Maternity care options
Finding the maternity care that's right for you and your baby.
On this page
Planning your maternity care
It’s important to have regular health checks and care during:
- pregnancy – the antenatal or prenatal period
- labour and childbirth – the intrapartum period
- the first 6 weeks after giving birth – the postnatal or postpartum period.
Types of maternity care
Options for maternity care include:
- public maternity care
- midwifery group practice (MGP) if it's available in your area
- hospital midwifery care
- GP shared care
- private care with an obstetrician or midwife.
If you'd like publicly funded maternity care, you can fill in the maternity care referral form. You can also ask your GP to refer you to your local hospital or health service.
Learn more about MGP, maternity care and the health professionals you might see on the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website.
Other support
You can have at least one support person, such as a family member, with you when you give birth. Check with your hospital or birth centre. Some may have rules about whether children can be there. Some hospitals might also have rules about having a doula.
What a doula does
A doula can support you during pregnancy, labour and birth. They don't have medical training and can't provide medical advice or care. They can support you emotionally and to help you feel safe and comfortable.
Doulas usually charge a fee. Learn more about what a doula does on the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website.