Lucy Huang

During my first clinical placement, I witnessed one natural birth and one caesarean section. It’s amazing to be involved in such raw moments.

Before starting Midwifery I studied Law at UTS and worked in migration law for ten years.  I still work as a migration agent part-time while I study full-time.

I was motivated to study this degree because I wanted to study and work in a field that was personally meaningful to me.  As much as I feel I can make a difference working in law, I’ve always had an interest in women’s experiences and it’s an honour to be working with women and their families so closely.  This degree really highlights what I value the most: relationship and family.

I chose UTS because UTS is the first university that offers a direct-entry midwifery course, and the reputation is well-regarded.  The location is convenient and because I’d previously studied at UTS, I felt it would make my return to university easier.

The most rewarding aspect of the course is that you meet people from all walks of life.  You have the current school leavers, the mature age students who come from very different backgrounds and also part-time students.  Some students are mothers already. It’s great to have this mix for everyone to bring their different viewpoints into class discussions.  Midwifery is all about life experiences and personalisation of care.

Midwifery philosophy is different from anything I have encountered before. In other professions, I think it’s all about you taking over the client’s matters, but in midwifery, it’s about doing the work but also making yourself invisible to make the woman feel that she is capable and strong enough to give birth herself. It’s very humbling, and it gives a whole new perspective on how professionals can provide for clients whilst also making the clients feel good about themselves.

Midwifery exposes you to a whole new world. So far, I’ve been on one clinical placement where I witnessed one natural birth and one caesarean section. It’s amazing to be involved in such raw moments.

The midwifery teaching staff are fantastic. They have a world of knowledge to pass onto us and they inspire us to learn.

The advice I would give to students studying the degree is to keep on questioning because nothing is set in stone. There is no one way to look after women because everyone is different. Practise what you are taught, explore new angles, and improve your practice.

When I complete my degree, I would love to work in New Zealand for a while to have more exposure to home births. Hopefully Australia will become more open and supportive of women having a choice of where and how they give birth.