Hurstville-based gynaecologist Dr Jane Hargood will retire this month after a long medical career, which has seen her serve with the Australian navy and deliver more than 5000 babies.
Dr Hargood was born in Casino in 1958. Her father was a country GP who practised obstetrics and gynaecology and her mother was a midwife.
It was only fitting she would pursue a career in medicine and Dr Hargood graduated from Sydney University in 1982.
She became a medical officer with the Royal Australian Navy and was the first female to go to sea with the navy in 1985.
"It was challenging but I knew it was going to be difficult," she said.
"I did not go with my eyes closed but I thought if I could go and do a really good job it could pave the way for other women.
"I decided I would earn the respect of the sailors on board and I did."
Despite having an 18-month-old daughter, she set sail on the first of numerous voyages that lasted eight to 10 weeks at a time. She rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before she retired from the navy in February 1988, after five years' service.
After leaving the navy, she started her specialist training in February 1988 at St George Hospital, which included stints at Bankstown and Canterbury hospitals, followed by three years at West Middlesex Hospital in London.
She became a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (FRANZCOG) in 1994 and opened private consulting rooms in Hurstville and Bankstown. She also consulted at Miranda and Menai from 1994 to 1996, before she moved her practice to St George Private in 1997.
Between 1994 and 1999, she delivered babies at Hurstville Private, St George Private, Bankstown and St George public hospitals.
But the death of her father at the end of 2000 led her to re-evualate. With her children grown up, she decided to close her practice and move to Armidale with her husband in 2001 to answer an urgent call for an obstetrician.
A year later they moved to Wagga Wagga, where she opened a practice. That same year she was appointed to a part-time position as senior lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of NSW, Rural Clinical School, where she remained until 2008.
In 2008, she and her husband decided to return to Sydney to be closer to their children and grandchildren, and Dr Hargood set up a new practice in Hurstville.
She continued to practise both obstetrics and gynaecology until September 2016, when she stopped the obstetrics service.
Dr Hargood estimated she delivered more than 5000 babies during her career, and said one of the best parts of her job was having babies she delivered come back to her to deliver their own children.
"The fact that I have looked after the babies I have delivered is very special," she said.
"It is a completion of a circle - the circle of life."
But while the best part of her job as an obstetrician - delivering babies - speaks for itself, Dr Hargood said she felt just as honoured to serve as a gynaecologist because of the deeply personal nature of the specialty.
"People understand why you are an obstetrician, but I love gynaecology because [women] can be quite anxious when they come to see you for the first time. If you can make them feel comfortable and then solve their problems, that is wonderful," she said.
"They are asking about very private things. It's a confronting thing. You need to have a certain demeanor and manner so they are relaxed and open up to you."
Dr Hargood will retire due to medical reasons on February 25.
