It is one of the hardest and most significant moments in a mother's life - the process of childbirth.
But for many expectant mothers, the daunting process of labour has been made all the more difficult.
In remote areas of North Queensland, new and expectant mothers are being left in the dark when it comes to obstetrics care - either being forced to move to more condensed townships to receive care and deliver, or scrambling to find support in their rural communities.
A recent statement by the Australian College of Midwives said access to maternity services, choice of care and carer, and the provision of culturally safe care is not equitable in rural and regional areas.
"Rural maternity service closures are rife and alongside services on bypass there is currently a decimation of services which is negatively impacting women's access to the care of their choice as well as the sustainability of the rural health workforce," the statement read.
Australian College of Midwives midwifery advisor Tani Paxton said while there has been some progress, including the reopening of Gladstone Maternity in June and the recruitment of midwives to Weipa for the new Midwifery Group Practice, other areas such as Biloela remain on bypass for all birthing women.
"Having midwives accessible in rural areas allows women to establish a trusting relationship with their midwives, leading to better communication, personalised care, and improved health outcomes," she said.
"Continuity of care also enables midwives to have a comprehensive understanding of a woman's unique needs and circumstances.
"Research has shown that access to continuity of midwifery leads to improved maternity outcomes."
For the first time in three years, the Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service's midwifery team is fully staffed.
The team is based at the Cooktown MPHS but provides antenatal and post-natal care to women and babies in Cooktown, Hope Vale, Wujal Wujal, Lakeland and Laura.
"Having midwives accessible in rural areas allows women to establish a trusting relationship with their midwives, leading to better communication, personalised care, and improved health outcomes," Ms Paxton said.
"It is important to attract midwives to rural areas. This can include offering incentives such as financial support for education and training, rural-specific scholarships or grants, and opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
"Collaborations between educational institutions, professional organisations, and healthcare providers can help promote rural midwifery as an attractive career choice.
"Retaining our midwives in the regions is just as important and from a big picture perspective, affordable housing, childcare and leave cover is essential."
Recruiting and retaining midwives is one thing, but Ms Paxton said there is also a need for investment in critical infrastructure and facilities, including well-equipped birthing centres, maternity units in regional hospitals, and appropriate transport options for timely referrals when higher levels of care are needed.
"Queensland health services have demonstrated that reinstating and expanding midwifery services can enhance care in rural areas, promote positive birth experiences, and improve health outcomes for women and their families," she said.
"It requires collaboration between government, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and listening to the women who are our most important community stakeholders, to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability of these initiatives."
On October 31, the state government announced a $40,000 incentive for up to 50 GPs a year, who would undertake a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in obstetrics or anaesthetics to help deliver quality birthing services closer to home for Queensland mothers.
Overseas and interstate health workers who relocate to Queensland have also been offered a tempting incentive of $70,000.
Health Minister Mark Butler also made an announcement last week regarding a $1 million campaign to encourage more young Queenslanders to take up a career in the public health sector.
"By having midwives available locally, pregnant women in rural areas can access essential prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care closer to their homes. This reduces the need for long-distance travel, which can be particularly challenging for women with limited transportation options or those living in remote locations," Ms Paxton said.
In August, a major national forum of over 70 key stakeholders met at Parliament House to discuss "issues and challenges in supporting rural women to birth safety close to home".
It was suggested that high priority action for governments and health services was needed to improve access to rural maternity care.
Over 150 rural maternity units have been closed over the last 20 years, and many others have been downgraded and bypassed.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said they were committed to providing "safe and sustainable maternity services to all women across the state, regardless of where they live".
"Like all health systems, we are impacted by a global shortage of key clinical specialists, including obstetricians, and this is particularly acute in rural and remote areas," the spokesperson said.
"We are investing more than $110 million to improve our maternity services, including recruiting and retaining clinical specialists in regional, rural and remote communities.
"We are also increasing the number of training opportunities for rural generalist interns and registrars, and to grow a sustainable pipeline of local healthcare workers.
"Our hospitals have well-established maternity procedures in place and work closely with women to ensure they are supported and informed of their birthing options."
A Brisbane medical school graduate has made the move to far North Queensland, to pursue Advanced Specialised Training in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Dr Cameron Ventura made the move to Mareeba not only for the diversity of practice, but to tap into the "well-established maternity service".
"There's an ongoing need for obstetricians and GPs with advanced training in obstetrics across rural and regional areas," Dr Ventura said.
"I chose GP training in Mareeba to help address this shortage and to care for people at all different stages of their health journey."
