‘Traumatic births have become so normalised. It doesn't have to be like that’

Melanie Thompson credits one change as the difference between her first distressing birth and second healing experience. And now, more women will get access to it.

Melanie Thompson has given birth twice and the experiences couldn’t be more different.

Her first baby was delivered at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital in 2021 after a long labour where she felt unheard and was forced to push for hours, leaving her and her husband “traumatised”. 

When Melanie fell pregnant two years later, she knew she wouldn’t return to hospital. “I told them, ‘I’m not coming back here, I’d rather give birth in the car’.”

Image: Supplied

RELATED: ‘I gave birth alone in the bathroom, my husband didn’t know’ 

The Lake Macquarie mum chose to have continuity-of-care with the state’s midwife-led program, Midwifery Group Practice (MGP), before having a “healing” home birth. 

“I felt better hours after my second birth, than weeks after my first. Recovery was so much better. Everything was worlds apart,” the 32-year-old says. 

Melanie is one of thousands of women cheering this week, after the NSW Government announced an $83 million investment to grow and improve maternity care in NSW. 

Half of the investment, $44.8 million, will go towards expanding the MGP – described as the “gold standard”. 

The package includes an extra 53 midwife roles in regional NSW, improved training for clinicians in respectful maternity care and enhanced antenatal education for parents.

“As soon as I told my midwife about my first birth, she said ‘that isn’t going to happen again’. I was able to text her the whole pregnancy, she made me feel safe,” Melanie says.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Funding comes after NSW birth trauma inquiry 

The NSW budget announcement comes nearly a year after the landmark inquiry into birth trauma which received 4000 vulnerable submissions from mothers and maternity workers. One was from Melanie. 

“I felt like speaking up was important if there was going to be any chance of change for other women,” she says. 

“Traumatic births have become so normalised, it doesn't have to be like that, so the more people that speak up, the better.”

The inquiry report recommended more access to continuity-of-care models like the MGP, and more midwives in regional and remote NSW. 

Melanie believes having one midwife from the start of pregnancy to delivery was a main reason her second birth was so empowering after her birth trauma. 

As a first-time mum, Melanie went through GP Share Care, and felt like hospital staff were ‘ticking boxes’ when she saw different people each appointment. 

During her labour, she was “unnecessarily monitored”, denied gas for pain relief, caught a staph infection from a poorly and painfully inserted cannula and faced four hours of coached pushing while being told “not to make a noise”.

“My husband and I were so traumatised. It was awful. The whole experience was mismanaged,” she says.

After her episiotomy, she was left bleeding and swollen for a period of time before a doctor arrived. In the most vulnerable of positions, the doctor treated the perineum incision while taking a call with the phone between her ear and shoulder.

“I was in shock, I couldn’t even say or do anything,” she says. “The anaesthetic didn’t work. I could feel the stitches, it was terrible.” 

Later, the wound became infected 

Kidspot has contacted the Hunter New England Local Health District for comment. 

Her second pregnancy was with the Belmont Midwifery Group Practice.

 “When my son was born at home, my midwife handed him straight to me. She took pictures – not one person took a picture in my first birth – I birthed my placenta on the toilet, still holding my son. My husband cut the cord, I was in my bed two minutes later.”

“I would have 100 babies, if I could have experiences like that.”

Melanie’s second-degree tear was stitched “amazingly” by her midwife at home, gaining compliments from her GP. While her episiotomy scar felt sensitive for years.

“Everyone says, at least the baby is healthy, that’s great and important, but it’s not good if the mother is too traumatised to look after her baby,” Melanie says. 

Image: Supplied

RELATED: ‘Hostile’ mum shares ‘high intensity’ rules for new baby 

Medical professionals celebrate funds – but one wish missing 

Erin Cuskelly, founder and therapist at Female Focus Physiotherapy in Lambton, NSW, says women’s health physios are particularly excited about the investment. 

“We know from research and lived experience that continuity of care and having a trusted relationship with your provider are key in a safe, positive birth,” she tells Kidspot. 

“Unfortunately, this level of care has not been widely available, with many women missing out … We hope this leads to a meaningful increase in access, so more women can have care that is not only clinically sound but emotionally safe.”

The Australian Australian College of Midwives has welcomed the investment to grow the maternity workforce, but the omission of a state-appointed Chief Midwifery Officer was “disappointing”, says Alison Weatherstone, chief midwife of the ACM.

“This role was created in QLD and we’ve seen the advancement in maternity care and impact on women and families,” she says. “We will continue to advocate for this role.”

The funding is a “big step forward for reducing birth trauma in NSW,” according to NSW MP Emma Hurst, who was also Chair of the Select Committee on Birth Trauma.

However, she too was frustrated with no stand-alone Chief Midwife announcement. “This is so important as we roll out these changes, as implementation is key. We must ensure the money is going where it’s needed most.”

Originally published as ‘Traumatic births have become so normalised. It doesn't have to be like that’