Exploring Australian midwives’ approaches to labour pain and workplace realities: Philosophies in practice

Midwives commonly prefer to support women to work with pain during labour, aligning with a philosophy that honours the physiological process of birth. However, system factors, particularly fragmented models of care, high intervention rates, and a culture that prioritises pain relief, pose significant barriers to practising in this way. Enhancing access to tools to facilitate birth physiology, as well as addressing unhelpful cultural beliefs surrounding labour pain, may not only improve women's birth experiences but also contribute to greater midwifery job satisfaction and retention.