Continuity of Midwifery Care
Many maternity hospitals and birthing facilities offer a midwife led continuity model of care. This means you receive care from a known midwife or small team of midwives throughout your pregnancy and postnatal period. Whilst your midwife or midwives will provide the majority of your pregnancy care, they will also co-ordinate specialist care with other health care professionals such as obstetricians, paediatricians, dietitians and social workers if necessary.
Continuity of care with a known midwife allows women to develop a trusting relationship with their caregivers and has proven to have a beneficial impact on women’s birthing experiences and birthing outcomes for both the mother and baby.
Suggested benefits of receiving care from a known midwife include;
- Increased likelihood of having a normal birth
- Having a baby born at term
- Having a healthy baby at birth
- Having a more positive birth experience
- Being satisfied with the maternity care you received
- More likely to successfully breastfeed your baby
- Cost of your pregnancy and birth to the healthcare system is likely to be less
For more information;
Australian College of Midwives – Continuity of care
Source: (Australian College of Midwives)
Image: David D [CC-BY-2.0]
