Representing New Zealand’s Midwives
We provide and promote quality standards for New Zealand Midwives. Our role is a midwifery voice for midwives and women.
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Welcome
Welcome to the official site of the New Zealand College of Midwives, the professional organisation for midwives.
The College is governed by a National Board comprising a number of nominated and elected representatives from throughout New Zealand. Representatives include rural midwives, urban midwives, educators, students, consumers, Māori midwives and birthing women.
Latest News & Events
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Age range change for cervical screening
3rd February, 2020
The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) will be changing the recommended starting age for cervical screening from 20 to 25 years in 2019. This change will take place in November 2019. Here you will find…
Read Article -
2020 – A Key Year For Midwives and Midwifery in New Zealand
30th January, 2020
“A watershed year for maternal health and wellbeing”. That’s how the College of Midwives Chief Executive, Alison Eddy, is describing 2020 with only a month left for people to sign the #backmidwives petition.
Read Article
Embracing diversity – growing stronger together
We are excited to welcome you to Christchurch/Ōtautahi, for our 16th Biennial National Conference to be held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.
Click here for more informationOur services
As a member of the College you have the opportunity to contribute to all the representations the College makes to government, health organisations, consumer groups and the public.
The College encourages and values individual member input very highly. You can also take an active role in supporting your local and regional midwifery community including joining with consumers and their organisations to support initiatives that enhance the lives of mothers and babies.
The Find your Midwife website, created by the New Zealand College of Midwives to help women to find a midwife they can work with best.
The MMPO was established by the New Zealand College of Midwives in 1997 to provide its LMC (Lead Maternity Carer) midwives with a supportive practice management and quality practice system, enabling high quality continuity of care for women throughout New Zealand.
MERAS has been established as a dedicated and focused union for employed midwives with support from the New Zealand College of Midwives. A national District Health Board (DHB) midwifery collective employment agreement for employed midwives has been negotiated and is now in operation for MERAS members at DHB’s.
The final push! Thank you for your support, we have almost reached 20,000 signatures, almost 3,000 more in just over 24 hours - thank you for sharing and promoting our message #backmidwives www.backmidwives.org.nz
2 days ago
Done, almost 21,000 signatures 😀
Anita Ashton
Sharon Macshane
Leila George
Done
Joshu Baron
Done
Remy Macshane
Done
Done x x
I think it says u now have 20,615! I just signed!
Signed 💜
Done🧡
Done
🥰😍🥰😍
The final push! Members are asked to support the final push in the #backmidwives campaign. The new video released today highlights the realities of rural midwifery in New Zealand. Check out the video here www.backmidwives.org.nz - sign the petition and send a postcard to a Minister of Parliament too.
3 days ago
Done ✅
Done my sista ❤ Love what you're doing. You're all amazing and I'm so proud of you xxx and hey we're long overdue for a catch-up xxx See what I did there 🤗
Done. Our babies are here because of you xx
Done. Thanks for sharing. Vision 2020 they promote prolife for our babies💯🌈💞🌈💥🌈💦💯👀
We back midwives
Done bubba 😘 love you xxx
Done niece xx
Done Granddaughter
#backmidwives to back our future <3
Have done ❤️❤️❤️
Signed 🙂
Signed
Signed.
Done!
Shared Laura Ashwell 🌹
Done
Alice Sahab your in this!! Did you know??
Done xa
Keren Simpson
Done
Done
Done
Done
The Government is seeking feedback on options for strengthening legal protections for contractors.
This link will take you to a 10 minute survey where you can have your say! www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/better-protections-for-contractors/?fbclid=IwAR1aY5UYrL69UDjiI19u5...
The issues being raised are relevant for midwives working as LMCs. The College is making a formal submission to MBIE on the issues on behalf of members.
Better protections for contractors | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Better protections for contractors: Discussion document for public feedback Published: 26 Nov 2019 This discussion document presents our understanding...1 week ago
Done - also a path for those who are no longer working as a contractor.
Oh, remember to mention not getting KiwiSaver employer contributions. I forgot to mention that.
Worth replying to this
Done
All done
Done
Done
College staff were delighted to catch up with Sally Pairman, CE of ICM whilst she was on holiday in New Zealand.
1 week ago
It’s been a busy time for most midwives, so we are extending the Call for Abstracts submission to Friday 14 February (an extra week). Thank you to those who have submitted their abstracts already. Give it a go, if you are thinking of submitting an abstract. Read the details on our website.
2 weeks ago
Pushed to the limit - Meg Waghorn describes the midwife crisis affecting the Wellington region, and calls on the government and DHB to step up and fix it.
confetticonfetti.co.nz/2020/01/29/pushed-to-the-limit/?fbclid=IwAR3e5QGvpN1sVL5qfZs3ggvYDuK2WbIuf...
2 weeks ago
Madison
I am sure that with Jacinda having a private Obstetrician and and area all sealed off for her own personal postpartum space at Auckland Hospital, would not have helped the political view of Midwifery. I should like to do a survey of all the politicians over the last 10 years, that have unnecessarily had private Obstetric cares (when the woman has been fit and healthy along with pregnancy). The view of our responsibilities, personal time, skills, efficcacies and training, much of the time, go completely unnoticed. If you don't water that beautiful flower, it will die.
How, many years has Labour had to fix this problem????
As you might know, I’m a student midwife. I qualify this year. I’ve spent the last two and a bit years surrounded by the most incredible women (no male midwives at my uni or trust).
Today, sat in a lecture held by a midwife I greatly admire discussing job applications and life after we qualify. It was a four hour solid block of lectures so I hope I’ll be forgiven for drifting off into one of my internal monologues.
I sat there and thought about what exceptional women I train alongside. From the younger students who have left home and been brave enough to take on a very difficult and very emotionally challenging job. Quite literally helping life be born. At eighteen!! That’s incredibly brave isn’t it? These young women are so much more mature and brave than I ever was at 18. It takes balls of steel to train to be a midwife. Training so Young is one hell of an achievement in my eyes. I could not have done this degree back then. The younger women in my cohort blow my mind!
Or those a bit further on in life, with difficult childhoods, difficult home lives, juggling the practicalities of shift work, assignments, high stress levels, kids, finances, life.
There are women who have survived domestic abuse, lost loved ones, faced fertility problems, relationship breakdowns, crises, illness, all that life has to throw at you. All whilst studying a midwifery degree.
Even with a fairly calm life, a midwifery degree is all consuming and HARD. I can be guilty of romanticising the profession I love so much. It is HARD. Soul wrenchingly hard.
I sat there and wondered why it was there were so many exceptional women in that room.
Then I realised it. Midwifery attracts strong, badass women (and men) who will hold your hand through the absolute highs and devastating lows of your life. Who will hug you, make you toast and save your life if needs be. Who will run towards emergency buzzers, manage difficult births, give every last drop of themselves to keep you safe. Who will advocate for you and fight for your choices. Who will cry with you, cry for you, go home and cry some more for you.
It’s a WEIRD degree. We spend a lot of time discussing or looking at vaginas, speak completely in code, don’t so much as flinch at any type of bodily fluid, your friends are constantly sending you pictures of their bodily fluids on pads so good job really... and getting to stitch up a sponge is the highlight of my week!
Midwifery is exhausting, exhilarating, terrifying, unpredictably wonderfully incredible. There are a lot of biscuits, a lot of overfilled bladders and a lot of sore backs, necks and legs. Nothing beats the high of watching a couple become a family, birth is incredible. I drive home from night shifts sometimes wanting to scream YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I HAVE WITNESSED WHILST YOU SLEPT out the window. You have to be brave, resilient and know when to keep a poker face and when it’s okay and perfectly human to cry. Nothing will prepare you for how deeply you will feel for the families in your care during the highs and the lows. The lows can be unbearable.
It takes a very special type of person to be a midwife. It’s not a job for the faint hearted. I’ve had my wobbles, I have learnt more about myself in the last few years than in the rest of my life. I am not the same person who rocked up to university on that first day, I have aged a life time but am also completely renewed. I don’t think I will ever stop questioning if I am special or strong enough to be a midwife and I hope I never do.
This ones for you, my fellow soon to be midwives and all the magical midwives and obstetricians I know and love ❤️
2020 is the international year of the midwife. Really I think we deserve a decade!
3 weeks ago
So well said.
Gabrielle Bollen
Joy Wadham ❤️
I had no idea 2020 was international year of the midwife. As the mother of a midwife in first year of LMC, I appreciate this descriptive piece of writing depicting with great clarity the incredible commitment of this very special group of people. Midwives must push their frustrations into the public eye re their often, what can only be described as an endless, and at times fruitless cry for more resources, better education during training in preparation for the momentous task ahead, which requires them to take responsibility for the lives of both mothers and their babies; not to mention the paltry pay core midwives working in the hospitals have to endure at the hands of those in government who should know that their remuneration should reflect their job description (as is the case in most other sectors in the so-called professional employment body here in NZ). The reality is that despite the fact this article paints a grim picture of the everyday life for many midwives, the general public has little real comprehension of any of this; simply because it is outside of their life experience on this particular job front. Midwives need to band together and do WHATEVER it takes to improve their plight. Love of the job and reward at being able to witness the miracle of birth is little comfort when struggling to pay rent or a mortgage and putting food on their own tables. We hear your cry midwives; it’s now time to shout out to the people who are in a position to change your workplace for the better!💪🏻in numbers!
If you haven't seen the latest video in the Time to Push Campaign visit backmidwives.org.nz and send a postcard to an MP while you are there (and of course add your name to the signatures on the petition if you haven't already).
www.midwife.org.nz/news/2020-a-key-year-for-midwives-and-midwifery-in-new-zealand
2020 - A Key Year For Midwives and Midwifery in New Zealand - New Zealand College of Midwives
“A watershed year for maternal health and wellbeing”. That’s how the College of Midwives Chief Executive, Alison Eddy, is describing 2020 with o...3 weeks ago
Vanessa Donaldson