I don't know how many parents I’ve spoken to who would have chosen services like mine if only they’d known about the benefits of engaging a private midwife before their birth journey.
I thought I’d share some of these insights with you, so that you can make an informed decision. You may find some of these reasons surprising.
The whole question of private midwifery will be explored further, in a new article I’m writing about models of care when it comes to birthing. If you’d like me to send it to you when it’s done, just ask me.
Convenience
If this is your first time on the parenting journey, you’ll soon realise just how precious your time will become and how “convenience” will increasingly become a necessity in daily life.
My experience tells me that if you’re in early pregnancy, you are most likely to be:
· working full-time and are not yet ready to announce your pregnancy to the workplace,
· struck with debilitating nausea, vomiting and extreme tiredness
· wanting to have the support of your partner at appointments
· caring for other small children
This is the first major advantage for engaging a private midwife; we will see you at YOUR convenience.
This means your private midwife will meet you in your home and will have the flexibility to organise a time that suits you and your family, including outside office hours.
Therefore, you will have just avoided extended waiting times in rooms full of unwell people, arranging for childcare, and even organising sick leave from work to attend appointments. And much easier for your partner to be there too!
Affordability
Another surprising benefit of engaging a private midwife is that you are likely to find our service more affordable than you might have imagined.
Firstly, you do not need private health insurance to access private midwifery services, although some services may qualify for private rebates.
Secondly, Medicare rebates apply for ALL appointments during pregnancy and postnatally up until baby is 6 weeks old.
What’s more, your appointments will be packed full of added extras, accessible resources and information, and the fee includes associated travel time.
Compared with electricians’ or plumbers’ fees, or even sport or music tuition, your private midwife service represents real value for money. After all, you invest in so many ‘things’ in preparation for parenthood, its useful to consider investing in your health and well-being with your own private midwife.
Clearer choice of care options
There are so many choices you’ll need to make during your pregnancy and then throughout postnatal care.
So often I hear from people who were unaware of the options available to them and that they’d choose differently, if they were to have their time over again.
You won’t be in that situation with your private midwife as they will be able to provide your complete pregnancy and postnatal care.
Or, if you want to select particular services to “top-up” your standard hospital care, your private midwife is YOUR private midwife, and some simple discussions will equip you with all you need to know.
In short, engaging a private midwife is like choosing 1:1 care that is all about you.
Think of midwives like me as your personal maternity care concierge!
Continuity of carer
There’s a whole world of medicine and science related to your parenting journey and as you go from appointment to appointment or specialist to specialist, you may feel lost or overwhelmed.
Along the way, you’ll be repeating your story to different care providers, and possibly get varying advice from different professionals. This can really affect your confidence.
However, when you have your care with a private midwife, we’re able to coordinate your care with you.
We can order routine blood tests and scans, provide scripts for you (think nausea and vomiting medication, antibiotics, analgesia), and even refer you to an obstetrician if need be.
No more repeating of stories.
Your private midwife knows YOU, so there’s less chance of things getting missed and they know your preferences.
Confidence
You might have heard about a thing called Imposter Syndrome, in which you doubt your ability when confronted with forceful personalities and unexpected challenges in the workplace.
I have found that pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period can likewise be a time of real vulnerability and uncertainty for women.
You’ll find your body, and your life as you know it, is changing.
And then you’ll start wondering, how do I know what the right choice for is for me?
This is understandable in many ways because it’s not just you that you need to consider anymore!
This is yet another benefit of your private midwife.
We can help guide you through this time of challenge and adjustment, to help you find the information you need to make the choices that are right for you.
We will help you find out what is important to you and how to advocate for yourself to get the best journey to parenthood.
A good, private midwife will encouragingly remind you that this journey is not about anyone else and what they think, but about you, and you have choice.
Health benefits
The last two benefits hinted at all of health decisions you’ll be making, and this is where a stunning benefit of a private midwife is highlighted.
Did you know that research shows that pregnant people who have midwife-led continuity of care are:
· less likely to use analgesia/anaesthesia
· less likely to have instrumental birth
· less likely to have a caesarean section
· more likely to have spontaneous onset of labour
· less likely to have waters broken for them or have an episiotomy
· less likely to experience intervention
· more likely to be satisfied with their care
· have a positive experience of labour and birth
· cost the health system less.
That’s quite an amazing benefit, right there. You can read the research articles here:
Covid compliant
A final benefit of engaging a private midwife is that we will be up to date with all the various Covid-19 restrictions and processes, as they occur.
You will have enough on your plate, so let us simply guide you through the Covid maze to keep everybody safe.
You can trust our advice because midwives are regulated health practitioners, so it’s mandatory for us to be up to date with the current Covid recommendations.
Got questions about mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-hygiene, vaccination, etc? Your private midwife is an education-mandated, essential worker, who’ll be right beside you for your family’s safety.
How do you access a private midwife in SA?
Easy!
I am available to talk to you about becoming your private midwife in Adelaide but I also have colleagues you can browse at this SA Private Midwives page on Facebook
To contact me, simply email Ros@hellobabymidwifery.com.au or call or text 0468575722.
You’re also welcome to connect with me via my social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
I hope you’ve found this article helpful and I wish you every success on your journey to parenthood.