FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE PRESIDENT
from the president, new zealand college of midwives, nicole pihema Ki te kāhore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi (Without foresight or vision the people will be lost) - Nā Kingi Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero nau mai haere mai ki Aotearoa New Zealand Midwife
I’m honoured to have been re-elected as President and appreciative of the opportunity to
strength, and it does not serve any of us - as
As another year draws to a close, I wish I
continue this mahi for another term. As both a
individuals, or as a profession - to be divided.
could say it's turned out to be better than
college and a profession, we still have a lot more
The implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination
what we could have hoped for. But I think
work to do in terms of building our capacity for
mandate for midwives has struck a chord for
we can all agree, this year was even more
emerging leaders. We’re all so busy with the day-
many and the polarisation we are seeing within
tumultuous than last, and we are yet to see
to-day work of being midwives, but succession
our workforce is saddening and unnecessary.
how the health sector will fare as Covid-19,
planning needs to be a priority moving forward,
health system reforms and vaccine mandates
and a significant amount of our time and energy
dominate the landscape.
must be channeled into preparing for our future.
Given the topic is ever-present in discussions with whānau, we address some FAQs about Covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy and the postnatal period on p.20, with some helpful suggestions for how to answer the curlier questions.
Every single action we take now, in our various
For some light relief, Ila Northe shares her reflections on 51 years of working in maternity on p.22, and Breastfeeding Connection resumes its focus on supplementary feeding on p.28, honing in on challenges that persist beyond discharge from a postnatal facility.
fortify our profession by increasing capability and
The intersecting stories of Chinese LMC midwife Zeta Zhang and midwifery student Einnoc Chiu are shared on p.34, reiterating once again the significance of cultural safety within the midwifery partnership. We hope all midwives are able to take a break at some point over the holiday season, to reconnect with whānau and friends, and rejuvenate before 2022 gets underway. As always, we acknowledge the incredible work and dedication of midwives all over the country, who have continued to provide the highest quality of care for wāhine, pēpi and whānau, despite living in a constant state of uncertainty.
positions of leadership - be they within our whānau, communities, workplaces or professional bodies - impacts the future trajectory of midwifery in Aotearoa. My focus for this next term is the same as it always has been; to continue to capacity within, carving out a path for our future midwifery leaders to use as a guide. The next two years will be quite significant
Historically, unity has always been midwifery’s
It’s more important than ever before to look after each other and keep each other safe. Though personal views on the vaccination mandate may vary between midwives, there is no place for unkind or intolerant behaviour toward one another. Those of our valued colleagues who are choosing not to be vaccinated at this time are deserving of support, and the knowledge that the door is - and always will be - open, should they decide to return to practice. Our equally valued colleagues who are choosing to be vaccinated at this time also deserve patience and understanding; the reality of workforce shortages
regarding health reform, but given the roll-out
is already upon them, as they prepare for the
of these changes will be occurring over the
imminent increase in community transmission
next 12 months, it remains to be seen how much
and the unavoidable reality of caring for pregnant
of an impact these will have over the remainder
wāhine who contract Covid-19.
of my term, and indeed how much we, as a profession, will also have an influence on the proposed changes. Other changes closer to home deserve
Thus far in Aotearoa we have managed to avoid the horrors other countries around the world have faced. We haven’t experienced anything even remotely close to the mortality
acknowledgment at this time, and I’d like to
and morbidity rates seen overseas, and for
thank Jean Te Huia for the many years of service
many, I fear seeing is believing. For those of
she dedicated tirelessly to the profession in her
us facing challenges with colleagues, friends
position as CEO of Ngā Māia. Her courage in
or whānau who may be feeling hesitant about
highlighting systemic injustices has affected real
receiving the vaccine, I implore you all to
change for whānau who were previously invisible,
approach discussions with patience, kindness
and we can only hope that systemic review
and compassion. One day, hopefully in the not-
will continue and any resultant changes will be
too-distant future, when Covid-19 is no longer
Mā te wā,
permanent. We look forward to continuing to
the dominant discourse, our connections with
Amellia Kapa, Editor/Communications Advisor
work with Ngā Māia and their new board in a way
one another will remain, and the quality of those
that honours te Tiriti, to make midwifery stronger
future connections will depend entirely on how
and more unified than ever before.
we conduct ourselves today.
Email: communications@nzcom.org.nz
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4 | AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND MIDWIFE
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