An exploratory study of women and midwives' perceptions of environmental waste management - homebirth as climate action

Abstract

Background: Inspired by observing midwives working with birthing women in Bali and at homebirths in Australia, this study explores the meanings associated with environmental waste at birth.

Aims: The aim is to better understand how and why women and midwives from the homebirth community in Australia choose to manage waste generated during the birthing process. Babies across the globe are born without a carbon footprint and are united, no matter their location, by a future that will require an understanding of and action against climate change.

Methods: This qualitative exploratory study investigated midwives' (n = 10) and women's (n = 10) perspectives on environmental waste generated from birth at home. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically.

Results: Three overarching themes were identified from the data. The first theme "There is minimal waste from birth at home" demonstrates participants' perception of the difference in waste generated by birth at home compared to birth in a hospital. The second theme, "Organic waste from homebirth is beneficial to the environment," spoke to participants' embeddedness and connections within their surrounding community environment. The third theme, "Formal education around managing waste at homebirth doesn't exist," indicates a lack of structured or official education or training programs available to individuals interested in learning about sustainable waste management practices during home birth.

Conclusion: Birthing at home has a low environmental impact as clinical waste is negligible. This research demonstrates a need to incorporate sustainable waste management into midwifery education while respecting midwifery practices in the home setting.

Keywords: Climate action; Continuity of midwifery care; Environmental waste; Healthcare; Homebirth; Midwifery education; Sustainability.