Dr Barbara Hanrahan has been an enthusiastic midwife with a professional career spanning 43 years in different settings. She trained as a professional nurse and midwife, then went on to study Nursing Education, at Wits University, which led to teaching midwifery.
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From 1989 – 1991 Dr Hanrahan was the International Director for ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association). Her responsibility was to recruit and support members around the world, excluding North America and Canada. Barbara was a frequent speaker at the international ICEA conferences. During this time, Dr Hanrahan brought the ICEA Childbirth Education training course to South Africa and taught the first 2 groups of students doing the course, setting a standard for childbirth education in South Africa. Dr Hanrahan went on to develop a South African training course, for childbirth educators, who were midwives and obstetric physiotherapists, which she ran and taught for 10 years.Barbara was part of a highly successful private practise – the Family and Child Centre in Blairgowrie. She moved on to establishing her own childbirth education classes in Sandringham.
For ten years, she ran a postnatal clinic for the mothers and babies in her neighbourhood.
She assisted in developing Linkwood Clinic and went on to manage the birth unit for five years. The Linkwood Clinic birth unit was the first clinic for private midwives and natural birth clinic in South Africa. During her 15 years at Wits University, she did Her PhD in Respectful Maternity Care (aimed at reducing the physical and verbal abuse of labouring and birthing women in the Primary Health Clinics in Soweto, Hillbrow and Alexandra.)
Barbara works as an expert witness with several legal firms, consulting as a specialist midwife on birth injury medicolegal cases. This involves critical analysis of the maternity/nursing care which the plaintiff received in pregnancy, labour, and birth. She then authors a report as a midwifery expert, on the care received, which forms part of the evidence presented in court.
In 2000 Dr Hanrahan developed and taught a 6-month training programme for Labour and Birth Doulas. She set up a network of trainers in Durban, Cape Town, and PE. She sets and moderates the national examination twice a year. This has been Dr Hanrahan’s passion project for 25 years and she continues teaching the course in Johannesburg.
She remains enthusiastic about contributing towards women, their partners and families