Rhonda Marriott

So I'm able to talk to them from both of those perspectives and say that I am a midwife, but I'm an informed midwife who is an Aboriginal woman and has experience in this.

And I say to them, believe in yourself, be strong,

in what you know about you.

Do not let a midwife or anyone else tell you that you're at risk with your pregnancy because you're an Aboriginal woman.

Birthing and pregnancy is not an illness.

It's a natural process.

And we're only at risk if we have a history of health issues or chronic disease or things that might put us in a situation where we're not as physically well as we should be because maybe we're living on a poverty line.

Or maybe we don't have good housing.

Or maybe we're psychologically stressed because we're in a difficult partnership.

Tell the midwife about those things so she can help you.

But correct her if she assumes that you're at risk because you're an Aboriginal woman.