Ruby-Rose Watkins

Birth Unit / Midwifery at Home (monthly rotations)

Birth Unit

• Practise within a multidisciplinary team to offer optimal care across a wide spectrum of antenatal, labour, birth and postpartum complexities - reflective of Westmead's tertiary capacity.
• Advocate for women's autonomy, informed consent and informed choice within the labour and birth space.

Midwifery at Home

• Offer community based postnatal care to women and babies within their homes.
• Support and educate on the fourth trimester including: postnatal nourishment, postnatal adjustment, breastfeeding, baby cares, normal baby behaviours, settling and basic sleeping.

• 3 month rotations through Birth Unit, Maternity (Postnatal) Ward and Antenatal Clinic.
• Solidified midwifery skills across the perinatal period and found specific interest in education.
• Diversified skillset whilst working in the Birth Unit to accommodate range of risk from high risk complexities such as induction alongside Gestational Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, to low risk normal vaginal births.
• Excelled in collaboration whilst working on the Maternity Ward in the team midwifery model. Also exposed to team leading and student midwifery support.
• Improved time management and escalation of care skills whilst working in the Antenatal Clinic. Enjoyed opportunity to educate and inform women in this space.

• Cared for baby of privately practicing midwife whilst attending home births, to facilitate their breastfeeding journey. This would include 'on the road' care, or within women's homes (with their consent).
• Gleaned a wealth of knowledge and experience in the inner workings of private midwifery practice.
• Strengthened passion for continuity model of midwifery care and supporting women's choices within the birth space.