A midwife's stories of birth, babies and learning how to stand up for what she believes – and the women she supports
'Birth happens everywhere. At home. In the bath. On the floor. In operating theatres, hospital beds, halfway up staircases and in the shower. The memories of some births are fleeting, while others leave a mark long after I've disposed of my gloves. But every single one is remarkable.'
From her first days as a junior nursing student thrown into a delivery room, through to birthing babies during strict lockdown measures, Labour of Love follows midwife Oceane Campbell as she finds the courage to stand up to doctors, advocate for mothers, catch and save babies, and grieve, celebrate and soothe new parents.
We're there as Oceane goes through her own experiences of IVF, miscarriage and birth, as she makes mistakes, learns weird and wonderful things about the pregnant body, and every day witnesses the most transformative, intensely personal and absolutely mind-blowing moment of a person's life.
Labour of Love explores the issues of consent, risk, misogyny and autonomy that women face as they go through the monumental transition from woman to mother. This is a warm, deeply human and powerfully feminist book about a truly unique job and the way it impacts so many of us.
'A luminous memoir that offers a vital insight into Australia's maternity system. Oceane writes with an utterly beautiful account of midwifery, motherhood and the miracle of birth.' Sophie Walker, Australian Birth Stories
'Oceane weaves herself as a midwife and mother into the stories of women she has cared for and midwives she has worked with and what emerges is a beautiful, rich tapestry ... She encapsulates what it is to be a midwife and a mother, and most of all a woman in a world that still does not revere the hand that rocks the cradle and rules the world.' Hannah Dahlen
'Warm, compassionate, beautifully articulated and deeply personal, Oceane Campbell brings her midwife’s heart to share these real-life stories of love, loss and triumph. How do we create a maternity care system that feels emotionally, physically, culturally and spiritually safe for birthing families? Highly recommended.' Dr Sarah Buckley, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering
