Graduate Diploma of Midwifery (MidStart)

Auburn Hospital provides comprehensive midwifery-led care for low-risk women and their families, delivering family-centred care to an array of culturally and linguistically diverse women. Auburn midwives work collaboratively with the obstetrics and gynaecology team, interpreters, bilingual health care workers, physiotherapy, and social work to provide inclusive and individualised care for women and their families.

Approximately 1,500 women birth at Auburn Hospital each year, and this number is steadily increasing. MidStart students working at Auburn Hospital will have the opportunity to work in all areas of maternity services, including Antenatal Clinic, Birth Unit, Postnatal Ward, Newborn Care and our Community Midwifery Unit. Due to the small and low risk nature of our facility, MidStart students will have the unique opportunity to develop core midwifery skills in normal birth, working to develop as independent practitioners in a supportive and nurturing environment.

At Auburn, we work closely with students and their universities to support professional growth and development of all students. MidStart students at Auburn will have exciting opportunities to participate in current research projects being undertaken at Auburn Hospital Maternity Services, which may include the use of sterile water injections in labour, management of anaemia in pregnancy, and piloting research into impacts of birth environment design on mobility in labour. Students will also be provided with an array of clinical and theoretical learning opportunities, including regular in-services, while providing exceptional midwifery care to women through the antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum continuum.

The Women’s and Children’s Health Services at Blacktown provide comprehensive care for women that is based upon the principles of being woman/person-centred and putting the individual at the heart of all that we do in caring for all our community members.

With over 3800 births per year, Blacktown Maternity services have state of the art facilities which include modern postnatal care and birthing rooms (most with birthing pools) and expanded newborn care services for babies who need extra support.

Students will have the support of senior clinical staff and Clinical Midwifery Educators in all areas including afterhours support. We work closely with our university partners to ensure your clinical requirements are met.

Women’s & Newborn Health at Westmead Hospital provides comprehensive care for a large local community of women and their families. We are also a level 6 state-wide tertiary referral Maternity service, that provides care for women experiencing complex pregnancy and /or high risk fetal conditions.

Westmead currently has the highest birthing rate in NSW with over 5,500 births annually, which makes for excellent learning opportunities that students can carry with them throughout their career.

Here at Westmead, we offer rotations through Maternity, Birthing Unit, and Women’s Health Ward, High Risk Antenatal Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a variety of Models of Care provided to women during the antenatal period, including a Day Assessment Unit. Westmead also provides a highly success Caseload Midwifery Service with a team of approximately 25 midwives providing one on care to our women. We have also commenced our successful publicly funded homebirth program within our Caseload team.

Student midwives are provided with many supported learning opportunities at Westmead. You will be supported by Clinical Midwifery Educators on every ward, including 2 after hours Clinical Midwifery Educators for out of hours learning opportunities. We work closely with your chosen University to provide a well-rounded, supportive education journey.