Labours of Love: A midwife's stories of birth, life and speaking up for women

(Paperback)

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'Birth happens everywhere. At home. In the bath. On the floor. In operating theatres, hospital beds, half way up staircases and in the shower. The memories of some births are fleeting, while others leave a mark long after I've disposed of my gloves. But every single one is remarkable.' From her first days as a junior nursing student thrown into a delivery room, through to birthing babies during strict lockdown measures, Labours of Love follows midwife Oceane Campbell as she finds the courage to stand up to doctors, advocate for mothers, catch and save babies, and grieve, celebrate and soothe new parents. We're there as Oceane goes through her own experiences of IVF, miscarriage and birth, as she makes mistakes, learns weird and wonderful things about the pregnant body, and every day, witnesses the most transformative, intensely personal, and absolutely mind-blowing moment of a person's life. As a feminist, woman, mother and midwife, Oceane keenly observes the impacts of birth, and the power dynamics of a system that doesn't always support women in this crucial moment of vulnerability. 1 in 10 women in Australia report obstetric violence, and 1 in 3 report trauma from their birthing experience, something needs to change. Labours of Love explores the issues of consent, risk, misogyny and autonomy that women face as they go through the monumental transition from woman to mother. And in between these crucial conversations for our times, are stories that will simply leave you in awe of the human body and the miracle of witnessing that first breath.

Author Bio

Oceane Campbell is a proud and passionate midwife and writer working, living and mothering her three children on the unceded lands of the Awabakal nation. Oceane's first book The Silence Between Us: A Mother and Daughter's Conversation Through Suicide and into Life (2021), is a raw and original double memoir tracing mother and daughter as they try to understand and rebuild their relationship after Oceane's suicide attempt as a teenager. Before becoming a midwife in 2016, Oceane completed a psychology degree with honours. In 2022, she was named Newcastle Woman of the Year for her advocacy work in mental health and improving LGBTQI+ families accessing maternity care.