Carol Soutter to leave midwifery
“Giving birth is the ultimate women’s ritual, and rural places are the best places to have babies,” says Carol Soutter, who is about to stop practising as a midwife.
She says both these things with passion, so you can tell she means them. When Carol goes on to mention the World Health Organisation’s research findings that support her assertion, you see the two planks on which her career has been built: personal passion and intellectual enquiry.
“Assisting women to give birth is one of things I was put here for,” says Carol. “The process is incredibly magical. It’s so much more than the birth of a baby. It’s a stage in an ongoing relationship with a whole family. The midwife’s role is to support the mother in particular so that the mother can say ‘Yes! I did everything possible to make this happen the right way.’ There’s a body of knowledge around the process as well and I really enjoyed the study I did for my Masters degree. Being in Golden Bay made the study for my Masters possible.”
After 35 years as a midwife, the last 13 of which were spent here, Carol is calling a halt to her career. She says that Golden Bay has been the best possible place in which to follow her calling.
“I came here because I really wanted to do midwifery in a hands-on way,” she says. “I have loved being a part of this community. I love the way the internal grapevine works. If I need to find someone urgently, someone else will know where they are. We have that lovely Hill between us and the outside world too, so in many ways more has to happen here. Midwives help women towards realising the dream of naturally and consciously giving birth to a baby in their own community.”
Carol’s studies have been recognised nationally and internationally. In 2002 she published a paper describing an action wheel that gives midwives an approach to shoulder dystocia, a difficulty arising when a baby’s shoulders become jammed during the birthing process.
“My action wheel is used quite a bit. It’s taught in midwifery circles,” says Carol.
Not being on call is going to be something Carol enjoys when she stops practising.
“This year I’m going to do some R&R, tackle some renovations at home and put some time into looking after my partner Wendy after her surgery,” she said. “After that I’d like to do some more Buddhist study—of comparative religions perhaps.”
Carol says she will continue to enjoy one of the biggest thrills a midwife can have, though.
“When you’re in the street or the supermarket and you see people out with their baby, you get a real flutter.”
To recognise Carol’s contribution to the life of Golden Bay, there is a thank-you morning tea at the Community Centre tomorrow, Saturday March 6, at 11am.
Neil Wilson
