How much does it cost to have my own midwife?

Private midwifery costs vary depending on the services you want to use. The midwives at New Life Midwifery have Medicare provider numbers, therefore if you have a Medicare card and are currently pregnant or have recently had a baby, you will be eligible to claim Medicare rebates for private midwifery services. Medicare does not cover the whole cost of private midwifery services, therefore there will be some out of pocket costs for most services. The exact cost is dependant upon your Medicare safety net. As our midwives do not have private visiting access to health care services, there is no Medicare rebate for birth. We are happy to provide the details of the various options available and costs for each during your initial no-obligation information visit at our clinic.

To book, call our clinic on 3282 9614 (Mon-Thurs, 8:30am-4:30pm) or email us at midwife@newlifemidwifery.com.au

Do I need a referral from my Doctor to come to New Life?

No referral is required to have an information session with one of our midwives. However, if you are outside the Ipswich catchment or plan to birth at another health care facility, you may require a referral for the booking appointment.

Our New Life midwives are Endorsed which means they can write scan and blood referrals and prescribe medications, within their scope of practice.

Do I need private health cover to use private midwife services?

No. Private health funds have many different plans and a few companies provide some cover for private midwifery services. If you already have a health fund, we recommend asking your health fund about what benefits you are entitled to.

What happens if I have some exisiting health issues or complications in pregnancy, can I still have my own private midwife?

Yes. It is your choice which health professionals are involved in your care. Your midwife has a defined area of expertise and scope of practice which includes normal pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. If you have additional health needs, your midwife will work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure that you are receiving the right level of support and advice for your individual needs.

If I choose to use New Life, who will be my midwife?

At New Life Midwifery there are 3 full time and 2 part time midwives who each have a caseload of women who are due to birth every calendar month (unless the midwife is planning to have scheduled annual leave). We only have capacity to book a certain amount of women each month to ensure we maintain our gold standard of care. At New Life, we recommend you to meet your midwife at the information visit but if this isn’t possible we always offer you the opportunity to meet any others who are available if you wish, even after your information visit. During your pregnancy you will have opportunities to meet the other midwives in clinic as they will attend as a second midwife at home birth and/or provide back up if your midwife is unavailable for any reason (for example if she is sick, on leave, or providing birth support).

What pregnancy resources do you have?

At New Life Midwifery we have a large lending library with books, research articles and DVDs and these are available for our clients to borrow at no extra cost. We love for you to empower yourself with as much knowledge as possible!

Can I bring my partner and children to appointments?

New Life midwives honour this journey as a rite of passage. Partners are encouraged to attend where possible and children are always welcome too. In fact, particularly if you are birthing at home, younger children in particular are encouraged to be present to get to know the midwife also so they feel comfortable when she attends you at home. Any support person you choose to be part of your journey is welcome.