I think there should be full recognition of the value they bring. Maybe I'll give you a personal story. When my eldest, Madeline, was born we had family members who were a little skeptical. They were not as comfortable with midwives, and we were figuring it out because it was our first child. That skepticism melted away when the midwife, I think it was Nicole, came to our house and sat on the bed and spent an hour debriefing us—here is what you need to do—and answered all our questions. At the time my mother-in-law was in the house and there was complete confusion around the idea that the midwife would come to the house and that we would see her again in two days, that she was coming back.
That kind of knowledge and that intimate relationship that is built, getting that information out there and helping people understand, it's such a.... The whole experience involved.... They used to host an annual party before COVID and everyone would show up. You would see all these families and all their children running around Fielding park. That advocacy of helping is the whole story of the midwifery program and what midwives can bring, and using the people who do it is probably the best way of approaching it.