Midwifery becomes a family affair
30 Jun 2022
Abbey (picture above) started working at the hospital in May 2022 as she completes her Masters of Midwifery Practice.
This has placed her alongside her mother, Kylie Tassell (picture below), who is one of the hospital’s most experienced clinical midwives and lactation consultants having worked at the hospital for 14 years.
“My mum is my inspiration to become a midwife. She told me all of her stories about what joy it brings her and what a privilege the practice is and it just made me want to do it,” Abbey said.
“For me, the first time I delivered a baby solidified what I wanted to do, it is an amazing experience you never forget.
“I realised midwifery is absolutely my passion and I never want to do anything else.”
Working as a student midwife at the hospital, Abbey described the environment as supportive and welcoming.
“There is never any pressure to know everything and I can ask questions of the midwives and nurses here and they are all very supportive,” Abbey said.
Kylie said she was proud to see her daughter start her career at St John of God Bunbury Hospital, having started her own midwifery career at the hospital too.
“We are going through change at the hospital which I am really excited about. I can see so much looking forward in terms of developing our ward and where we are going in the future,” she said.
“The hospital is offering scholarships and clinical opportunities to grow and develop student midwives, and I have seen this with my daughter directly.”
Kylie said as a permanent night shift worker, she loved supporting women and babies during birth and after.
“I love looking after the women while they are in labour and birth and I do a lot of breastfeeding support as I am also a lactation consultant which is my area of passion,” she said.
“I am a permanent night shift worker I start my night settling the patients first and babies are of course nocturnal in the first few weeks so I do a lot of settling and helping women with any breastfeeding issues they might be having.”
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