The full continuity of care option will provide you with two private midwives who will be your first point of contact for the duration of your care. The midwife you are booked in with will be the Primary Maternity Carer for you and will coordinate your whole continuity experience. Your care will be woman centred and individualised, you will also have a second midwife who you will get to know and meet for antenatal checks around 30, 34 & 37 weeks. Your second midwife is there to support your primary midwife for any emergent, scheduled leave or monthly weekend off. However, all the midwives at Coast Life Midwifery, will work with you and your family to provide the most optimum experience for you and your family, you will meet all our midwives at our additional groups such as, early pregnancy, couples evenings and Mums & Bubs.
Antenatal care may be in the comfort of our midwifery practice or in your home at a time to suits you. Your primary midwife will be ‘on call’ for you when you are in labour with support from your second midwife if needed. As your labour progresses you may be assessed and supported at home during your early labour and/or your midwife will accompany you to the hospital where ongoing midwifery care will be provided.
All our midwives promote normal birth and believe that most women can achieve a normal physiological birth experience. Water immersion and/ or water birth are actively supported for all women who are eligible. Your midwives will provide you with further information on the benefits of using water during labour and birth. Baths are available at Sunshine Coast University Hospital and in addition to this our midwives can bring in a portable birthing pool into the hospital. We also have portable birth pools for women eligible to birth at home.
Most importantly, if for any reason you or your baby needs assistance during labour and birth, then we work closely with the hospital team to ensure you have the most optimum experience. If at any time complexities arise during labour and birth, then your midwives caring for you will continue to provide continuity of midwifery care and support in collaboration with the hospital midwifery, obstetric and neonatal teams. Your midwives will advocate for you and facilitate informed decision making at all times.
Following birth most women choose to go home from hospital after a few hours. You will then have 24hr access to your midwives or a known midwife when you go home. Your midwives that you know will then care for you and your baby for up to six weeks, with visits with you in the hospital, home or community.
All of our Midwives are accredited with visiting rights to Sunshine Coast University Hospital across the full scope of midwifery practice.
