Navigating Homebirth Transfers: How Midwives and Paramedics are Collaborating with Melissa Gardiner
Are you homebirth curious?Show Notes
What happens if your homebirth takes an unexpected turn and you need an ambulance?
For many families, the fear of an emergency transfer is the ultimate barrier keeping them from community birth. Historically, a lack of specialised obstetric training on the road has created tension between paramedics and midwives, leaving mothers navigating a high-stress, disconnected system.
In this episode, host Claire Holloway sits down with Melissa Gardiner - a mother of three, senior paramedic, and registered midwife with over 20 years of community experience. Driven to bridge these two fields, Melissa created STORC (State Obstetric Referral Call), a midwifery-led, 24hr telephone service connecting on-road St John WA paramedics with expert midwives in real time.
From managing postpartum haemorrhages and surprise breech presentations to rolling out lifesaving infant warming cocoons across regional WA, Melissa provides a masterclass in clinical collaboration. Tune in to replace transfer anxiety with the reassurance of a synchronised, safety net that is evolving to respect physiological birth. Key Takeaways: Hospital transfers are a collaborative continuation of birth care, never a failure. STORC is bridging the gap between the roles of paramedics and midwives. Clinical innovations like rural oxytocin and thermal cocoons are shifting out-of-hospital outcomes. Honouring the agreements on boundaries with your private midwife protects your safety and the profession. Chapters 5:19 - Mel's career journey through nursing, paramedicine, and finding her passion for midwifery. 7:44 - Witnessing the clinical tension between ambulance crews and hospital labour wards. 11:45 - The inception of STORC: pitching the business case to St John WA for a 24-hour midwife helpline. 14:64 - Planned homebirth vs. accidental birth, and a beautiful story of an empowered breech transfer. 23:52 - Aligning paramedic guidelines with physiological principles. The postpartum golden hour: managing haemorrhages. 32:52 - The importance of client-midwife agreements and an incredible story of a birth on country. 48:25 - Masters research data from 164 paramedics and the power of simple eye contact during pregnancy loss. 59:20 - Melissa's personal birth story and final thoughts. Links & Resources: Read the episode transcript here.
Connect with Claire: Free Homebirth Training: Watch the Plan Your Dream Homebirth Masterclass to assess your personal readiness. Yoga for Homebirth Program: Prepare your body, mind, and spirit inside a trauma-informed digital community environment. Instagram: @yourbrightbeginning
*If this conversation answered some of your homebirth questions, hit 'Follow' on your podcast app and leave us a 5-star review!
More from Are you homebirth curious?
What happens when you prepare for a homebirth, go into active labour, call the midwife, but they can't come?
What does it look like to build a maternity care model that honours true birth choice while protecting midwives from the devastating cycle of burnout? Kelly Langford, co-founder and midwifery leader of MAMA Midwifery Practice, joins Claire to explore how private midwifery can bridge the gap between homebirth and hospital systems.
In this deeply moving, wairua-filled episode, host Claire Holloway is joined by Joanne (Jo) Teina - Registered Midwife, proud Indigenous Nurse and Midwife, and Ngāti Apakura keeper of traditional birth knowledge. As a mother of eleven (seven birthed, four borrowed), Nanny to twenty-one mokopuna, and great-Nanny to two, Jo brings a rich tapestry of intergenerational wisdom grounded in Te Ao Māori.
Planning a home birth after two caesareans (HBAC2) often means confronting intense pressure, rigid risk labels, and institutional fear. For many women who have experienced unwanted surgical births or trauma within the medical system, finding the courage to choose a physiological birth at home can feel like swimming upstream against a wave of societal conditioning.
If you are living in a regional or remote community and exploring your birth care choices, this is a must-listen episode.