antenatal care & childbirth options
home > info directory > antenatal care & childbirth options

bub hub supporters
support from the following companies enables us to continue providing this free community website

Australian College of Midwives   ph: (02) 6230 7333   www

Maternity Coalition   www 


Options for childbirth do vary slightly from state to state and even within different regions of a state. The information below is general although references are made to specific exceptions for certain regions. Additional links are provided at the bottom of the page to relevant state websites which provide extra information specific to that state (please note that not all states/territories provide this information online).


click to read newsletter article Working to improve Australian maternity care

click to read newsletter article Helping Yourself to a Better Birth

The information provided below is intended as a summary of the main types of care available.

There are several things to think about when considering your childbirth options, here are the three main ones...

- where....would you like to have your baby
- who....would you like to be your main care provider
- how....what type of birth would you like


where


You can plan to have your child in private facilities, public facilities, in a midwife managed birthing centre or even at home.

private facilities
If you wish to have your baby as a private patient, you get to choose where you give birth and who your main care provider will be. Click here for a list of maternity hospitals - in each case we have indicated whether the facility provides for private or public patients or both. Your main care provider could be a privately appointed obstetrician or midwife.

If you wish to use private medical insurance, ensure that you check your policy carefully for the services covered before undertaking any costly consultations. Some policies have exemption clauses for cover of pregnancy in the first year (or more) of membership. Check also what private cover you would have for your child once born. Family cover often includes the child automatically, but this may not be the case if you have individual cover. Check your policy carefully. If all is well and your insurance will cover you, select your preferred venue and speak to your health insurance provider about what steps to take from there. Private hospitals should be able to provide you with details of care providers who are able to practice at their hospital. If you would prefer to select your care provider first, ensure that they have admitting rights to any hospital that you wish to attend.

If you wish to be treated as a private patient but do not have private medical insurance, you will be required to pay all costs yourself. Check payment terms and conditions with your care provider and chosen maternity hospital before undertaking any consultations.

public facilities
For care as a public patient under Medicare you will need a referral by your GP. After an initial assessment, you will then have the following options for continuing care, providing your pregnancy is low risk and no complications develop:

  • care in the maternity clinic at a hospital (seeing a team of hospital appointed obstetricians and midwives)
  • care through a midwife managed 'birthing centre' at a hospital (see more below)
  • care through a community based midwifery programme (see more below)
  • shared care with your local GP (see more below)
  • care at a community based ante-natal clinic with a hospital birth

For all the above options, specialist tests, such as ultrasound, will usually be carried out at a hospital.

If you are considered to be at risk of a more complicated pregnancy, you are likely to be requested to visit the hospital for all your check-ups.

midwife managed birthing centre
Midwife managed 'birthing centres' and free standing childbirth units provide for more natural 'at-home' style ante-natal care, labour & birth. Places are limited and are only available to pregnancies considered low risk. Early enrollment is advised. Midwives take primary professional responsibility for care. During labour and birth, medical services should they be needed, including obstetric, neonatal and anaesthetic care are available, sometimes from a separate site. Most centres are located within hospitals so that more intensive medical care is immediately available should an emergency arise. Details of facilities are included within our maternity hospitals & midwife managed birthing centres listings.

home birth
A home birth option is only available to low risk pregnancies and is only available on a private basis in most states. Because of current public liability insurance issues, home birthing options are limited. There are exceptions in limited areas of NT, SA and WA - these are listed in the community midwifery program section below.

See our info page homebirth - having a homebirth in Australia and page for independent midwives for more in-depth information on this subject.


who

You will need to select your main care provider for your pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. Care providers work in partnership with you and other carers, where necessary, to provide the best care for you.

Choices of carer include:

  • obstetrican
  • midwife
  • gp

Your main care provider will work as a team with others - even doctors and midwives are allowed to sleep and have days off - and it is important to check, when making your choice, who else you are likely to see and how often. For example, if you attend a midwives clinic in a public hospital and have an uncomplicated pregnancy, you are likely to have each ante-natal appointment with any one of the team of midwives or obstetricians available on your clinic day. Your birth will similarly be attended by whichever team of midwives and obstetricians is on duty at the time. If you choose a private obstetrician, you are likely to have all your ante-natal appointments in his/her private rooms. During labour you will be seen by the midwives at the hospital until your delivery is imminent, when your obstetrician will be called to attend. If your obstetrician is not available, it is likely that another member of their practice group will attend in his/her place.

obstetrician
Obstetricians are doctors who have undergone a further period of specialist training. Your obstetrician will look after all your medical needs during your pregnancy and can cater for all types of pregnancy from low to high risk.

private care:
If you wish to be treated privately and you already have an obstetrician in mind, you will need to contact them to find out which hospitals they have admitting rights to. If you don't have a prefered obstetrician, ask your GP for a referral or ask your chosen hospital for details of obstetricians who can practice there.

public care:
Care in public hospitals is undertaken by a team containing midwives and juinor and senior obstetricians. If your pregnancy is considered low risk, you are likely to see a member of this team of midwives or junior obstetrician staff for your appointments. You are likely to see different members of the team at each visit and these are unlikely to be the midwives who attend your birth and postnatal care. If you have pregnancy complications, you will be referred to specialists and specialist clinics as required either at your hospital, or at a larger one.

midwife
Midwives are health professionals who, in partnership with a woman, provide specialist care, education and support during pregnancy, birth, postnatal and the early parenting period. Midwifery care includes the detection of complications in mother and baby, the referral to other specialists as needed, and the initiation of necessary emergency care. There is a formal definition here. Midwives provide many additional services for complete birth care such as...

  • preconception health (preparation for pregnancy)
  • all medical ante-natal care
  • childbirth education
  • well-being during pregnancy, such as nutrition, exercise, support
  • information on birthing options and the effects of any drugs which may be used in labour
  • expectations/anxieties
  • postnatal care for both mother and child, including infant feeding and settling
  • lactation consultants, providing specialised support for mothers, with breastfeeding


private care:
In most states, you cannot currently employ a midwife as your main care provider on a private basis unless you wish to consider a home birth. You can employ an independent midwife to go with you to the hospital, but the midwife has no practising rights in the hospital and you will also be attended by hospital appointed midwives and obstetricians as necessary. Because of current public liability insurance issues, home birthing options are limited. For details of independent midwives, click here.

You can also employ a midwife on a private basis to provide additional pre and/or postnatal care.

public patients
Low risk pregnancies are often managed by a team of midwives in a hospital or community clinic. Appointments usually take place with different midwives on rotation (Team Midwifery). Your options include a normal public hospital admission or a midwife managed birthing centre or a local community midwifery program (see below).

community midwifery programs
These are the only local programs that we are aware of at the current time:

ACT - Canberra Midwifery Program
ph: (02) 6287 2330

NT - Community Midwifery Programme
Darwin: ph: (mobile) 0401 114 188
Alice Springs: ph: (mobile) 0417 810 535

This is a Northern Territory government supported home birth service within the Community Health Branch of the Department of Health & Community Services (DHCS). The service is located in Alice Springs and Darwin and is provided to enable Home Birth Midwives, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary health team, to provide effective and professional primary midwifery care across pregnancy through to the postpartum period. The midwives support eligible women electing to labour and birth at home if they live within the specified boundaries.

SA - Community Midwifery Programme
ph: (08) 8252 3711

The government funded Community Midwifery Programme provides free total midwifery care to women wanting a homebirth who currently reside in the following north Adelaide council regions: Playford, Salisbury & Teatree Gully. If you wish to have a homebirth in any other area of South Australia, you will need to book a midwife on a private basis.

VIC - At the time of writing there is a 'Know Your Midwife' scheme in Box Hill where you are assigned a specific midwife for the duration of your care (in association with a couple of 'back-up' midwives) (this service gets booked up very quickly) and a Community Midwifery program in Wangaratta where you can visit a team of midwives in community ante-natal facilities; labour and birth would take place in a maternity hospital. Availability of facilities does change, so check with your GP or local health services at the time.

WA - Community Midwifery WA  
ph: (08) 9430 6882

The government funded Community Midwifery WA program is available in the Perth Metro region with resource centres operating out of Armadale, Fremantle, Guildford and Leederville. Midwives provide free total midwifery care, including total ante and postnatal care for homebirths and even hospital births where necessary. Prenatal education, pregnancy and childbirth information and resource centres services are also provided.

If you wish to have a homebirth in any other area of Western Australia, you will need to book a midwife on a private basis.

other midwifery services
Independent midwives can also be employed privately for any aspect of pre and post-natal care from childbirth education to post-natal care of the mother or baby, breastfeeding advice and sleeping and settling techniques.

gp - shared care
Under the 'shared-care' scheme, you split your check-ups between your GP and the maternity clinic at the hospital. After an initial assessment at the hospital, the scheme allows you to visit your GP for regular check-ups, whilst you visit the hospital for scans, ante-natal classes and any tests above and beyond those that can be carried out by the GP. Regular checks after approx the 36th week (depending on your maternity facility) will usually take place at the hospital. If you are interested in shared care, check that your GP is willing and able to provide this service. Any fees due to your GP will depend upon your GP's individual fee scale and billing policy.

other childbirth services
There are a number of private and community childbirth services, offering assistance ranging from parenting education classes to hypnobirthing, birthing partners (doulas) and more. These are listed on within the services section of the Bub Hub website.


how


To prepare yourself for birth, you need to know the options available to you for managing labour, pain relief, what emotions you might experience and to think about who you might like to have with you as a support partner.

Your care provider can assist you with these decision and provide you with information, but if you would like to read more online, have a look at the following websites:

Antenatal classes are a great idea for all parents-to-be. For details of classes in your region, click here.


more information


If you would like to read more about birthing options or contact local support groups regarding childbirth issues, see the organisations below:

Nationwide - Australian College of Midwives
ph: (02) 6230 7333
View online article Childbirth Choices

ACT - Women's Centre for Health Matters
ph: (02) 6290 2166
The Centre also host 'Having a Baby in Canberra' information evenings. A booklet entitled, Having a Baby in Canberra, is also available by calling the above number. For more information or to view the booklet online, here.

NSW
> Pregnancy & Birth Brochure (produced by NSW Health)
The above brochures can be viewed online (both require Adobe) or call Better Health for free copies on (02) 9816 0452.
More in depth information is available from NSW Health or call Better Health for a free copy on (02) 9816 0452.

SA - Pregnancy Information website (produced by Government of South Australia Department of Health)

VIC - Having a Baby in Victoria (produced by Department of Human Services, Victoria)

WA - Your Birthing Choice (produced by Government of Western Australia Department of Health) or call (08) 9222 4222 to have a copy sent to you.

Nationwide support groups
Birthrites - Healing After Caesarean  
ph: see website for local contact details
Support groups and information for families in regard to caesarean birth and vaginal birth after caesarean

The Maternity Coalition Inc  
"Australia�s peak birth care consumer advocacy group. Are you having difficulties accessing the care you want in birth? Has your local maternity unit closed? If you have concerns about birthing services in your area visit Maternity Coalition�s website and find out how you can make a difference to your local community and to birthing services Australia-wide"

Caesarean Awareness Network Australia (CANA)  
"Access up-to-date and evidence-based information and resources about caesareans and birth after caesareans, links to support groups around the country, information on workshops and antenatal courses relevant to caesareans or vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC), and information on issues related to maternity services for women who are planning a caesarean, or planning to VBAC."

AIMS Australia (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services, Australia)
ph: (07) 3207 7444
"AIMS Australia is a consumer organisation and our members promote the rights of parents to choose the place and manner of birth; the rights of parents to accurate information and parents' rights to be treated with respect during pregnancy and childbirth."

There are details of more pregnancy helplines and support groups on the following page.

back to top