Supporting New Self-Employed Midwives in Te Awa Kairangi/the Hutt Valley

Midwifery students have up to 4 years of intense study before practising as a Registered Midwife. They spend a minimum of 2400 hours of clinical work caring for whānau in an UNPAID capacity. Bachelor of Midwifery degree demands are high, making it hard to fit in other paid work to cover living and studying costs. Much of their final year is spent providing 24 hour on-call cover alongside their midwifery mentor.

On completing their degree, they are required to pay exam fees as well as professional registration and annual practising certificate fees. Self-employed LMC midwives have additional business, clinical equipment set up, compulsory training and professional subscription costs too. We estimate an average setting up cost of $4000. Student loan repayments begin too. The limited funding available only covers a fraction of these costs.

We hear from new midwives that are struggling to pay for the costs of setting up, but also can't practise as a midwife until these costs have been paid. LMC midwives have to build up a caseload of clients over time and can only claim minimal amounts for the first months until their clients are due to birth.

There is such a shortage of midwives practising due to the pressures they face. New midwives need support NOW.

We want to provide funding towards these costs to encourage and support more midwives to work in our community. Please join us in giving new midwives a warm welcome and strong start to their midwifery career in the Hutt.