The Work of Birth (11334.1)

Required texts

Required Text:

Pairman S., Tracey, S., Dahlen, H. & Dixon, L. (Eds) (2019). Midwifery: Preparation for Practice 4e. (4th ed). Sydney: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Recommended Texts:

Coad, J. Pedley, K., & Dunstall, M. (2020). Anatomy and physiology for midwives. (3^rd ed.). St Louis: Mosby.

De Vitry Smith, S. & Bayes, S. (2019). Skills for midwifery practice (Australia and New Zealand ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

Fraser, D. M., & Cooper, M. A. (2012). Survival guide to midwifery e-book. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier. Available: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au

Gray, J. & Smith, R. (2018). Midwifery Essentials (2nd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

Gray, J., Smith, R. & Homer, C. (2018), Illustrated Dictionary of Midwifery (2nd ed.) Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

Marshall, J. E. & Raynor, M. D. (2014). Myles Textbook for Midwives e-book (16th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier. Available: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au

Suggested Readings:

Allen, T., Eby, L., & Malden M. (Eds). (2010). The Blackwell handbook of mentoring: a multiple perspectives approach. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Austin M., Highet N. & the Expert Working Group. (2017). Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period: Australian Clinical Practice Guideline. Melbourne: Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE).

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2010). The Australian Safety and Quality Framework for Health Care. Sydney: ACSQHC

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2017). National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards User Guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Sydney: ACSQHC.

Australian College of Midwives (ACM). (2014). National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral (3rd ed. Issue 2). Canberra: ACM.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Australia's mothers and babies 2017—in brief. Perinatal statistics series no. 35. Cat. no. PER 100. Canberra: AIHW.

Australian Midwifery Standards Assessment Tool (AMSAT) (2015). Available at: www.amsat.com.au

Bass, J., Fenwick, J. & Sidebotham, M. (2017). Development of a Model of Holistic Reflection to facilitate transformative learning in student midwives. Women and Birth. 30(3): 227-235

Bowden, J., & Manning, V. (Eds). (2017). Health promotion in midwifery: principles and practice. (3rd ed.). London: Hodder Arnold.

Bringedal, H., & Aune, I. (2019). Able to choose? Women's thoughts and experiences regarding informed choices during birth. Midwifery, 77, 123-129. 

Byrom, S. & Downe, S. (Eds.). (2015). The roar behind the silence. Why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care. UK: Pinter & Martin

Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM) (2017). The Nursing and Midwifery Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework. Canberra: CATSINaM.

Crowther, S. & Hall, J. (Eds.) (2018). Spirituality and Childbirth. London: Routledge

Curl, M. (2019). Healthy Birth Practice #5: Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Body's Urge to Push. The Journal of perinatal education, 28(2), 104-107. 

Dalbye, R., Blix, E., Frøslie, K. F., Zhang, J., Eggebø, T. M., Olsen, I. C., . . . Bernitz, S. (2020). The Labour Progression Study (LaPS): Duration of labour following Zhang's guideline and the WHO partograph – A cluster randomised trial. Midwifery, 81, 102578. 

Davies, L., Daellenbach, R. & Kensington, M. (Eds.) (2011). Sustainability, Midwifery and Birth. London: Routledge

Fahy, K., Foureur, M. & Hastie, C. (Eds.) (2008). Birth Territory and Midwifery Guardianship: theory for practice, education and research. Sydney: Elsevier.

Fraser, D. & Cooper, M. (2014). Myles textbook for midwives. (16th ed). Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Faulk, K. A., & Niemczyk, N. A. (2020). Key indicators influencing management of prolonged second stage labour by midwives in freestanding birth centres: Results from an ethnographic interview study. Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives. 

Guilliland, K., & Pairman, S. (1995). The midwifery partnership: a model for practice. Wellington, N.Z: Dept. of Nursing and Midwifery, Victoria University of Wellington.

Hunter, M., Smythe, E., & Spence, D. (2018). Confidence: Fundamental to midwives providing labour care in freestanding midwifery-led units. Midwifery, 66, 176-181

International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). (2014). International Code of Ethics for Midwives. Available at: www.internationalmidwives.org

International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). (2017). International Definition of a Midwife. Available at: www.internationalmidwives.org

Jackson, M. K., Schmied, V., & Dahlen, H. G. (2020). Birthing outside the system: the motivation behind the choice to freebirth or have a homebirth with risk factors in Australia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 20(1), 254-213. 

Jordan, S. (2010). Pharmacology for midwives: The evidence base for safe practice (2nd ed.) Basingstoke: Palgrave

Kirkham, M. (Eds) (2010). The Midwife-Mother Relationship (2nd ed). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan

Leap, N., & Hunter, B. (2016). Supporting women for labour and birth: a thoughtful guide. UK: Routledge

Maimburg, R. D., & De Vries, R. (2019). Coaching a slow birth with the woman in an empowered position may be less harmful than routine hands-on practice to protect against severe tears in birth - A discussion paper. Sexual & reproductive healthcare, 20, 38-41. 

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016). Available at: www.nice.org.uk/guidance

Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA). (2018). Code of conduct for midwives. Available at: www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA). (2018). Midwife standards for practice. Available at: www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Palmer, G. (2016). Why the politics of breastfeeding matter. London: Pinter & Martin

Renfrew, M., McFadden, H., Bastos, H., Campbell, J., Channon, N., Cheung, N. Delage Silva, D., Downe, S., Kennedy, H., Malata, A., McCormick, F., Wick, L. & Declerq, E. (2014). Midwifery and quality care: findings from a new evidence-informed framework for maternal and newborn care. The Lancet, 384, 1129-1145

Richardson, L. & St. Pierre, E. (2017). Writing: A method of inquiry. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research(5th ed). Thousand Oaks, US: SAGE Publications

Squire, C. (Ed.) (2017). The social context of birth. (3rd ed). New York: CRC Press

Staunton, P., & Chiarella, M. (2017). Law for nurses and midwives. (8th ed). Sydney, Australia: Elsevier.

Sweet, L., Bazargan, M., McKellar, L., Gray. J., & Henderson, A. (2017). Validation of the Australian Midwifery standards Assessment Tool (AMSAT): a tool to assess midwifery competence. Women and Birth. Retrieved 10/4/08 from: doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.017

Walsh, D. (2012). Evidence and Skills for Normal Labour and Birth. A guide for midwives. London, United Kingdom: Routledge

Verhoeven, C. J., Spence, D., Nyman, V., Otten, R. H. J., & Healy, M. (2019). How do midwives facilitate women to give birth during physiological second stage of labour?: A protocol for a systematic review. Systematic Reviews, 8(1). 

Wickham, S. (2004). Sacred cycles: the spiral of women's well-being. London: Free Association Books.

There will also be other set and/or suggested readings associated with the weekly topics, provided through e-reserve as required. In addition, you are encouraged to access up to date information from appropriate midwifery journals such as:

• Birth
• Birth issues
• British Journal of Midwifery
• Evidenced Based Midwifery
• Health Care for Women International
• Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
• Maternal and Child Nutrition
• Midwifery
• New Zealand College of Midwives Journal
• The Practicing Midwife
• Women and Birth

These and other journals are available through the UC Library and the ACT Health Library

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

General guidelines for a written paper

• Presentation: The paper should be submitted in a word document, with 1.5 line spacing and a normal (2.5 cm) margin on all sides. Pages should be numbered. Font size should be 10 -12 and the Font style used must be clear and easily read.
• Structure: Academic writing style must be maintained throughout the assessments.  There are many texts available about organising and presenting papers in the library and online. 
• Clarity and Expression: Concepts should be discussed clearly and concisely.  Assessments must demonstrate correct grammatical expression and spelling.  Poor grammar obscures meaning.  It is very useful to ask someone else to proof read your submission to eliminate errors.
• Referencing requirements: Students must use the APA method of referencing throughout their assessments. The following useful resource on referencing is available at: http://www.canberra.edu.au/current-students/canberra-students/student-support/study-skills

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Late submission

“Penalties for late submission of assessed work will be applied. Marks will be deducted at the rate of 5% of the value of the assessment item per day it is overdue (including weekends). For example, if an assignment is worth 100 marks, 5 marks will be deducted each day”

Participation requirements

Attendance at classes is compulsory in this course, as per the Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum approved by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (2014). Because we understand that students have multi-faceted lives, seminar absences in the period from the beginning of planned classes until the end of the semester, will be accepted.  However, these absences are tolerated based on the expectation that students will seek out information on content and processes which they have missed.  If students regularly miss timetabled seminars a 500-word synopsis about their learning on the topic/s of any missed sessions may be required to be submitted. It is your responsibility to inform the unit convener of your absences.

Required IT skills

Students are expected to use the online database DAISY-M.  Please speak to the unit convener if you need assistance.

In-unit costs

You do not have to purchase texts for this unit but as busy students who are also involved in midwifery practice, you may find it most useful to do so. Texts recommended for the unit will be used throughout the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

Work placement, internships or practicums

Students are required to complete a student placement agreement form to undertake their practice-based work.

This form is available on DAISY.

Students are required to undertake midwifery practice continuity of care experiences this semester. Continuity of care experiences as set out by ANMAC (2014) are based on a student being paired with a minimum of 10 childbearing women across the three years of the Bachelor of Midwifery course. Students are to undertake a minimum of four antenatal visits and two postnatal visits for each woman and is on call for and attends the majority of women's labours.

At UC however, we have set the number of continuity of care experiences at 22 across the Bachelor of Midwifery course. At UC, we appreciate that there are variations between women and between experiences, so each continuity experience may differ slightly and although counted by UC as a continuity experience may not meet the ANMAC standards. At UC and in this semester, we expect a continuity experience to include a minimum of two of the three elements, with the three elements being antenatal care (three antenatal visits), labour and birth care and postnatal care (three postnatal visits). You are required to have at least 10 of your 22 continuity women meeting the ANMAC definition of a continuity experiences, however this can be achieved over the entire degree.

All the midwifery practice you achieve this semester with your continuity work is included in your progress towards achieving midwifery competency and towards achieving the midwifery minimum practice requirements as set out by ANMAC (2014).  All practical experiences are counted even though they may not add up to an entire continuity of care experience. 

Midwifery continuity experiences both in the community setting and in hospital maternity units are an essential part of the Bachelor of Midwifery. They enable knowledge to be embedded in a practical context using trained preceptors. This experience cannot be attained in any other settings. The control of access to hospital facilities derives from contractual arrangements with ACT Health and other hospitals and the University is obliged to accept the rules and regulations that govern whom they will accept into those premises. It is beyond the University's control to pressure the health facilities to change their acceptability requirements.

The successful completion of the midwifery practice is a mandatory element of this unit and the assessment of the unit. Some or all of the external agencies (eg. hospitals, non-government organisations etc) require a police check prior to permitting a student to undertake the practice. The results of the police check may be used as a basis to refuse access to practice at the external agency. This decision is solely at the discretion of the external agency. Students unable to gain access to midwifery practice at agencies approved by the University are unable to complete the mandatory requirements of the course. In this case the student will receive a NX (fail) grade and will not be eligible for a refund of any fees. If the successful completion of a unit is a mandatory requirement for the completion of a course, an inability to complete the unit means the student is unable to complete the requirements of the course.

Additional information

Midwifery is a complex course because of both the theory and practice requirements, so please do not remain quiet if you are worried.  The Course Convener, the Unit Convener, and your midwifery mentor are here to help you. We want you to become useful and connected midwives by learning in a supported environment, so please let us know if you feel very challenged.  Most things can be sorted out quickly and easily if we know.  We will also help with more complex issues.

Announcements made at seminars are deemed to be made to the whole group. Important announcements will be repeated on the unit website. Please check the ‘The Work of Birth' website at http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/ for messages at least weekly.

The Midwifery Practice Room (10A2) is available for students to use when it is not in use for timetabled classes.  

• Semester 2, 2021, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (201583)
• Semester 2, 2020, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (195834)
• Semester 2, 2019, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (184799)