What to expect from your midwife in Aotearoa New Zealand

The midwife you choose is responsible for your care throughout your pregnancy, labour and birth, and will continue to look after your and your baby’s care until baby is six weeks old. They will provide you with care and information about the choices you can make. Your midwife will:

• Develop a plan with you for your care, including your labour and birth
• Undertake regular assessments of you and your baby’s wellbeing during your pregnancy, the labour and birth and for the baby’s first six weeks of life
• Talk to you about staying healthy during the pregnancy
• Provide care for you during your labour and birth 
• Work alongside other midwifery and medical colleagues who may be involved in your care during this time
• Refer you or your baby to specialist support if needed.
• Visit you (or arrange for you to be visited) after your baby is born
• Refer you to your chosen Well Child Tamariki Ora provider after your baby is born.
• Help you to enroll your baby at a general practice for doctor and practice nurse services.

Your midwife will work with you throughout your pregnancy. They will check baby’s growth, position and heartbeat, take your blood pressure and arrange for you to have blood and urine tests. They will also offer you screening tests and scans to check that both you and your baby are developing well. If you decide to have these tests and scans, your midwife will arrange them for you and then explain your results.

Your midwife will discuss how often you will need to be seen during your pregnancy. These visits may be able to take place in your home, at a clinic, on the marae or in a hospital. To find out more about pregnancy care in Aotearoa check out the Be Safe page on our website.