Hello Bubhub members,

My name is Jennifer Martin and I am a 28 year old second year midwifery student at Australian Catholic University in Brisbane. I have a 22 month old daughter who is a ray of sunshine in my life and since experiencing a wonderful pregnancy and natural birth, I am passionate about woman-centred care and what the midwifery profession advocates – To support the woman and be her advocate throughout her pregnancy journey.


I am due to start my second block practicum at Caboolture hospital, north of Brisbane. Part of this practicum requires me to follow women in their pregnancy journey, aptly named the ‘Follow through Journey’. The Follow through Journey (FTJ) is a program incorporated in to the Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum so as to ensure high quality and real life experiences for students are undertaken as a means to prepare them professionally upon graduation. The purpose of a FTJ is to form a professional relationship between a woman and a student from the initial contact in pregnancy right through to approximately 6 weeks after the woman has birthed her baby. The FTJ is a voluntary program and women can choose to share as much of their childbearing journey as they like with the student. This time spent together can involve times such as attending antenatal appointments, ultra sound scans, childbirth education classes, and ultimately (through the choice of the mother) the birth of her baby.

Some benefits for women who participate in the FTJ are:
  • receiving continuity of care, which has been proven to be related to more positive birth experiences and a reduction in medical interventions
  • Have a support person available who’s only agenda is to be your advocate and provide you with the best current information
To manage my workload of the FTJ for Semester 1 2012, I am ideally looking for women who are due to birth by the end of July 2012 or who are currently 28 – 34 weeks gestation and who receive their primary care at Caboolture hospital.

If you are interested in being part of this program, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will arrange to forward you the relevant paperwork and arrange to meet you at your next antenatal appointment. Please note that we are all guided by a mentor. My mentor is a qualified, experienced midwife who guides me in my studies.

Please also note that if you choose to be a part of the FTJ your model of care is not affected. The follow through journey is a great way for me as a student to learn from your experience and will assist me to become a competent and confident midwife in the future.

Best wishes in your pregnancy and hope to meet you in the near future!

Kind Regards,

Jen Martin – jlmart005@myacu.edu.au