UC’s Midwifery Student Program is a free-of-charge program that gives women who are birthing at Centenary Hospital for Women and Children (CHWC), North Canberra Hospital (NCH) or home* the support of a midwifery student throughout pregnancy, labour, birth, and early parenthood.
By inviting a student to join you on your life-changing journey, you’ll enjoy extra support, whilst providing the student with first-hand experience which is a vital component of their degree.
You can be confident you’ll be in safe hands – midwifery students are supervised at all times by fully qualified and registered midwives, and you will receive the same care as you would normally expect. You will build a relationship with your midwifery student through discussion of your experiences. Evidence shows that extra support from a known person can have a beneficial effect on your pregnancy, labour and birth and early parenting experience.
Personalised attention
Enjoy extra attention that comes from having an additional person invested in your journey
Support learning
Participation in this program supports the learning of future midwives
Free-of-charge
Because your journey is their education, this service is completely free-of-charge
To register your interest in being allocated a student midwife, please complete the form below.
After completing this form you’ll receive an email of acknowledgement. We will endeavour to match you with a student as soon as possible, this may take a few weeks. The student could be in first, second or third year of practice. Your preferred contact method will be passed on to the midwifery student who will reach out to you and arrange a first meeting. The student will aim to attend many of your antenatal appointments, provide support during labour and birth and at least two postnatal visits.
To meet registration requirements, midwifery students must follow individual women through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.
By participating in this program, you may meet students at any stage of their degree.
Continuity is about deepening each student’s understanding of a woman’s experiences during pregnancy, labour, birth and in early parenting.
Students gain an understanding of the experience of women and their families and learn what midwives and other health professionals say and do.
Over the course of their degree, students progress to taking the shared lead in your care under the midwife’s supervision.
Practice Support Midwives (PSMs) are registered midwives with extensive skills and knowledge. They work mostly in the hospital setting to support, supervise and assess students in practice. PSMs are a vital link between the University and hospital settings as they also provide support in the classroom with skills development workshops. PSMs role model exemplary woman-centred midwifery care. You may meet them working alongside your midwifery student.
PSMs are registered midwives with extensive skills and knowledge and you may find them working alongside your midwifery student. They are a vital link between the University and hospital settings. They will seek your permission to provide care and consult, refer and communicate with the hospital midwifery team.
Yes. You can change your mind about having a midwifery student at any time without giving a reason and without your care being affected in any way.
Yes. You will receive the same level of care from your registered midwife and healthcare providers. Your student midwife is an additional level of support.
Yes. Your student will be supervised at all times by a midwife. They are not permitted to offer midwifery advice unless in the presence of a midwife or doctor.
Yes. Yes. Students are bound by University policy, the Midwifery Code of Practice, and Code of Ethics and Standards for Practice to ensure professional standards are maintained. They must abide by strict confidentiality rules, make notes on their observations and actions but never relaying your name or personal information.
To be eligible, your home birth must be supported by CHWC midwives if you are birthing through the public system or a privately practicing midwife who has a current Work Integrated Learning Agreement with the University. Please note student midwives will be are able to observe but not provide hands-on care for the labour and birth at home.
My midwifery student was a very calming and professional presence through my overnight labour and regularly checked in during our recovery in hospital. The comfort provided has had a profound effect on how we remember the experience and how prepared I felt as a new mother.
For more information please contact a member of the Midwifery Team. Please note that our Midwifery Practice Coordinators both work part-time hours.
Sophie Wrigley
Midwifery Practice Coordinator
sophie.wrigley@canberra.edu.au | 02 6201 2033
Brendon Grey
Midwifery Practice Coordinator
brendon.grey@canberra.edu.au | 02 6201 2935
