ECEC educator Fartun Hussein benefits from tailored Mater Mothers’ Hospital service

In the pre and post natal period women are especially vulnerable, leaning on the advice and support of health care and child development professionals to navigate a complex time. 

For women who have come to Australia seeking asylum as refugees, the experience of giving birth far from friends and family, and in a sometimes unfamiliar system, the challenges are exacerbated. 

Thankfully South Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital has stepped in to develop an Australian-first refugee midwifery service which has been useful for many women, including early childhood education and care (ECEC) professional, 27 year old Fartun Hussein, who has five daughters – Sundus (5), Sidra (4), Sakina (3), Sahar (2) and Sabah (1) – and who is pregnant with child number six. 

The Mater Refugee Midwifery Group Practice (RMGP) includes direct access to a midwife, pregnancy check-ups, support through labour and birth, and up to six weeks postnatal care.

About 160 women from refugee backgrounds access the RMGP at Mater Mothers’ Hospital each year.

Mrs Hussein came to Australia in 2005, and said that giving birth in her home country of Somalia would have been “a completely different experience.”

“Back home in some situations women die during childbirth,” she explained. 

“For me, what is special about the service in Brisbane is having the same midwife for each of my pregnancies and also that one-on-one care.”

“During my pregnancies, if I had any pain, wasn’t feeling well or had any questions, my midwife would guide me through everything,” she said.

“During my births, my midwife advocated for me and each time goes out of her way to make sure I have a positive experience.”

“The last time I gave birth, I was home the same day! When the kids came home from childcare they had another sibling – I trusted my midwife and she knew I was safe to be at home.”

Mrs Hussain shared her story as part of Perinatal Mental Health Week (17-23 November), with Mater Midwifery Group Practice Clinical Midwife Michelle Steel also highlighting the practice model which was adapted to meet the clinical and cultural needs of refugee women improving outcomes for mothers and babies.

When compared with their peers who were born in the country where they are giving birth, immigrant and refugee women are more likely to experience perinatal mental illness, are less likely to use perinatal mental health services, and less likely to seek help for their emotional difficulties.

The RMGP, Ms Steel explained, helps to address these challenges. Mothers accessing the program have had improved natural birth rates, attendance to antenatal care, VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean section) rates and breastfeeding rates.

“Refugee women have higher rates of pre-eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhages, gestational diabetes, postnatal depression, preterm birth, low birthweight babies, caesarean sections, and neonatal nursery admissions,” she said.

“But thanks to this model of care we are seeing things turn around at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.”

RMGP midwives have been well received in the refugee community, and have developed high levels of trust with the women they care for.

“We know this group of women have other stressors in their life including homelessness, financial stress, visa stress, war trauma, are victims of domestic violence, or survivors of torture,” Ms Steel added, highlighting the value of the strong relationships established. 

The RMGP was established following a research project within the antenatal clinic at Mater.

“As part of the research, we identified that women of all refugee backgrounds needed culturally appropriate care,” Ms Steel said.

“This included an interpreter, a social worker, meeting cultural requirements during childbirth, and having a medical model of midwifery care for a safe birth.”

“Adaptations included moving antenatal care from the hospital into a community venue, delivery of language specific group antenatal care and education sessions, face-to-face and phone interpreting services when required.”

Mater midwives have cared for refugee women from about 80 countries, including Sudan, Somalia, West Africa, Tanzania, Afghanistan, and India.

Learn more about the program here.