For Liz Arnold, becoming a midwife was something she was quite literally born for.
She spent a childhood marvelling at the work her mum did as a nurse midwife and that fuelled a deep fascination for all things childbirth.
“I just always wanted to be a midwife,” Liz said.
Liz is an RFDS (Queensland Section) nurse midwife based in Cairns, part of a team that conducts fly-in and fly-out Primary Health Care (PHC) clinics to some of the state’s most remote patients.
On this International Day of the Midwife, she paused to reflect on the difference midwives make in the lives of so many Queensland women.
“It’s special building relationships with women and being able to play a part in their lives,” Liz said.
“At the PHC clinics, we’re able to provide education, respond to individual family needs and see the confidence in birth and parenting grow.
“As an RFDS child health nurse and midwife I have the pleasure of providing ongoing care to women and their families which leads to a special bond with people.”
Last year the RFDS (Queensland Section) transported over 550 babies either through PHC or Aeromedical response, highlighting again the important role played by the organisation looking after the
tiniest of patients.
In Liz’s case, it’s the distance many women need to overcome to get the care they need that really reinforces how important the role of a midwife is.
“Women in remote locations are asked to travel to their intended place of birth from 36 weeks which means they are forced to leave the comfort, and often support, of home at an important time.
“It’s up to myself and the broader PHC team to ensure these women are provided with the best care possible throughout their pregnancy and postnatally.
“In the end we all just want a healthy mum and baby and when you see the end result, it makes everything so worthwhile.”
