Encore: An accidental midwife and the business of everyday miracles

Lisa Peberdy has been delivering babies for over 40 years, in hospitals and homes, in cities and remote locations and she still cries with joy at every birth.

During Lisa's  first career as a nurse, she was physically repelled by the notion of childbirth.

When she re-trained to become a midwife, delivering a baby unassisted was a great challenge.

When Lisa finally did it, she was hooked; and she says she still cries with joy at every birth for which she's present.

Lisa's delivered babies in hospitals and homes, in cities and remote locations, all over Australia.

In recent years her work has been with cord blood banks, collecting valuable stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta.

These cells may potentially be used later in that person's life to create and regenerate organs, blood, and tissues; and assist their immune system.

First broadcast in 2016

Further information

Lisa's story features in Paula Heelan's book, Australian Midwives, published by Harlequin

Earlier this year Lisa published her memoir The Accidental Midwife

This episode of Conversations explores childbirth, delivering babies, midwives, mothers, still birth, adoption, remote Australia, PNG, Timor Leste, hospitals, doctors, fathers, babies, placenta, pregnancy, nursing.