Midwives of WSLHD: Maggie Lee

“You have to use your heart when being a midwife.

“I love babies and I’ve experienced the pain of giving birth, so I want to ease the pain of women we treat and help them to have a smooth experience. It brings me so much satisfaction. When first-time parents come in and their baby is born, they start to have tears of joy, and I get the feeling that I need to cry too!

“My advice for anyone starting out in their midwifery career is to remember that while you may have years and years of experience and learning, when a woman comes in to give birth, she is brand new to this process, so you have to start from the very beginning! Explain everything step-by-step and very basically – you can’t take knowledge for granted.

“I started my midwifery training overseas in 1994 and migrated here in 2012. At that time, my qualifications from Hong Kong meant I could only be a Registered Nurse in Australia, so I had to study again. So, I ended up doing the graduate diploma again four years ago, because I really love being a midwife.

“I’m 50-something and it was quite tough for me to study again at this age.

“I spent many years as a midwife in Hong Kong, and then when I came here, I worked in disability. I loved being a nurse, but I was so passionate about being a midwife again, so I studied hard, and now I’m here.”

Midwives of WSLHD: Maggie Lee.

Maggie is a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife at Auburn Hospital.