aboutus
It is the heart of local women, who have nurtured hopes and dreams for their births that have inspired the vision for Embracing Birth South Gippsland. These women have called for the same birthing opportunities as their 'sisters' in metropolitan communities - to be cared for by a know midwife and to feel safe and confident to birth well wherever they feel most comfortable, whether they choose to be in hospital or at home.
Amanda Schmidt- Endorsed Midwife
I bring to Embracing Birth South Gippsland and birthing women in my community a strong and competent foundation in maternity care and skills and a deeply ingrained belief that midwives are protectors and keepers of natural and normal birth. We are only truly able to fulfill this role by providing continuity of care, growing and sharing evidence based knowledge, respecting birth choices and supporting women to draw upon their inner strength to birth well.
Throughout my 20 years of midwifery experience I have worked within midwife led women-centred units and larger referral hospitals, enabling me to develop a solid grounding in both natural birth and yet be practiced in dealing with the unexpected variations of childbirth.
Over the years I have developed skills across the full spectrum of maternity care: including birth suites, post-birth, pregnancy care, domicillary, childbirth education, special care nursery, breastfeeding support and homebirth.
Workplaces include: The Angliss Hospital, Mercy Hospital for Women, Bass Coast Hospital, Warwick Hospital UK and South Gippsland Hospital (Foster).
The Team
Embracing Birth South Gippsland is supported by a number of passionate midwives working within local maternity units, who have a deep desire to support the birthing choices of women in their community. If you choose to birth at home one of these midwives will be chosen to work alongside Amanda to ensure you are well supported. In the event that a local midwife is not available midwives from metropolitan homebirth practices.
What is an Endorsed Midwife?
An Endorsed Midwife is endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia to provide private midwifery care including: prescribing of pregnancy tests and medications and access to medicare rebates for pregnancy and post-birth care for 6 weeks after the birth of your baby. The endorsed midwife partners with an obstetrician or GP obstetrician to provide evidence based care, guided by the Australian College of Midwives Guidelines for Referral and Consultation. Professional Indemnity Insurance (for pregnancy and post-birth care, excluding labour and birth care) is a requirement of endorsement and is provided by MIGA.