1: The Surfing Midwife

I met the [Surfing Midwife](http://www.thesurfingmidwife.com/) [Margreet Wibbelink](http://www.thesurfingmidwife.com/about/) at the Sensitive Midwifery Conference in 2018 and was immediately blown away by her charisma and her message. She came to South Africa from the Netherlands on a one way ticket and 14 years later she is still here and literally making waves in the birth world here. Besides having surfed on the pro circuit in the [world surf champs](http://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/4716/margreet-wibbelink) - she is leading the way in making change in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Soon after she arrived from the Netherlands she started the [Healthy Mom and Baby Clinic](http://www.hmbc.co.za/) which began as a small clinic offering antenatal services and has grown into an NPO is now a full on midwife practice, with services ranging from ante natal care, post natal care, breastfeeding, family planning, and ante natal services with a holistic approach, including counselling. Margreet share with us how shocked she was at the high rate of c/sections and interventions and how this influenced her decision to stay in South Africa. We talk about the difference between the [medical model of care vs. the midwifery model of care](https://www.thevirtualmidwife.com/what-is-the-difference-between-the-medical-the-midwife-model-of-care-and-does-it-matter/) and how important it is to raise awareness on the role of the midwife in pregnancy and birth in order to reduce the high intervention rate here. Despite working as a private midwife offering home and hospital births with back up from a local doctor, she has partnered with [Sensitive Midwifery](https://sensitivemidwifery.co.za/) and together they are working on initiatives to improve midwifery in Southern Africa. And if that isn't enough - she has also just finished her Phd so she is now a Doctor!! I loved chatting to Magreet and I know you enjoy listening to her story. I couldn't think of a better way to introduce Season 2 of the Virtual Midwife Podcast. Enjoy!