Post-COVID home-birth trend here to stay, says Rachel Basset, The Centre Midwifery

Rachel Bassett, midwife and owner of The Centre Midwifery, told the Daily Liberal COVID-19 caused women and their families to "look outside of the hospital setting" for maternity services - and there was a large increase in bookings for midwives in private practice around the country.

"Post COVID numbers have remained. As The Centre is now in its fourth year of operation, we are filling with repeat customers - you really become 'the family midwife'," Ms Bassett said.

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The Centre Midwifery was opened in 2020 to bring the option of private midwifery services and home-birth to the central west.

"I wanted to provide another option for maternity care services that focused on women-centred care, continuity of care, and alternative birthing options," Ms Bassett said.

"The Centre Midwifery focuses on a woman's unique needs and fosters a woman's right to self-determination whilst providing evidence-based information."

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As a midwife, Ms Bassett cares for women from any stage in pregnancy up to six weeks post-birth. If needed, she collaborates with doctors and specialists.

Her role involves antenatal care, home birth or hospital birth support, postnatal care, and hypno-birthing classes.

"I specialise in pregnancy, birth, the early weeks post birth, and support these stages in a woman's life as normal physiological functions," she said.

The main reasons people come to The Centre include a previous traumatic pregnancy and/or birth experience in a different setting; wanting a more individualised care experience; privacy and comfort in the home environment; and choice around birthing options.

Customers come from Dubbo and surrounding areas including Orange, Mudgee, Narromine, Parkes, Forbes and Gilgandra. Clients have travelled from as far as Tamworth and Narrabri.

Ms Bassett said her business was "the only private midwifery service and home birthing service in the central west".

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"My hope is that The Centre continues to bring awareness of options for pregnancy care and birth for women and inspires other midwives to consider private practice," she said.

The most difficult part of Ms Bassett's job is saying goodbye at the six-week postnatal check.

"This is always a bittersweet time. You work with a family for nine months and really get to know them, seeing them regularly," she said.

"Six weeks after birth is the final visit with the family, and it is wonderful to see their confidence in continuing their parenting journey as you say goodbye."

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What brings Ms Bassett the most joy in her job?

"Definitely being a witness to a woman's strength and ability when she digs deep to go through the transformative life event of having a baby, one of the most intense and challenging times in her life," she said.

"Women already have everything they need inside of them to birth their baby, it's my job to help them find it and believe it.

"This is my greatest joy to be there through the journey, independent of the way a baby is born, it is the birth of a baby and the birth of a mother."

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