Finding a Midwife

Below are some good starting places, to help you choose your Midwife.


  http://www.findyourmidwife.co.nz This is a website, run in association with the New Zealand College of Midwives and has a database of Midwives in your area


http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/maternity is a site that gives information about health care.


https://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/index.php?option=com_mcnz&view=registersearch   This is the Midwifery Council site, where you can look up information about a particular Midwife. 


Ask a question on the Blog site, about others experiences, or if you had a Midwife who was awesome, then share it with everyone!


YOU AND YOUR MIDWIFE

Your LMC (lead maternity carer or Midwife) will be responsible for organising your maternity care and for planning your care/ birth plan with you. They will organise monitoring procedures and tests that are offered during pregnancy, such as ultrasound scans, blood tests. Your LMC will attend your labour from when you have arrive at a maternity facility, or for a home birth. Your LMC will help you deliver your baby and manage your care after, up to 4-6 weeks following your birth,. Your midwife will visit you at home during that time.

Finding the right Midwife can be a worrying time. One of the best ways is to ask around pregnant friends and new mums, about their experiences with their Midwives. Everyone has a different idea of what their ideal may be, and listening to peoples stories can give you a good idea if a particular Midwife is a good fit for you.
 

Some mums will make appointments with several Midwives before deciding, but this can have difficulties, as if the process takes a week or two, to see all the Midwives you like, then by the time you decide, that Midwife's case list may be full, as they won't be able generally to hold a space for you. So doing your research before going to meet your chosen Midwife, can save a lot of disappointment.
Most good Midwives will have their personal profile on line somewhere, so you can take a read and see. 


Make a list of things that are important to you, find out things like how long the Midwife has been qualified, have they worked for the whole time since they qualified. Are they happy to care for you in the place and in the way that you want. Are they familiar with any special medical or emotional needs you may have.

Midwives are, by their nature, dedicated to their chosen career, but you must remember that they are human and have families, demands and responsibilities in their own lives, that must be respected by you. Having mutual respect for each others needs will help build a strong and supportive relationship with your Midwife.