Thesis
Experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in women who are midwives: a mixed methods study of Australian midwives
Southern Cross University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.603
Appears in Recent Southern Cross PhD Theses
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
Background: Few studies examine midwives' own childbearing experiences.
Aims: To explore midwives' childbearing experiences and their impact on practice.
Methods: A survey of 447 midwives collected quantitative and qualitative data, which were integrated through joint displays and a unified matrix to yield meta-inferences.
Results: Midwives used agency to achieve desired care, yet postnatal care was neglected. Professional knowledge both reassured and heightened anxiety. Childbearing reshaped practice ambivalently, increasing empathy and advocacy but risking projection, bias, burnout and identity strain.
Conclusion: ‘Informed vulnerability’ encapsulates midwives' navigational strengths amid emotional and psychological burdens and supports bias-reflexivity education and trauma-informed postnatal care.
SHARON's 400 word abstract is 538 words so I used the smaller one instead(?)
Details
- Title
- Experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in women who are midwives: a mixed methods study of Australian midwives
- Creators
- Sharon Coulton Stoliar
- Contributors
- Julie Jomeen (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityGillian Gould (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Theses
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Number of pages
- vii, 442
- Identifiers
- 991013398671002368
- Copyright
- © Sharon Coulton Stoliar 2026
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Health
- Resource Type
- Thesis