ABSTRACT
Increasing urbanisation and the erosion of rural communities have resulted in the reduction and neglect of health services making life difficult for many rurally based families. Midwives can make a significant difference to the experience of childbirth in the rural setting, but as members of rural communities themselves, the question of how best to sustain rural midwives is an important one. In this chapter, Mary Kensington and Jean Rankin draw upon on a range of studies in order to explore the issues facing rural midwifery and the women and families accessing the services. In so doing they identify strategies that may enhance the experience of rural women and their families as well as sustaining midwives in rural and remote rural settings.
