going, we'll see that gap closing."
Waminda has been lobbying for funding to be able to put these plans into action.
"We've been lobbying for a long time," said Briggs.
"There's the state level funding, which is the service delivery, which is employing more midwives...to provide that continuity of care throughout the whole of pregnancy care, and birth and postpartum.
"And then we've also been lobbying for federal funding to to give us a space where we can provide that that maternity and child care outside of the hospital and have the specialist service coming into us."
NSW Labor Senator Kristina Keneally, who lost her daughter to stillbirth and was in charge of creating the Select Senate Committee on Stillbirth Research and Education, hopes to see the government's plans be put into action.
"I want to see this plan actioned," said Ms Keneally.
"We have the plan and pathway, and I call on the NSW and Federal governments to work together to make it happen."
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