I am pregnant - what next? - Te Whatu Ora

Lead maternity carers and midwives

What is a lead maternity carer (LMC)?

As soon as you know you're pregnant you need to choose a lead maternity carer (LMC).

Most LMCs are midwives, and some GPs and obstetricians are also LMCs.

Women who are eligible for publicly-funded health services receive free maternity care from LMCs in the Nelson Marlborough region.

Your LMC will:

monitor your health and the baby’s wellbeing during pregnancy and refer you for free ultrasound scans
provide information about choices you can make, for example where to have your baby
care for you during labour and birth and for the first 4-6 weeks after your baby is born.

Midwives are experts in normal pregnancy and childbirth and can provide all of your maternity care when your pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal period are normal. Our local midwives work in partnership with women and their families in a relationship based on trust, shared decision making and responsibility, negotiation and shared understanding.

Midwives work closely with community organisations such as:

Plunket
Tamariki Ora services
Te Piki Oranga (Well Child Tamariki Ora programme)
general practices (medical centres)
social workers
breastfeeding and postnatal depression support groups

If your midwife is concerned about the wellbeing of you or your baby at any time, she will refer you to an obstetrician at either Nelson or Wairau hospital for advice or medical care. See our Specialist maternity services page for more information about specialist care.

How to find a midwife

You don’t need a referral from your GP to book in with a LMC midwife.

To find a LMC midwife, please visit: www.findyourmidwife.co.nz

If you are unable to find a midwife or need some advice or assistance please call:

Wairau Hospital Maternity Unit on (03) 520 9979
Nelson Hospital Maternity Unit on (03) 546 1437
Golden Bay midwives on 0800 TAKAMW

What to expect from your midwife

Respectful treatment: Supportive care that respects you, your family and whanau, your culture and beliefs and your informed decisions about tests, recommendations and interventions.

Personal attention: Caring attention to develop a trusting and nurturing relationship with you and your whanau to help you to labour and give birth safely, and to help you, your partner and whanau with the transition to motherhood and parenting.

Plenty of information: About pregnancy, birth and the weeks afterwards, including breastfeeding and care of your baby.

Professional care: Regular and thorough check-ups for you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, during labour, and after the birth.

Coping with the pain of labour: Midwives have expertise in labour and birth and will be able to provide you with support and assistance, or consult with specialist doctors, when needed.

Continuity of care throughout the whole experience: Midwives offer care from early pregnancy up to six weeks after the birth of your baby.

For more information visit the New Zealand College of Midwives website.

Questions to ask your LMC

Ask your LMC about:

their qualifications and experience – particularly if you have any risk factors (such as high blood pressure or previous complicated births)
(if relevant to you) their experience at home births, systems for dealing with complications and system for obtaining help
their arrangements to cover time-off and holidays. You may wish to meet your LMC's locum or back-up midwife.
(if your LMC is a GP or obstetrician) who will attend your labour and birth? Who will provide your home visits?

Make a plan

Make a plan for your pregnancy, birthing and baby's first stages of life:

1. During your pregnancy, find more information about what developments are occurring for your baby and what scans/testing can be done at the different stages:

Pregnancy weeks 0 - 14

Pregnancy weeks 14 - 30

Pregnancy week 30 and onwards

2. Find out and plan for what happens as you go into labour and when your baby is born:

Where to give birth

Helpful advice for the birth and afterwards

3. Baby's first stages of life

Baby's first 6 weeks

Where to give birth

Your options

You can choose to give birth at home, in a primary maternity unit (birthing centre) or in a hospital maternity ward.

Women who give birth at home or in a birthing centre or small maternity unit are more likely to have a normal birth than those who give birth in hospital.

You should discuss the place of birth with your LMC as part of your planning in early pregnancy. Unless you have complications all of these choices are safe.

Home birth

Home birth is a safe choice for many women.

Women who have home births use less pain relief and have fewer caesarean sections and forceps deliveries than women who give birth in hospital. If you want to know more about this choice talk to your midwife or doctor. You can find out more on the Home Birth Aotearoa website.

At a home birth your midwife will have another midwife there to support you and her during and after the birth. Your midwife will stay with you for at least two hours after the birth.

Primary maternity units (birthing centres)

In the Nelson Marlborough region you have the choice of a primary maternity unit, or birthing centre.

Women giving birth in these smaller units tend to use less pain relief and have fewer caesarean sections and forceps deliveries than those who give birth in hospital.

Motueka Maternity Unit (Te Whare Whānau)

Te Whare Whānau maternity unit in Motueka is a primary maternity facility that provides quality maternity care in a homely, peaceful environment for labour, birth and postnatal care.

The unit's facilities include:

two birthing rooms
a birthing pool
three individual postnatal rooms with double beds so partners can stay during the postnatal care period.

Women who give birth elsewhere can transfer to Te Whare Whānau after their birth to stay for their postnatal care in the first two days after birth. Women receive full midwifery care and hotel services. Breakfast and dinner meals are also provided free for partners.

Te Whare Whānau provides 24/7 midwifery care for all women staying in the facility. The facility has been independently certified as a maternity hospital by the Ministry of Health and certified as a Baby Friendly hospital which means they meet the highest standards of maternity care in New Zealand.

Te Whare Whānau also provides clinic rooms for antenatal checkups and a free breastfeeding clinic.

Golden Bay Maternity Unit

The Golden Bay Maternity Unit in the Golden Bay Integrated Family Health Centre is a primary birthing and postnatal stay facility.

Women can transfer there from Nelson Hospital's Maternity Unit if they and their baby do not require specialist care.

The maternity unit has one birthing room with a birthing pool and meets national Baby Friendly Standards and Accreditation.

Hospital maternity wards

Nelson Hospital

The Nelson Hospital Maternity Ward provides a high-quality maternity service for women and their families from the Nelson, Tasman, Golden Bay, Murchison and Pelorus region.

The ward offers a warm, modern environment staffed by our team of friendly and professional core midwives, obstetric and paediatric teams. Support service staff can also provide Māori cultural support, breastfeeding support and quit-smoking support.

Nelson Hospital Maternity Ward has:

four antenatal beds
four birthing suites
a birthing pool room
10 private (not shared) postnatal rooms
a private roof-top garden area
a dedicated operating theatre nearby (for caesarean sections)
anaesthetic services for epidural pain relief during labour

Women may also transfer to Motueka or Golden Bay primary maternity units from Nelson hospital for their postnatal care.

Nelson Hospital has been certified by the Ministry of Health and the maternity ward has been accredited as a Baby Friendly hospital which means it meets the highest standards of maternity care in New Zealand.

Wairau Hospital

The Wairau Hospital Maternity Ward provides antenatal, labour and birth and postnatal inpatient facilities for women from the Marlborough region.

The ward offers a warm, modern environment staffed by our team of friendly and professional core midwives, obstetric and paediatric teams. Support service staff can also provide Māori cultural support, breastfeeding support and quit-smoking support.

The ward has:

three birthing rooms
a birthing pool room
8 individual antenatal and postnatal beds
a private garden area
an operating theatre nearby (for caesarean sections)
anaesthetic services for epidural pain relief during labour

Wairau Hospital has been certified by the Ministry of Health and the maternity ward has been accredited as a Baby Friendly hospital which means it meets the highest standards of maternity care in New Zealand.

Compliments and complaints

Healthline

• Maternity services

I am pregnant - what next?

Helpful advice during pregnancy

Find more information on some common topics for pregnant women and their partners:

Lead maternity carers and midwives

What is a lead maternity carer (LMC)?

As soon as you know you're pregnant you need to choose a lead maternity carer (LMC).

How to find a midwife

How to find a midwife

You don’t need a referral from your GP to book in with a LMC midwife.

What to expect from your midwife

Questions to ask your LMC

Ask your LMC about:

Make a plan

Make a plan for your pregnancy, birthing and baby's first stages of life:

Where to give birth

Your options

You can choose to give birth at home, in a primary maternity unit (birthing centre) or in a hospital maternity ward.

Home birth

Home birth is a safe choice for many women.

Primary maternity units (birthing centres)

In the Nelson Marlborough region you have the choice of a primary maternity unit, or birthing centre.

Motueka Maternity Unit (Te Whare Whānau)

Golden Bay Maternity Unit

Hospital maternity wards

Nelson Hospital

Wairau Hospital

Video tour of our maternity facilities

Take a tour of maternity facilities at Nelson and Wairau (Blenheim) hospitals, and at the Motueka Maternity Unit: