Birth is one of the most vulnerable and intimate moments in a person’s life so it is important that you choose your primary care provider wisely. You want to feel safe and supported and not have a single doubt in your mind about how they practice and the care that they provide. Our hypnobirthing classes in Melbourne will give you all the tools to best prepare you for a birth filled with confidence and power. We teach you how to ask questions, advocate for you and your baby and understand the ins and outs of labour and birth so that you can labour as you were designed to: instinctively. Ensuring your care provider aligns with your birth plan and preferences is absolutely vital. Hypnobirthing Australia ™’s Positive Birth program will prepare your mind and body for labour and birth and make hypnobirthing work for you and your individual needs.
Choosing your primary care provider
In Australia, we have a range of maternity care options, the most common two options being the public and private maternity systems. But, what many do not know is the options within these two systems as well as other “alternative” options: birth centres, private midwifery, homebirth, and free-birth. So, do your research, “try before you buy” and interview all your potential primary care providers to work out if they align with your birth plan, needs and desires. And, if you have absolutely no clue where to even start, a 90 minute consultation with Melissa at Little Bird Flies in her popular one-off “So you’re pregnant, now what?” consults may just be the way to go to gain knowledge and guidance for this exciting but slightly daunting time in your life!
You can also just go full steam ahead and join our online hypnobirthing course and learn on the run!! But for a little taste of what maternity care looks like, here are a couple of your options:
1. Midwife
Midwives are the backbone of both the public and private maternity systems in Australia. In the public system you will be cared for majoritively by midwives throughout your pregnancy, labour and postpartum and only see Doctors when special circumstances arise. In the private system, you will be cared for by your chosen obstetrician throughout your pregnancy and by midwives throughout your labour, birth and postnatal stay. Your obstetrician will be called in for the final stages of your birth. You can also choose to have a private midwife as your primary care provider and birth at home. The founder of Little Bird Flies, Melissa is a registered nurse/midwife and has assisted hundreds of expecting parents along the path of an empowered birth for many years now in both the public and private maternity systems. Midwives can offer specialised support to enable women the guidance to have the birth that they desire, but just like when deciding on a private obstetrician (if you choose to take that path) it is important that you understand your midwifery care options. If you have chosen public maternity care, ensure that you explore the different care options within your local public hospital to find one that best suits you and then advocate for that form of care!! Midwifery group practice has been proven time and time again by studies to be the safest and most effective form of maternity care in Australia and yet only 8% of Australia’s childbearing women and people are able to receive such care. Midwifery group practice means that you will be cared for by a single midwife (plus 1 or 2 “back-up” midwives) throughout your entire pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey allowing you to immerse yourself in full continuity of care.
Some may feel the loss of control when being processed through a maternity unit but the assistance of a midwife helps to limit that. Midwives can also cater to the preference for a home birth which can also be an incredibly empowering, safe and supportive experience for a woman and their birth partner. The techniques and principles of midwifery practice are also very similar to hypnobirthing in that they both teach feelings of confidence in your own birthing body by understanding them and knowing that birth is a natural, physiological process of the human body. You might also choose to be cared for by a private midwife and have a homebirth. Conitnuity of care throughout your entire pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey with a professional of whom aligns with your values and birthing desires. It does however, come at a cost in Australia…approx: $5000.00 similar to that of a private obstetrician.
2. Doula
A doula is someone who is specially trained to provide knowledge, education, care and support to expecting individuals and their families. They support all births whether you are planning a hospital, home or elective cesarean section. They are an extra line of support to have in your back pocket and can provide much needed continuity of care of which research from Pregnancy to Parenting Australia proves that women and babies had the best results and birthing outcomes when they received continuous pregnancy and labour support.
Every doula has a different background and a different way of approaching their work so it is important that you find one you feel comfortable with. You might also find that you only want a doula for labour and birth or one just for your postnatal period. Doulas can offer comprehensive care during labour: From giving massages , applying acupressure points or using a rebozo, they will also provide emotional and informational support. They can often be the first line of communication between the birthing person and their family who may not be present as well as your primary care provider. A Doula can also easily step in when perhaps your partner or family feel they are out of their comfort zone. A doula is there for you in whatever capacity you need..
3. Public or private healthcare
All obstetricians in Australia must receive certification with Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and they all follow the same strict professional training. Every single healthcare provider also began with initial experience gained through the public hospital system. Care providers in private facilities don’t have anything extra or additional to those in the public sector. They just work under different structures and offer different kinds of services.
The public maternity system has a myriad of care streams depending on what suits you and your pregnancy best. The public system is majoritively midwifery led unless circumstances require you to be seen by an obstetrician or a team of obstetric doctors. It is difficult to obtain continuity of care within Australia’s public system due to the sheer number of women booked in each month however, most hospitals will have a small midwifery group practice program that a couple of women each month can be booked into. This means they are allocated one midwife for their entire pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. HOT TIP: as soon as you find out you are pregnant apply for this program!!!! Public Hospitals are often quicker at an emergency response because they have large teams of dedicated specialists working around the clock but they do have much shorter postnatal stays, anywhere from 6hrs after a normal vaginal delivery to 48/72hrs post cesarean section.
Private sector facilities on the other hand will allow you to pick your preferred private obstetrician who will be dedicated to supporting you throughout your pregnancy, labour and birth. Unlike the public system it can allow you to have that continuity of care experience. A private obstetrician will see you throughout your pregnancy and be available for small periods throughout your labour and birth and will see you through to your 6 week postpartum check-up. Your postnatal stay is often 5-6 days in a private hospital which gives you plenty of time to soak up all the words of wisdom from the midwives caring for you on the postnatal ward and help you get your breastfeeding journey underway. THe private system does come at an extra cost in Australia but can be subsidised if you have maternity private health insurance.
In the end, it all boils down to your birthing preferences and which facility and care provider is best able to respect them. You will need to have a good relationship with every care provider you end up with because it will assist in helping them in giving you the specific support you need. Interviewing your care provider before making a decision is imperative! But before you ask your potential care provider any questions you need to ask yourself a couple of questions to work out what you want for your pregnancy and birth journey! Here are a couple of questions you should ask yourself before making the necessary choices:
- Do you want continued support from the same faces throughout?
- Is convenience more of an importance when you think about delivery?
- Would you be willing to share a room or prefer a private area?
- Does your chosen care provider share the same birthing philosophy as you?
- Is your chosen care provider prepared, as you are, for alternative outcomes?
The care providers you choose should only be concerned with supporting your birth wishes. That’s always a good sign that you are going to feel more control over your birthing experience. The post-natal journey is sure to be smoother if you, and your baby, feel that your wishes were respected, and your labour was treated with the care you prefer and deserve. A good maternity care provider will also open themselves up to any method of coping with labour that can lead to a calmer, more pleasant experience. Little Bird Flies is happy to discuss integrating your chosen doulas, midwives, and obstetricians with the techniques and learning we do over the course.
You can also arrange a meeting with Melissa at Little Bird Flies if you are unsure where to start with your pregnancy journey!! Her 90 minute “so your pregnant, now what” consults are a popular option for many first time and even second time mums!Call us on (+61) 423 835 242 or send us an email at littlebirdflieshypnobirthing@gmail.com and we can discuss all the options available to you and so much more. You don’t have to go on this new path alone because we are here to help. Whether you connect with us virtually or in person, our hypnobirthing classes are a good place to start.
