FAQs About the continuity of care program

  • You can start as early as 4 weeks into your pregnancy or at any time in your pregnancy.

  • Regular weekly attendance is the foundation - it supports our work and what we want to achieve for you. Once we start, we’ll meet every week (via phone or Zoom) and we’ll continue until your baby is 6 weeks old.

  • Yes. By supporting the mother’s emotional state around the time of pregnancy, birth and new parenthood, we are assisting the development of secure attachment.

  • Absolutely. Our consistent and regular appointments greatly assist by providing a reliable source of support, helping women manage anxiety and navigate difficulty through regular connection and professional guidance for pregnancy, labour and new parenthood.

continuity of care Program

Dial a Midwife … we’re here for you - all the way

Why Continuity?

Giving birth is the most transformational and empowering experience in a woman's life - and yet, our birth system often regards pregnancy and birth as crises waiting to happen, while women are often treated as a number in a busy and over-stretched system. The Dial a Midwife Continuity of Care Program is different.  It’s tailored to your needs with time to know and treat you as an individual. No two women are the same, each pregnancy is unique and each woman wants to feel special in her pregnancy. That's why we’ll start by learning more about you, your pregnancy and your plans for your birth. We’ll mould your care with information, support, guidance and emotional care based on your goals, wishes and expectations for your pregnancy. 

Our continuity program is great for women with anxiety, women who may be going through a stressful time or women who simply want a midwife in their corner, walking side by side.

you deserve to have a great birth.

We want every woman to say, "I had a great birth! It was the most amazing, powerful and special thing I have ever done!!"  Because when birth is amazing and special, empowered and confident mothers are born.

Is This Program Right for You?

✨ YES! If you’re planning a natural, low-intervention birth
✨ YES! If you experience anxiety, are going through a stressful time or feel that you’d like extra support for any reason at all

✨ YES! If you’re a first-time Mum

✨ YES! If you’re planning a VBAC

✨ YES! If you can’t access continuity of care where you’re birthing

what we do

We know that continuity of care matters - it benefits women, families and babies - but it does require a commitment. We’ll meet (via phone or online) once every week. Regular and consistent appointments are a key part of continuity - they allow us time to nurture our relationship so that it can provide the strong foundation that helps you achieve your goals for your birth and postnatal experience.

our approach

We have a three-pronged approach:

  1. Building a relationship of partnership and trust over time … this is the foundation that provides that supportive and reliable foundation from which we can help you to achieve your goals and confidently navigate any challenges

  2. Discussing all of your questions, with plenty of time to talk through everything you need to discuss, debrief or explore - this is a service where there is time for you!

  3. Providing relevant information and guidance to ensure that you’re informed, empowered and confident!

Our Continuity of Care Program creates space for:

  • Building a strong relationship – one of safety, understanding and trust

  • Practical tools, guidance and information – on all things pregnancy, labour, birth and baby

  • Empowered choices – with plenty of time to explore your options so you can make decisions with confidence.

  • Resilience and adaptability – preparing for the reality that birth can take many paths, while still making it a positive, welcoming and empowering experience.

  • A lower-intervention birth - studies show that women in continuity of care programs experience fewer interventions in birth

What’s Included in the Program

  • Weekly appointments through your pregnancy and for the first 6 weeks after baby arrives

Accessible and convenient

No matter where you are in Australia, you can book a telehealth (or phone) consultation with your midwife. We offer video and phone consults for women in the privacy and comfort of their own home. For new parents and families in rural and remote Australia, it is comforting to know that a midwife is only a call away. 

Highly Trained Midwives

All of our midwives are not only registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, but also endorsed. Endorsement is available to midwives upon application after completion of at least 5,000 hours of practice and obtaining additional qualifications. Endorsed midwives have a Medicare Provider Number and PBS Prescriber Number. 

Our midwives are experienced in all settings - clinics, public hospitals, private hospitals, birth centre, homebirth, private practice and obstetric services.

available

We offer flexible times for appointments and if you need a same-day appointment, we will always try to accommodate you. Use our service as little – or as much – as you need. We encourage continuity of care and would love to be by your side, online, as you journey through your pregnancy and experience the first few weeks with your new baby. We offer home visits for Sydney-based patients (an additional fee may apply).

Bulk-Billing – free care for Medicare card holders

If you have a Medicare card, our phone and video consults are fully covered by Medicare - there is no out-of-pocket fee or gap with a Medicare card. We’re unable to assist if you are outside of Australia or if you’re currently in hospital, and without a valid Medicare card, a small fee will apply.

Supplement your care

We’re super keen to bridge the gap in care between going home from hospital with your baby, and the 6-week check. We also know from experience that many women feel anxious, leave appointments with unanswered questions and find it so helpful to have a single, trusted midwife on the end of the phone throughout pregnancy and for the first six weeks after the birth of their baby.

midwifery continuity of care

Ad private midwives, we offer care for women as early as a missed period, throughout pregnancy and for the first 6 weeks of baby’s life. For many women, our service will provide the only source of continuity and consistency throughout their birthing year.