When you find out you are pregnant, choose a lead maternity carer as early as possible. This is very important for your health and for your baby.
Most women in New Zealand can choose maternity services that are free. Find out if you can get free maternity care.
Check the Ministry of Health website to find out if you can get free maternity care [1]
Most women choose a midwife but you may wish to choose a specialist doctor (an obstetrician). Note that if you choose a specialist doctor you will have to pay for your maternity care. In some places a general practitioner (a GP) who has been specially trained to care for pregnant women may be available.
You can visit the 'Find Your Midwife' website or talk to your doctor or nurse about finding a midwife in your area.
Visit the 'Find Your Midwife' website [2]
Your midwife or specialist doctor will support you from when you first see them until your baby is around 6 weeks old. It's important that you choose someone you feel comfortable with.
See the Ministry of Health's website for information about choosing a midwife or specialist doctor [3]
Remember that you can change the person who is looking after you at any time. But, many women find that it's important to have the same person throughout pregnancy, labour and birth, and after baby is born.
The midwife or specialist doctor you choose to care for you is your care provider. They are responsible for your care throughout your pregnancy, labour and birth. They will also care for you and your baby until your baby is 6 weeks old. They will give you the information you need to make decisions around your pregnancy and birth.
Your care provider (or their backup) will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for urgent care. If you have an urgent concern, contact your care provider immediately, whatever the time of day. For non-urgent queries, take your questions to your planned visits with your midwife or specialist doctor, or contact them during their normal working hours.
You should expect your midwife or specialist doctor to:
Your midwife or specialist doctor will see you throughout your pregnancy. They will feel your tummy to check baby's growth, position and heartbeat, and take your blood pressure and test your wee/mimi.
They will also offer screening tests and scans to check that both you and your baby are healthy and well. If you decide to have these tests and scans, your midwife or specialist doctor will arrange them for you and explain your results.
Your midwife or specialist doctor will explain how often you will need to be seen during your pregnancy. These visits may be able to take place in your home, at a clinic, on the marae or in a hospital.
For some women pregnancy can be a difficult time. You may need someone to talk to or you may want some specific support. Your midwife or your doctor or nurse will be able to talk to you about any issues you face.
Visit Abortion Services in New Zealand [9], ring 0800 ABORTION (0800 226 784) or talk to your doctor or nurse if you want to know more about termination (abortion).
Clinical trials help improve the care provided in pregnancy and for newborn babies. There are many of them actively recruiting pregnant women and babies across New Zealand. During your pregnancy or shortly after your baby is born, you, or your baby, may be invited to take part in a clinical trial.
A clinical trial recruits people to test new or existing 'interventions' designed to help improve human health. Interventions can include drugs, devices, vaccines, surgery, behavioural therapies, diagnostic tests, or preventive care changes. Clinical trials facilitate continual improvements in the care provided to mothers and babies by identifying what practice improves health and what practice causes harm or has no effect. They also reduce variation in practice.
Clinical trials including New Zealand mothers and babies help midwives, nurses, and doctors provide better and more consistent care for all. There is also evidence that individuals benefit from participating in clinical trials. For participating mums and babies this may include receiving a new treatment, extra monitoring and testing, attentive research staff, and the reward of knowing you are contributing towards the better health of New Zealand mums and babies in the future.
The ON TRACK Network is the national clinical trials network that supports clinical trials around the country. The Network has set up a forum for women and whānau to learn more and talk about clinical trials.
See the ON TRACK Network's women and whānau page for further information [10]
Reproduced from Maternity care [11] at the Ministry of Health website.
This page last reviewed 15 June 2021.
Email us [29] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/publicly-funded-health-and-disability-services/pregnancy-services
[2] https://www.findyourmidwife.co.nz/
[3] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/choosing-midwife-or-specialist-doctor
[4] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/pregnancy/helpful-advice-during-pregnancy/getting-ready-baby
[5] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/birth-and-afterwards/labour-and-birth
[6] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/maternity-care-after-birth
[7] https://kidshealth.org.nz/well-child-tamariki-ora-programme
[8] https://kidshealth.org.nz/your-childs-doctor-and-practice-nurse
[9] https://abortion.org.nz/
[10] https://ontrack.perinatalsociety.org.nz/women-whanau/
[11] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/maternity-care
[12] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2689?language=mi
[13] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2688?language=mi
[14] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2744?language=mi
[15] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1982?language=mi
[16] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/finding-out-if-youre-pregnant
[17] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/learning-about-pregnancy-birth-and-parenting
[18] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/pregnancy-screening-tests
[19] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/where-give-birth
[20] https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/services-and-support-during-pregnancy/maternity-care-during-birth
[21] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1416?language=mi
[22] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1437?language=mi
[23] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1430?language=mi
[24] https://pregnancyhelp.org.nz/services/
[25] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1421?language=mi
[26] https://parentscentre.org.nz/your-local-centre/
[27] https://parentscentre.org.nz/information-for-parents/
[28] https://parentscentre.org.nz/antenatal-parenting-courses/
[29] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F1314%3Flanguage%3Dmi