Midwifery Group Practice program

The Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) works within the Family Birthing Centre and is for women who choose to be cared for by the same group of midwives throughout their pregnancy and after the birth. The Family Birthing Centre offers a safe and comfortable setting in which healthy expectant parents with uncomplicated pregnancies can give birth. Read more about the Family Birthing Centre and how to register interest.

Primary care is provided by a midwife or a small team of midwives to ensure continuity of care for you and your family. These experienced midwives work in a team with other health professionals to ensure your pregnancy and birth are personalised. If a complication develops during the antenatal period, in labour or the immediate postnatal period, you will transition to the regular labour and birth suite. Your care will still be provided, however, by your known midwife in partnership with the labour and birth suite team.

Please note epidural analgesia is not offered at the FBC and the expected discharge time is 4 to 6 hours after the birth of your baby.

Benefits

Evidence shows that continuity of care provided by a dedicated midwife brings improved outcomes for families, including:

• greater birth satisfaction for parents
• safe birth outcomes for babies
• excellent breastfeeding outcomes
• reduced likelihood of birth interventions such as the use of narcotic medications, epidural, episiotomy, inductions and caesarean sections
• shorter stay in hospital after your birth
• reduced likelihood of postnatal depression and access to support if necessary.

Before the birth

Our midwives specialise in supporting the natural process of childbirth with highly personal attention and careful assessment.

Relaxed antenatal visits during your pregnancy will allow you to get acquainted with your midwife and learn about the many physical and emotional changes during pregnancy and childbirth. Your midwives will also discuss changing family roles, exercise and nutrition.

Birth

The entire birth experience can be as personalised and individual as you desire within the limits of safety, and you should discuss your birth plan with your midwife.

Any birth position that is comfortable for you is acceptable. Water for pain relief and birth is offered at the birthing centre, as are analgesic injections and gas and air. Epidural analgesia is not offered within the birthing centre and women requiring this would need to transition to the main Birth Suite.

You and your support person will stay in one of the birth rooms. Your support person is encouraged to remain with you throughout the labour. An additional support person may also be very helpful.

Some families wish to have their other children present as well. If so, an adult other than the primary support person must be with the children during the entire time. If you plan to have your children present at the birth, please discuss this with your midwife.

After the birth

If there are no complications your baby will remain with you during your entire stay at the Family Birth Centre. After the birth of your baby, your midwives will help you with the care of your baby, including breastfeeding, nappy changing and bathing.

Before you go home your baby will receive a complete neonatal examination by your midwife or one of the hospital's neonatal team. This may include the newborn hearing test.

The expected length of stay at the Family Birthing Centre is approximately 4 to 6 hours after the birth of your baby. We ask that you have made suitable arrangements for going home so that you can leave soon after being formally discharged by your healthcare team.

If you transition to the main Birth Suite to birth your baby, you will be discharged when you and your baby have been checked and the doctor or midwife has decided that it is clinically safe and appropriate for you to go home.

Once you are discharged home, the Family Birth Centre midwives or the Visiting Midwifery Service (VMS) will visit you at home for the first 5 days after birth. If you live outside the catchment area for these services your midwife will discuss plans for this period with you at your booking interview. It may be necessary to bring you baby back into hospital for check-ups.