Mary Young
Founder, Know Your Midwife

Providing Continuity of Maternity Care on the journey from pregnancy through birthing and to parenthood.

Know Your Midwife brings together founder Mary Young’s three greatest passions: Maternity Care, Community Nursing and Healthcare Education. Few are more qualified than Mary in combining these fields of expertise.

What we do and how we do it.

A private practice of experienced midwives offering Continuity of Care and Childbirth Education from early pregnancy through labour and birth to 6 weeks postnatal.

The cornerstone of our collaborative midwifery model is our Continuity of Care Programme that can begin as early as eight weeks into your pregnancy and continues until your baby is six weeks old. Adopting an evidence-based safety and quality framework, the Continuity of Care Programme is characterised by frequent antenatal check-ups and visits, many of which can happen in your home, initially monthly and then weekly as you move into the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Women entering this program develop a deep and trusting relationship with their midwife.

During these visits you will receive highly personalised care based on your hopes and preferences. Your midwife takes a holistic approach to helping you prepare mentally and physically for your desired birthing experience. We provide a wide range of educational workshops that integrate with our Continuity of Care programme. Your midwife will help you select the right workshops for you, and introduce you to your back-up midwife too. Your midwife will respect your family’s customs, values and spiritual beliefs and be your advocate, helping you and your partner feel empowered to make your own maternity and birthing decisions. Ultimately your midwife is focussed on giving you a better chance of experiencing the birth you want and deserve.

Your midwife will work collaboratively not just with you but with other healthcare providers that you may need or chose. That might include your local GP or will include an obstetrician should you wish to birth in a private hospital. For high risk pregnancies you may be required see the obstetrician and/or GP more often than the normal key appointments.  Your midwife will endeavour to attend these appointments with you to maintain continuity of care. Each pregnancy is different and so we will discuss your situation and see how best to collaborate with your other care-givers if needed.

During birthing, current Australian legislation requires the hospital staff to be legally responsible for your birth. Your midwife, who knows you, your aspirations and pregnancy, will support with you in a doula capacity, helping you communicate with the hospital and find the birthing experience that’s right for you, whether that is by protecting and enhancing the natural birthing process or finding natural ways to enhance birthing in which medical interventions are required or desired.