Birth Choices

This is Part 1 of our care provider choices mini-series. In this episode we walk you through the care provider options available to you for pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. We discuss care under the public system - from fragmented general care, to caseload/MGP continuity models, publicly funded Homebirth, and shared care with a GP or private midwife, as well as care from private midwives and private obstetricians. Choosing your car provider matters, and it shouldn’t just be a case of whether you do or don’t have private health insurance. 

To read more about your care provider choices — head to www.birthchoices.com.au/careprovider

Links:

• Cochrane Review into midwifery-led continuity of care: Sandall, J., Soltani, H., Gates, S., Shennan, A., & Devane, D. (2015). Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9, CD004667–CD004667. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub4
• Study comparing caseload midwifery with standard or private obstetric care for first time mothers — ​​Tracy, S. K., Welsh, A., Hall, B., Hartz, D., Lainchbury, A., Bisits, A., White, J., & Tracy, M. B. (2014). Caseload midwifery compared to standard or private obstetric care for first time mothers in a public teaching hospital in Australia: a cross sectional study of cost and birth outcomes. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14(1), 46–46. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-46
• “Factors promoting or inhibiting normal birth”: Prosser, S. J., Barnett, A. G., & Miller, Y. D. (2018). Factors promoting or inhibiting normal birth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 18(1), 241–241. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-018-1871-5
• “What women want if they were to have another baby: the Australian Birth Experience Study (BESt) cross-sectional national survey”: Keedle, H., Lockwood, R., Keedle, W., Susic, D., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). What women want if they were to have another baby: the Australian Birth Experience Study (BESt) cross-sectional national survey. BMJ Open, 13(9), e071582–e071582. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071582
• A content analysis of women’s experiences of different models of maternity care: Pelak, H., Dahlen, H. G., & Keedle, H. (2023). A content analysis of women’s experiences of different models of maternity care: the Birth Experience Study (BESt). BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 864–864. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06130-2

Disclaimer: This podcast aims to share stories and education to assist you in navigating your pregnancy and birth and in discussing these choices with your chosen pregnancy care provider. The information and resources provided are educational in nature and do not constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. 

While we have worked hard to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and based on reliable and up to date evidence, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of this information. Our website and podcast are intended to complement, and never to substitute, your midwifery or medical clinical care. 

Welcome to our introductory episode for birthchoices — the podcast. Meet co-hosts Alice and Elysia who introduce themselves and discuss their plans for the podcast — a platform to share digestible evidence and stories from families, as well as insights from experts, about the range of choices available to you in pregnancy, birth and postpartum.