West Auckland Midwives

West Auckland Midwives

The Role of the Independent Midwife

Usually one of the first questions a midwife will be asked, is what is your role, and what will you do for me?

The role of your independent midwife is to look after you from the day you book in with her, and right up to when your baby is six weeks old.

If you choose an independent midwife as your LMC (lead maternity carer) the midwife will care for you from early pregnancy, during your labour, deliver your baby and care for you both for six weeks post partum, this involves regular home visits by your midwife.

As your LMC we see you on a regular basis through your pregnancy, monthly for the first trimester, fortnightly in the second trimester and weekly from 36 weeks gestation until your baby is born. The bonus of an independent midwife is she is generally the only practitioner that you will deal with (99% of the time) in your pregnant year.

Your LMC will book you into the hospital of your choice, usually within the area you live and arrange all your blood tests, ultrasounds, and also arrange obstetric referrals is this is required during your pregnancy. Obstetric referrals with an obstetrician is usually because the pregnancy has veered of the path of normal and midwives only deal with “normal” pregnancies, so if any complications should arise we have ready access to these specialists. A plan is put in place by the obstetrician which the woman and the midwife follow.

Your independent midwife is on call 24/7 but usually has a backup midwife to help out if the labour has been particularly long or your midwife can,t make her clinic because she is in the hospital with a labouring woman, the backup will then step in and help out. Due to the hours your midwife works, it is very important to consider if you have a question whether it is urgent and warrants a call in the middle of the night, or whether it can wait till working hours.

The second most common questions midwives are asked, is how much is this care going to cost me? Here is New Zealand we are very lucky so long as you are a NZ citizen or NZ resident, all your maternity care will be free. We are very lucky and proud to be able to offer this to our women of NZ.

The third most common question we are asked, is why do I have to come to my appointments with my midwife? Your appointments are very important. We need to monitor the well being of the mother and baby. We discuss any questions or issues that arise, we monitor blood pressure, assess that your baby is growing adequately and even listen to the babies heart beat. We arrange referrals at these appointments ie: blood tests, scans and specialist referrals. These appointments also help you, your partner and children and the midwife to get to know each other, so that when the time comes to have your baby, everyone is comfortable and you are not dealing with a stranger, because during your antenatal time you have built up a relationship with your midwife. As a pregnancy is 40 weeks long this affords the time for you all to build this relationship.

Some women build up such a great bond and relationship with their midwife so that when babies 2,3,4 come along, they choose to return to the midwife that cared for them in their previous pregnancy. It is wonderful for the midwife to have these women return to them.

Unfortunately, not all women and midwives get along. Sometimes there is a clash of personalities, but this is not a problem, as the woman can look for another midwife that offers what she is looking for. It’s great to have that choice.

The midwife client relationship can be complex and over your pregnant year we come to know you and your family fairly well, so it is important to choose the midwife that you are comfortable with….you not only bond with your baby, you also need to bond with your midwife and feel secure in knowing that you can trust her to care for you in the manner you expect.

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FAQ to West Auckland Midwives

Faq to West Auckland Midwives

 

Do I have to book into a hospital to have my baby?

No you don’t as long as you don’t have any past history that would prevent you having a home birth.

Do midwives do water births?

Most midwives are very happy to do water births, but ask the midwife you plan to book with first, as a small amount do not do them

Do midwives do home births

Again this is something you need to discuss with the midwife you plan to book with, because not all midwives offer this service.

When do I book with a midwife?

It’s important to start looking for a midwife as soon as you find out you are pregnant, as midwives can fill up very quickly. Usually between 6 – 8 weeks gestation

When will I feel my baby move?

This usually happens around the 19th week for first babies…and then it is very gentle fluttery movements that you are not too sure about, earlier 17th week for women that have had babies because they know and detect and little earlier.

When will I be scanned?

We do an early scan between 11 and 13 weeks which is a screening for down syndrome then again between the 18th and 20th week which is called an anatomy scan…this is to make sure that baby is developing at the right rate for its gestation…most parents want to know the sex of the baby and this is done at the anatomy scan. Sometimes we scan more often if we suspect the baby is too small or too big, twins, or if a problem has been picked up at the anatomy scan.

How do I know if I am in labour?

This question is discussed with your midwife. She will give you the information of signs and symptoms of labour usually 4 weeks before your due date.

Why do I have to have blood tests?
Blood tests give the midwife very important information in regards to your health at booking, your blood type, whether you have been exposed to sexually transmitted diseases such as Hep B or HIV. They also test for gestational diabetes later in the pregnancy and also ensure that your iron levels are good.

What should I do if I should start bleeding?
You should contact your midwife immediately ( even in the middle of the night) and she will make arrangements for you, either to go to your local hospital or to be scanned, unfortunately if it is a miscarriage there isn’t a lot anyone can do to prevent this from happening.

Is sex safe in pregnancy?
As long as you haven’t had any bleeding or other complications such as recurrent miscarriage then sex is perfectly safe and a normal part of your relationship, and no the baby will not be stabbed in the head as most fathers seem to think this is the case…your baby is perfectly protected.

When can I resume sex after baby?
Sex is ok so long as your are ready for it. Obviously if you have had stitches then it usually takes around six weeks to feel “normal down there” again, but you have to feel comfortable in resuming your sex life, so don’t rush it.

What can I take for contraception?
Again your midwife will discuss this with you post partum, she will give you options that you can choose from, its usually a good idea to also discuss this with your partner and decide which is the best for your both.

When will my periods start again?
Usually 4 – 6 weeks after the birth of the baby. For some breastfeeding mums they don’t get a period until they start weaning baby, but this is not rule of thumb as some breastfeeding mums can start their periods soon after the birth, so always use precautions if you resume you sex life.

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