WHEN thinking about the role of the Royal Flying Doctor Services’ flight nurses, many might think of car accidents, snake bites and heart attacks.
In reality, flight nurses role in transporting women in early labour or with pregnancy complications is a vital part of their role with smaller regional hospitals no longer able to offer maternity services.
RFDS South East Section flight nurse Karen Barlow said no two days are the same for a flight nurse.
“You might start a day by going to Walgett to assist a cardiac patient, then you might go to Cobar to pick up a woman who has gone into early labour,” she said.
“When we arrive and meet the patient, the flight nurse assesses whether we will stay at the referring hospital and deliver, and then transfer mum and bub, or try to get them to the receiving hospital to the delivery ward, which is the preferred option.
“The third option is when the baby decides it doesn’t want to wait while on the aircraft and our nurses are equipped for that.”
Two babies have been born mid-flight in RFDS aircraft in the state in the last six months.
Ms Barlow has worked for RFDS for 26 years, and said a highlight for her was delivery a baby at Walgett Airport.
“We’d got the expectant mother and her partner onto the aircraft and had taxied down to the take-off point when mum’s water broke, so we made the call to call off the take-off,” she said.
“We just got back to the terminal and stopped the aircraft and the baby was delivered. Mum, dad and baby then spent the flight back to Dubbo getting to know one another, which was very special,”
RFDS flight nurse Micheal Harper delivered a baby in the air in mid-2024.
“I recently transferred a woman in early labour from a small rural hospital to a larger birthing centre,” he said.
“Her baby had other plans and decided to make a rapid appearance into the world not long after take-off. It was such a calm birth, and mum got to have skin to skin cuddles until we reached our destination.
“Being a midwife is a huge privilege. We get to empower, support and advocate for mothers and their families at such a transformative time of their lives.
“Supporting women in the aeromedical setting adds extra complexities such as the women not having their support person with them, anxiety about flying or just about having the baby before they get to their destination and without their support person.
“Through expert clinical care, emotional support and a calm and reassuring presence, we can relieve some of these fears.”
