Please find below a list of Frequently Asked Questions.  If you don't find the answer to your specific question, please feel free to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I have a midwife?

To experience Continuity of Midwifery Care allows you to know and trust the person you are going into labour with at the hospital. She will support and guide you and your partner throughout pregnancy, labour and home visit for the 6 weeks after your baby is born.

Midwifery care can help shorten labour, decrease caesarean and intervention rates, decrease the need for analgesia in labour, increase the success of breastfeeding, and decrease the rate of postnatal depression.

To experience a better birth than last time by antenatal preparation and workshops

A midwife empowers you to have the calm, gentle birth you desire and deserve.

 

Where is Know Your Midwife based?

We are based in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast. We cover from Noosa to Caboolture at the present time.

 

Can I have a Private Obstetrician and midwife for my birth?

It depends which hospital you are going to birth at on the Sunshine Coast and which Obstetrician you have chosen. It’s best to look at your options with us before you make arrangements to see what we can work out, and with whom.

 

How much does it cost to have a midwife for the Continuity of Care Programme?

It very much depends on your stage of pregnancy when you enter the programme, whether you are planning a natural birth or caesarean. It is very much tailored to each client.

A midwife caring for a woman planning a natural birth, wanting the whole programme would cost approx $4950. This includes all antenatal education classes, first visits to a number of health professionals and exercise programme.

 

Can I just do parts of the programme?

Yes. The programme is costed out depending on the requirements of a family. Some only want a week postnatal visits, some the whole 6 weeks and no other midwifery care. Some women want antenatal and labour care only. It is best to phone and discuss your needs and we can suit whatever you require. 0400 901 437

 

Can I claim the costs from my Insurance Company?

<p>Many insurance companies will cover midwifery care, it is best to find out from them directly.</p>
<p>You may also be able to claim for the costs of Midwifery services through Net Medical Expenses tax Offset. You may claim 20% of the cost of services after $1500 has been set. I suggest you contact your accountant concerning this.</p>
 

When can I claim from Medicare for Midwifery Care

From November 1, 2010. Know your midwife will apply for Medicare and Pharmaceutical benefits and we anticipate women will be able to claim up to $2000 for a hospital birth and care with a midwife.
 

Are there any pregnancy groups on the Sunshine Coast other than childbirth classes?

Yes. Women meet every Wednesday evening from 7 – 9 as a group where formal and informal discussions take place. $10 per evening .                               

Phone 0400901437 for details and bookings.

 

What Is A Normal Birth Anyway?

Know Your Midwife fans and Sunshine Coast clients will be familiar with our Childbirth Manifesto, which articulates our view that a normal, natural childbirth is within the grasp of many more women than is generally considered the norm.

But as a midwife, one thing I get asked a lot is what is a natural birth anyway?

Short answers to this question can be a little superficial. Birthing is a significant event; the question deserves a significant answer. And few provide the answer better than Britain’s Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

RCM position, which we at Know Your Midwife endorse enthusiastically, is:

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“The Royal College of Midwives defines normal childbirth as one where a woman commences, continues and completes labour physiologically at term.

The College believes that a policy of maximising normal birth in the context of maternal choice is safe, and, further, that it offers short and long-term health and social benefits to mothers, children, families, and communities. Such a policy is more likely to succeed if childbirth is placed within a social and family context.

The majority of women with uncomplicated pregnancies are fit and healthy and have the potential to give birth normally with healthy newborns as the expected outcome. This is best met within a social model of care

Midwives are expert professionals skilled in supporting and maximising normal birth and these midwifery skills need to be promoted and valued. The role of the midwife is integral to models of care, which promote normality. Maternity Services can enhance midwifery skills and autonomous practice by providing appropriate practice settings.

The RCM recommends that maternity service providers review their policies, guidelines, practices and models of care to ensure that they are based on a philosophy committed to maximising normal birth and to ensure that a range of options are available to women.

The RCM recommends that midwives value, support, and develop their own skills and knowledge, and those of their colleagues, in the area of normal childbirth”

If you’re a pregnant mother on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, and you’re considering whether a partnership with a private midwife through your pregnancy and birth can help you achieve the birth you want and deserve, you may find it helpful to read more about what midwives do at the Royal College of Midwives website http://www.rcm.org.uk/. Alternatively, just give us a call and we’ll walk you through what we believe and do. ( Call Mary on 0400901437.)

 

Know Your Midwife