Midwifery Services
We aim to provide you with comprehensive, individualised care for you and your family. We are passionate about providing holistic care with the aim of supporting optimal health and wellbeing for mothers and babies.
It is well documented that Continuity of Carer is a safe and a mutually beneficial form of care for your pregnancy when attended by a skilled and experienced practitioner. Hospital Birthing Centres are becoming increasingly popular with long waiting lists or perhaps you do not meet their "criteria for inclusion," such as a previous caesarean birth. We can provide you with an antenatal pathway that is tailored to your individual requirements. We have extensive experience in antenatal education, birth suite, postnatal cares and lactation consultancy, this experience paired with your expectations to ensure your pregnancy and parenting journey is off to a great start!
Some reasons why you should have your care with Adelaide Lactation Consultants, Midwifery & Hypnobirthing:
same midwife for each visit
no long waiting times in busy hospital clinics or doctors waiting rooms
no car parking issues
care in the comfort of your own home
choose the time that suits you
family welcome including siblings
education relevant to you and your needs
additional resources relevant to you
Option to tailor care to your needs e.g. planning a Vaginal Birth After Caesarean
Medicare/Health fund rebates available
Adelaide Lactation Consultants, Midwifery & Hypnobirthing can provide a range of care options either as your primary midwife or in collaboration with your birthing hospital, GP or obstetrician.
Please contact us today to discuss your pregnancy care options from early pregnancy planning, models of care available, midwifery cares (with a known midwife) through to 6 week postnatal.
Antenatal/Pregnancy
We follow the recommended antenatal schedule of appointments recommended for pregnant women in South Australia (generally 8-10 visits). These appointment will be in your home at a time that is mutually convenient. There are 2 additional visits (36 & 40 weeks) at the birthing hospital of your choice. This is a total of up to 12 visits throughout your pregnancy.
Our visits are long and will address all of your questions and needs, you won’t feel rushed or pushed into any decisions.
The first visit is up to 2 hours long and includes a comprehensive obstetric and medical history, plan of visits, infant feeding & childbirth education options, mental health evaluation and any questions you have ($200 with approx. $46.80 back from Medicare).
At 24 weeks a maternity care plan appointment that is 90mins long will formulate a mandatory document to ensure communication between the hospital and to comply with legal requirements of endorsed midwifery ($360 with approx. $279.65 back from Medicare).
Individual antenatal appointments are up to one hour in duration ($160 with approx. $46.80 back from Medicare).
Additional Telehealth appointments can be included for queries you have during the pregnancy on top of your scheduled visits for an additional charge. Telephone calls longer than 15 mins will be bulk billed.
At each appointment, the wellbeing of both you and your unborn baby will be assessed. Relevant antenatal investigations/tests/ultrasounds can be ordered with your consent, as needed. A range of education (not including Hypnobirthing Australia ™️ courses) can be provided as appropriate including:
diet, nutrition & exercise for pregnancy and breastfeeding
blood tests and screening during pregnancy
work and pregnancy
fetal development
labour progression/expectations, positioning in labour.
'Plan B' such as instrumental births, c-sections
Negotiation with care providers to ensure you receive the birth you want!
birth plan discussion
referral to other health care professionals such as doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths
pharmacological and non-pharmacological ways of dealing with labour
breastfeeding preparation
A referral letter must be provided by your Shared Care GP or obstetrician for the Medicare rebate to apply and our care to commence.
Birth
Unfortunately at this time, we do not provide labour care. You have the option to birth at any hospital and we will provide the relevant documentation as needed.
Newborn/Postnatal/Lactation Support
Postnatal care within a hospital setting can vary significantly. Discharge from hospital is becoming earlier and earlier, anywhere from 4 hours-5 days post delivery depending on your circumstances and hospital. In that time, you barely have a chance to recover from your birth and the expectation to care for your baby and know what to do is enormous. If you are in a public hospital you are discharged earlier, but you have the bonus of a community midwife visiting you once or twice in the home to check your progress. However if in the private sector, you may stay longer in hospital, but you can have minimal followup at home until your 6 week appointment with your obstetrician/paediatrician. There are benefits/negatives to both forms of care. However, if you chose to engage the services of a private midwife or Lactation Consultant you have the benefit of consistent accurate advice in that early postnatal period when sleep deprivation, emotions and information overload are at their highest.
We will liaise with your birthing hospital to ensure there is a seamless transition to the home environment particularly if you choose to discharge early from hospital. We can perform routine care of baby including the newborn neonatal screening test (Day 3) in the home. We also ask that the hospital provide us with a discharge letter or birth summary detailing the care provided to you in hospital so that we can provide appropriate ongoing care.
Postnatal care includes:
breastfeeding support and education
ongoing parenting education
ongoing clinical care for you and your baby if required
discussion/debrief about your birthing experience (if relevant)
normal newborn expectations
adjustment to motherhood/fatherhood e.g. moods/emotions, your changing relationship, sleep, contraception
parenting advice, support and education e.g. bathing baby, baby massage, wrapping and settling.
A care plan will be tailored to you and your family to ensure the transition is seamless including a schedule of visits. We are able to provide care to your family up to 6 weeks post birth of the baby within the Medicare eligibility framework this may include closely spaced visits in the early weeks and then weekly thereafter until 6 weeks. Appointments for all packages are Monday - Friday only (unless mutually arranged). Phone calls greater than 20mins will be bulk billed.
A referral letter from your GP or obstetrician must be provided to receive Medicare rebate.
Please enquire about our fee schedule via email below.
