Monika Boenigk RN CM CNS GDCT
Monika studied Social Pedagogy, Nursing and Midwifery in Germany and gained a Graduate Diploma in Couple Therapy in Australia. She has worked as a Registered Nurse-Midwife in Germany and Australia, in hospitals and in private midwifery practice. As a leading advocate of holistic midwifery she has presented papers at midwifery conferences and conducted workshops for midwives in Australia, USA, Viet Nam, Germany, New Zealand and Austria.
In the following pages Monika shares her philosophy of holistic midwifery and gives a taste of the enthusiasm for the subject that so many midwives have experienced in her workshops.
Far too often, couples approaching childbirth are channelled into a uniform restrictive process that fails to take cognisance of the totality of their individual circumstances. “Care” is equated with physical care, and carers respond to a couple’s concerns predominantly in the language of the mechanistic body.
In stark contrast, holistic practitioners respect the individuality of the people in their care. Their focus not only incorporates the important physical parameters of the pregnancy and birth but also extends beyond to encompass the psychological, emotional and social context in which they occur.
Moreover, there is no good reason why holistic midwifery cannot be mainstream and why mainstream midwifery cannot be holistic.
When holistic practitioners relate to a childbearing couple, they predominantly use the language of the mind and heart. They prepare the couple for the challenges of parenthood by involving them from the outset in a transparent, cooperative dialogue (“interactive engagement”) that genuinely recognizes their individual strengths and weaknesses. The holistic midwife works with the couple towards realizing their very best individual and combined potential.
In the holistic model of midwifery care, a couple is intimately involved in the whole process and learns to take responsibility for courses of action adopted — just as they will have to do once they are at home with their new family. Each partner is highly likely to emerge from the experience stronger and more mature, with a sense of having consciously and productively progressed through an important transition period in their lives. Their confidence as parents is greatly enhanced, and they are better prepared to raise their offspring to independence.
None of this diminishes the importance of good physical obstetric outcomes. It is just that holistic practitioners take a keen interest in other sorts of outcome as well.
Once they practise the holistic model of midwifery, midwives themselves discover a greater personal maturity and professional satisfaction.
The three pivotal elements of holistic midwifery in practice are:&ndash
- interactive engagement of a single midwife with all of the woman’s internal forces &mdash physical, psychological and emotional &mdash throughout pregnancy and childbirth
- the invoking of relaxation as a powerful ally in labour
- upright positioning during childbirth whenever possible.
By definition, midwifery that is not socially and culturally sensitive is not holistic midwifery. In fact, the broad spectrum of practice and opportunity for creativity only serve to highlight the pragmatic, adaptible character of holistic midwifery.