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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Midwifery resilience, resistance, and the enduring commitment to physiological birth
1
Auckland University of Technology, Midwifery, Auckland, New Zealand
2
Auckland University of Technology, Psychology, Auckland, New Zealand
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A62
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Midwifery is a living, evolving profession, shaped in relationship with women and their communities. This research offers a rare historical account of midwifery in New Zealand from the 1970s to 2023, capturing the narratives of domiciliary midwives and home birth women, whose activism and dedication were instrumental in achieving legislative change. Their work laid the foundation for New Zealand’s current midwifery-led model of care.
OBJECTIVES:
To explore how these midwives sustained their commitment to physiological birth and professional autonomy across decades of systemic resistance, and how their legacy continues to shape midwifery practice today.
METHODS:
Narrative inquiry was used to gather in-depth stories from midwives who practised across this transformative period. Ethical approval was granted by Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee. Purposeful sampling focused on those with long-standing involvement in community-based, independent practice. Data were collected between March to July 2023 and analysed using an interpretive feminist framework.
RESULTS:
Participants’ narratives revealed unwavering dedication to midwifery values, sustained through collective resistance and deep belief in the power of natural birth. They navigated marginalisation within a medicalised system while mentoring new midwives and educating the public. Their reflections chronicled the passage of the Nurses Amendment Act (1990), and their pioneering role in shaping a model of care centred on relational continuity, community trust, and women’s autonomy.
CONCLUSIONS:
This research honours the enduring contribution of a generation of midwives who not only changed the law but sustained the profession through passion, purpose, and solidarity. It documents a living history of resistance and renewal.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery thrives through community, courage, and historical consciousness. Intergenerational storytelling preserves midwifery knowledge and strengthens future practice. Policy change begins with practitioners who dare to imagine and deliver better. Strengthening midwifery globally requires recognition of the emotional, relational, and political work midwives perform every day. Continuity of care - implementation 2
Midwifery is a living, evolving profession, shaped in relationship with women and their communities. This research offers a rare historical account of midwifery in New Zealand from the 1970s to 2023, capturing the narratives of domiciliary midwives and home birth women, whose activism and dedication were instrumental in achieving legislative change. Their work laid the foundation for New Zealand’s current midwifery-led model of care.
OBJECTIVES:
To explore how these midwives sustained their commitment to physiological birth and professional autonomy across decades of systemic resistance, and how their legacy continues to shape midwifery practice today.
METHODS:
Narrative inquiry was used to gather in-depth stories from midwives who practised across this transformative period. Ethical approval was granted by Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee. Purposeful sampling focused on those with long-standing involvement in community-based, independent practice. Data were collected between March to July 2023 and analysed using an interpretive feminist framework.
RESULTS:
Participants’ narratives revealed unwavering dedication to midwifery values, sustained through collective resistance and deep belief in the power of natural birth. They navigated marginalisation within a medicalised system while mentoring new midwives and educating the public. Their reflections chronicled the passage of the Nurses Amendment Act (1990), and their pioneering role in shaping a model of care centred on relational continuity, community trust, and women’s autonomy.
CONCLUSIONS:
This research honours the enduring contribution of a generation of midwives who not only changed the law but sustained the profession through passion, purpose, and solidarity. It documents a living history of resistance and renewal.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery thrives through community, courage, and historical consciousness. Intergenerational storytelling preserves midwifery knowledge and strengthens future practice. Policy change begins with practitioners who dare to imagine and deliver better. Strengthening midwifery globally requires recognition of the emotional, relational, and political work midwives perform every day. Continuity of care - implementation 2
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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