Building out your birth team — how can a student midwife support me?

Written By Elysia Hansen

What is student midwife support / "the “continuity of care” experience?

  • All midwifery students are required to follow 10 women and birthing people through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum (and attend at least 6 of those 10 births) in order to graduate and enter the profession of midwifery (the “continuity of care experience” — CoCE).

  • The CoCE experience provides an invaluable experience for the student to learn from this experience and the relationships/clinical exposure, and provides the woman or birthing person invaluable additional emotional, physical and educational support (and a familiar face) as they navigate pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

What’s involved?

  • Your student will attend and provide support for at least:

    • 4 antenatal appointments/classes/screening tests;

    • labour + birth (if you are open to this); +

    • 2 postnatal appointments

    • + with someone to turn to in the waiting room, before, after and between appointments for additional support

What will your student midwife do?

  • A source of emotional and physical support during and between appointments and labour and birth (if you want them there)

  • Provide you with additional resources on key topics arising during pregnancy, birth and postpartum (as students are at the coalface of current research, drawing on it in their studies every day)

  • Be familiar face in circumstances where you are receiving fragmented care, or even when you have a known midwife

  • Speak with you about your birth preferences and support you in having your choices respected by your care provider or place of birth

  • Advocate for your wishes or birth preferences

  • The list goes on ….

What does the evidence say about student midwives?

Physical outcomes

A Queensland study by Tickle et al. (2022) looked at the outcomes for women birthing with CoCE support from a BMid student in both continuity of care (known midwife) models (CMC), as well as fragmented care models, when compared with the state population outcomes, and found:

  • lower rates of induction

  • lower rates of caesarean section

  • higher rates of spontaneous vaginal birth

  • reduction in rates of smoking post 20w of pregnancy

  • lower rates of episiotomy for women giving birth vaginally for first time

  • lower pharmacological pain relief use in labour + birth

  • higher rates of VBAC for those with CoCE+CMC (not fragmented)

  • reduction in 3rd+4th degree tears for those in fragmented care

This study by Tickle et al. (2022) demonstrates the power of support from a student midwife for those who have a known midwife and those (i.e. the vast majority of those in Australia) receiving fragmented care. While it acts as another example of continuity of midwifery led care (from clinically practising midwives) leading to better outcomes (e.g. higher rates of VBAC here that weren’t present in the fragmented care group), at a time when midwifery-led continuity of care remains inaccessible to the vast majority, a student midwife can be an excellent choice for your birth team, particularly where doula support is not be an option for you.

Experiences

Women who received CoCE support from BMid students were surveyed for a study by Tickle et al., (2021), they:

  • reported feelings of support, presence, empowerment, relationship and partnership

  • described the student as having provided advocacy and assistance in navigating the maternity system, as a “bridge” between them and the maternity system

  • would recommend a midwifery student to family and friends (97.6%)

Some of the comments from our followers included:

  • “Amazing! [My student midwife’s] warmth, compassion, companionship and check ins were wonderful pre and post birth. During labour you were soo supportive and wonderful!” (from a practising midwife, who had private midwifery support, a doula, and a student midwife while birthing at home — proof that students can be valuable in every context!)

  • “She was the only person truly there for me during my first birth. I am forever grateful”.

How do I find a student midwife?

There are so many students out there looking to recruit, but finding the right match is so important. Just like choosing your care provider, it is important that you find a student that aligns with you, your personality, and your values. Your student should make you feel at supported, and your conversations bring you joy.

Some places to find a student include:

To hear a little bit more …

Listen to episode 11 of the Birth Choices podcast where we talk about the role of a student midwife and how it may look and feel.

Happy matchmaking!

Elysia Hansen
Next

Choosing your care provider