When you choose to employ a private midwife to care for you in pregnancy, you are getting something called ‘continuity of care’. This means you can see the same chosen and trusted midwife through your pregnancy, birth and post-natal period.

Continuity of care is relationship-based care, it allows you to build a trusting relationship with a care provider who can then tailor your care to suit your individual needs.

Research consistently shows that midwifery continuity of care leads to better outcomes for mums and babies, lower rates of intervention and higher levels of satisfaction for women and their families. Continuity of care can also contribute to reduced rates of birth trauma and postpartum depression.

Many people have never heard of private midwifery care; it’s something women often need to discover and choose for themself. This is slowly changing as more and more midwives are becoming endorsed and moving into private practice.

The biggest difference is that you are seeing the same, known midwife for all of your pregnancy and post-natal appointments rather than a different person each time. You are able to choose your midwife and ensure that it is someone you ‘vibe’ with. Relationship building is a key focus, and this allows you to develop a trusted relationship with someone who is ‘in your corner’. You will get consistency of care and information which helps reduce confusion, and means that care is comprehensive and tailored to your individual needs.

Public hospital care is often fragmented, wait times can be long and appointments are brief, leaving little time for families to gain all the information and education required to help them make informed and educated decision about their pregnancy, birth and post-natal care.

Private midwifery care gives you the space and time required to really understand all of your options.

Having a private midwife means you have a known and trusted person at the end of the phone 24/7, 7 days a week from the moment you engage them as your care provider, right up until 8 weeks postpartum.

You do not need a referral to access private midwifery care. Simply contact the private midwife you would like to care for you and they will get you started!

There are no rules around how many weeks pregnant you need to be. A private midwife can look after you from the minute you get a positive pregnancy test right through to 8 weeks post birth! You don’t even need to see your GP; private midwives can organise all of your early pregnancy blood tests and ultrasounds and referral to your chosen public birthing hospital.

You are also able to contact a private midwife before you have conceived/are planning to conceive - however, just be aware that there are currently no medicare rebates for this service if you wish to have a consultation with them.

Currently, Emily services all areas of Bayside and immediate surrounding areas. This includes but is not limited to: Sandringham, Hampton, Brighton, Beaumaris, Black Rock, Highett, Cheltenham, Moorabbin, Elsternwick, Mentone and Moordialloc.

Emily does all pregnancy and post-natal care in your home for many reasons including, but not limited to:

• Convenience

• Comfort

• Ease of having other children present

• Minimise potential time restrictions of appointments

• No travel time for you or trying to find parking

• Flexible hours and appointment availability to suit you (and your partners) work/life

• Reduced cost to you due to minimal overheads of renting a clinical space

The main reason Emily does this is due to the fact that she is employed as a midwife at Sandringham, and therefore, there is a higher chance that she will be able to be present for your labour and birth if she happens to be on shift!

It also means that you are getting care from a midwife who knows and understands all of the policies and procedures of the hospital you are birthing at, meaning care can be even more tailored to suit you, taking into account your chosen birthplace.

Emily is more than happy to look after women choosing to birth elsewhere and currently holds accreditation at Monash Health and will soon also be able to care for women booked at Bayside Health.

Keeping client numbers small means Emily can offer you the time, attention and care you deserve. It allows Emily to offer a highly personalised, premium service, while also protecting her own time and well-being.

Emily continues to work part-time as a midwife at Sandringham Hospital, which she loves! Keeping numbers small means she can continue to also do this alongside a private caseload.

At this stage, no. However, this is essential healthcare is something Emily is in the process of becoming accredited to offer.

Termination services and early loss services will be available for women up to 63 days after their last menstrual period.

Essentially, yes. However, shared pregnancy care is only an option for low-risk women or those with strict criteria. For high risk women, some health services stipulate you must have hospital-based care. In this instance Emily can provide pregnancy support which is care in addition to your primary care provider.

Contact Emily to find out what model of care is most suited to you and your unique situation!