Working in another country may be something you have considered. In this article Olivia Hill, midwife and founder of Aulive Ltd, shares her experience of relocating to Australia, and describes some of the differences in midwifery care.
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Stepping into overseas working
I’m not sure ‘stepping’ is the right word to describe my arrival in Australia. In hindsight, it’s probably more accurate to say that I ran headfirst into this decision, not taking a minute to think too much about it, in fear that I might not actually get on that 24-hour plane ride should I think too much about the journey ahead of me.
I don’t think many other midwives or even those just looking to relocate generally, would have the same reckless approach as myself, but I’m hoping that my experiences can shine some light on how this experience has helped mould me to be the person I am today, and how thankful I am I made that initial step.
Fresh off the plane and still adjusting to the time difference between the UK and Australia, I quickly learnt that midwifery in Australia, and specifically my new home of Melbourne, in Victoria was different in a number of ways. That doesn’t mean worse, nor does it mean better – just very different, although that could have been my body still adapting to my new time zone! Firstly, not all pregnant people birth within the public health care system. Two thirds did (currently that number sits at 75%), but the other third, at the time, chose to birth through the private system. Private obstetrics is more accessible for pregnant people, as some of the cost is covered by private health care insurance which is a relative normality for a lot of middle income earners and above (currently 45% of Australians have private health cover). Whilst initially this was confronting – a brand new style of maternity care, funded by a system I had little knowledge of,- I chose to embrace the differences, focussing on the awareness I would gain from working in a larger multidisciplinary team and one that was far more diverse than I had experienced in the NHS. To demonstrate, it was a common occurrence for me to be working alongside a variety of different birth workers, like doulas, independent midwives and private obstetricians, whereas previously I’d been fairly autonomous in my practice.
I spent the first two years of my Australian journey in that private obstetric practice, and I won’t lie – it was hard for me. The practice didn’t align with my midwifery ethos and was very different from the previous roles that I had had as a midwife. Prior to me leaving for Australia, I took great pride in being part of a homebirth midwifery unit, seeing all kinds of natural births – quite the juxtaposition against a heavily obstetric system where the scope and opportunity to apply my skills were dramatically reduced. Despite this experience, I’m thankful for this time as this role taught me to be patient and try to use each pathway that I found myself on as an opportunity. In fact, it is during this time of my adventure that my business Aulive was first thought of. I felt great resentment towards the recruiter who initially dropped me into this role, as it showed she didn’t really value the skills I developed (my experiences were pretty typical of a private obstetric hospital at the time), but rather that recruiter valued more the money in her pocket.
I knew that one day, I was going to offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to work in Australia, in a really positive and wholesome way.
Over the course of the next six years, I managed to navigate my way out of that hospital and became a Birth Suite Coordinator in a large public hospital, situated in one of the fastest growing suburbs of Melbourne. It was a huge baptism of fire, but one that I felt ready for. I owe a tremendous amount to this hospital as it was where I learnt to fly as a midwife. It was where I connected with the most fabulous mentors with whom I am still in touch today and where I was able to practise midwifery that aligned with my values and ethos. I had really found my groove. I also got to work with agency midwives from all over the world, including a Danish midwife who today is still one of my closest friends.
That is not to say there were no challenges; I am reminded of the multiple different drug names that initially felt daunting to me, pulling my mindset into one of a student again and forcing me to completely relearn those drug names, all whilst overseeing an entire birth suite!
One aspect I was impressed with though, was how informed pregnant people were (and still are!) in Australia with regards to their maternity care. Again, this was not the case every time, but on the whole, seeing first-hand the access to Antenatal, Birth and Postnatal education was really a wonderful experience, and made the conversations I had with pregnant people more accessible and ultimately safer. Speaking of safety, it was also fantastic to see the governed midwife to pregnant person ratios. Governed by the unions, hospitals were (and still are) held to account when these ratios were not being adhered to, ultimately allowing me to enjoy and develop my practice and skill sets in a safe working environment.
Over this period of time, I went on to become a Consultant Midwife, and, before leaving to come back to the UK, was a Quality Partner for one the largest group of hospitals in the southern hemisphere. Ultimately it is Australia, and the opportunity that lies there which gave me the opportunity to grow into that position and I am forever grateful for making the decision that I did, to try out this move all those years ago.
Outside of the job, I got to really develop my own personality and understand what a healthy work/life balance looked like as a young professional. The pay in Australia is significantly better than typical pay rates in the NHS and the quality of life is something that continually reminded me to be thankful of the opportunity I had. I remember before travelling to Australia, when out for a meal with my then boyfriend (now husband) looking at the prices on a menu and being conscious of the amount we were spending. This shifted dramatically in Melbourne, partly due to the fantastic and competitive array of restaurants available to you, but also due to the fantastic pay that most employed people in Australia receive (Australia continues to be near the top of global minimum wage ranking tables). Also, midwives are not expected to work full time hours, in fact it’s extremely common for your peers in Australia to work far less than full time and instead choose to do the things they liked to do outside of work.
At its core, I look back at my time in Australia with great fondness and gratitude. It allowed me to develop into the midwife and leader I am today, whilst allowing me to enjoy the ride. Yes there were bumps, and missing family and friends never got any easier, but ultimately I thank myself for making that decision all those years ago – and hope that some of my words today might encourage you to at least consider it. I promise it won’t be something you regret!
Olivia Hill
Midwife and Founder Of Aulive Ltd
February 2023