Choosing a Path of Care and Compassion in Midwifery
12 May 2025
Larry Dunnett recalls training as the only male midwife in his cohort last year: “I was continually reassured that the word ‘midwife’ means ‘with woman’,” he says with a smile.
About 1.5% of registered midwives in Australia are male, but, as Larry shares, “The role is more about who you are as a person and whether you have the qualities to support, advocate and be empathetic towards women and families. I feel that people who have these qualities and are interested in caring roles should consider midwifery.”
Larry chose midwifery after working for over a decade with Ambulance Tasmania, where he continues his service as a paramedic and nurse.
“I did a paramedic and nursing dual degree and had the opportunity to do a weeklong placement in a maternity hospital in Melbourne. That was my first interaction with midwives,” he remembers. “I started to develop a real appreciation of the special role that midwives have and the sense of kindness, empathy and advocacy, and what a difference that can make to women and families.”
Being a dad has helped Larry better understand the journey for expecting parents. “I have seen my wife go through pregnancy and birth and been there to support her and we have two children. I understand how sometimes as a dad you can feel quite helpless when your loved one is there in pain. You’re used to being able to do things to fix and help and in the setting of birth often the dads feel like there’s nothing they can do. Most midwives find little jobs for the dads to show them that they are not helpless, they are the person that ultimately is there to support their loved one.”
Larry is looking forward to moving into the Midwifery Group Practice Model at the Royal Hobart Hospital. “It’s continuity of care, where you follow women all the way through pregnancy and you’re on call for the birth. You have time to build a trusting relationship with women and their families and it’s very rewarding.”
Sarah Cowen has been a midwife for six years, and also came to the profession by serendipity.
“I wanted to work as a Retrieval Nurse for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and one requirement was to be a midwife. While I was doing the training, I fell in love with it.” She now works as the Associate Midwifery Unit Manager at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
“I love how diverse your day, and your career, can be. It’s a forever changing environment. You do a lot of public health and population health but also quite acute care as well. We have midwives who work in the community and see women when they go home after a birth, too. I like the diversity and I like working with women and their families.”
Pregnancy is a normal and healthy state but medical issues can impact both the mother and baby, Sarah says. “It’s important to have that care and connection with midwives and doctors so that mum and baby can be healthy not just around the birth but lifelong.”
Midwives also help families face the changes that pregnancy brings. “A lot of our job is about building confidence in new parents and getting them to trust their intuition, and encouraging them to be the best parents they can be. Whether you’re already a nurse or someone who’s interested in midwifery there are a few different pathways. Midwifery is a really great career with lots of opportunities and it’s really rewarding.”
