Your (many) Birthing Options in Perth
Updated Nov 2023
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope you’re feeling well.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to start considering what your dream birth looks like, where it will take place and who you’ll have on your birth team.
Choosing a model of care that works for you, and aligns with your vision and values could single handedly lead to most amazing experience of your life.
When I was pregnant with my first, I had no clue there were any other options besides public or private hospital. I wish I knew what was out there so I could have considered what was right for me and decide on a model of care that suited me better. I hope this article can help you see how many different options there are, and help you make a decision that leads to your best birth.
Your options for where to birth are;
- Home
- Family Birth Centre)
- Public Hospital
- Private Hospital
When choosing a care provider, you really need to ask yourself what kind of care you would like to receive. This can depend on your values and visions, along with what you’re comfortable with. Your options are:
- Private practicing midwife
- Public midwives and OBs
- Private OB
- CMP (Community Midwife Practice)
- MGP (Midwife Group Practice)
- Midwifery Clinic
- GP Shared care
- Free Birth
- Doula (birth support, not care provider)
Okay that’s a lot of options! It is important when choosing a care provider that you interview them to ensure they are right for you, and will support your wants and needs, and the vision you have of your perfect birth., don’t forget they work for YOU and you should be comfortable asking questions.
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola. Homebirth of Zia & Mathys
Home Birth
Birthing at your own home can be a transformative experience and have so many advantages and. Feeling safe is a massive part of a calm, relaxed birth which means Homebirthing mummas generally experience less intervention, less need for pain relief and less chance of caesarean and birth trauma. You can birth at home with a private midwife even if you are labelled ‘high risk’ is most cases. You can have whoever you like to support you including your kids or pets. You have all the creature comforts of your own home and won’t be separated from your partner after birth. If at any point you don’t feel safe, you can transfer to hospital for extra help or peace of mind. Check out Perth Homebirth Group on Facebook.
Cost: Home birth materials from $0 - $ 400 (birth pool hire, towels, fairy lights etc.) plus see below Private Practicing Midwife for their costs OR free through CMP program
Care Provider option: Private practicing midwife
Private Midwives (PM) are women centered and physiological birth focused. In my opinion they provide the gold standard in maternity care. Private Midwives can attend homebirths and some have admitting rights to some hospitals meaning they can attend public hospitals with you if you wish to birth there. You can choose your own midwife and she will visit your home for your antenatal appointments, be present for your labour and birth, stay with you for some time after and visit you for up to six weeks postpartum. Private Midwives are very sought after and can get booked up very fast, you should contact your preferred midwife as soon as you are pregnant to secure them. Private midwives are very adequately trained to provide medical and emergency care.
List of Privately Practicing Midwives in Perth
Cost: Approx. $6,000 - $8,000, antenatal and postnatal appointment can be covered by Medicare
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola of Steph from Peace of Mind Midwifery
Hospital – Public
If you’re not opting for a homebirth and you don’t have private cover your GP will refer you for a public hospital birth. You will need to visit the hospital for each check up (after around 20 weeks) and for your birth. You will see a different midwife and/or obstetrician (OB) at each appointment and whoever is working while you’re in labour will be at your birth. You will stay anywhere from a few hours after birth, to a few days. You may wish to birth in hospital if that’s where you feel safe or if there is a specific intervention you’re wanting. You will have a higher chance of unwanted intervention, a smaller support team allowed and they will not be able to stay with you once baby is born. Be sure to collaborate with your care provider on your birth plan and ensure they have a copy so whoever is on shift during your birth can support you exactly how you’d like.
Cost: Free (you can choose to hire a private midwife or a doula and still birth in hospital so those services would come at a cost to you)
Public hospitals in Perth Metro area:
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola - Birth of Katie & Alexander
Care Provider option: Community Midwifery Program (CMP)
CMP is a continuity of care model available to women with low-risk pregnancies. You will be assigned a team of midwives, with one specific midwife seeing you commonly. They can attend prenatal appointments in your home. CMP can support you birthing at home, the family birth center or in a public hospital. Your midwife will attend your birth, stay with you afterwards and attend your home to visit for up to four weeks postnatally. They have reasonably strict intake criteria and limited spots so apply as early as possible..
Cost: Free
Care Provider Option: Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)
Similar to CMP but within the hospital, it can be found at the Family Birthing Centre, KEMH, Armadale Hospital, Broome Hospital and Northam Hospital. Designed for women birthing in hospital, you will be assigned a small group of midwives who will see you during pregnancy birth and postnatally.
For more information contact the hospital you wish to birth at.
Cost: Free
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola
Family Birth Centre
Family birth centers are designed to be similar to a homebirth but they are attached to a hospital. They are midwifery led with birth pools and other things that promote physiological birth. They only accept low risk mothers and have limited places. You are sent home soon after your birth. Continuity of care is a massive benefit in pregnancy, birth and postpartum meaning you see the same small group of midwives throughout, You can bring kids with you if you have someone to look after them and the hospital is very closeby should you wish to transfer.
The two birthing centers in Perth are located at Fiona Stanley Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Cost: Free
Hospital – Private
If you wish to birth in a Private hospital birth you will need to choose a Private Obstetrician to work with. You will attend your appointments at the private hospital, birth there and generally stay for 3 days after birth. Your partner can stay with you postnatally at an additional cost. Private Hospitals have added services like a food menu to order off at any time. Water births are generally not available and you have a much higher chance of intervention and caesarean section when working with an OB.
Cost: See below cost for Private OB
Private maternity hospitals in Perth Metro area:
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola
Care Provider Option: Private Obstetrician
Private OB’s are specialized in managing high risk births and complications during birth, therefore birth with an OB may be a very medicalized event. Some OBs encourage physiological birth but statistically you are more likely to be induced and have a caesarean section with Private OB care. You will see the same OB throughout antenatal appointments, and they will be present for your birth (their midwives will be with you during labour). Private OB’s can be more strict with their policies so be sure to you discuss your wants and needs for your birth, along with your back up plan prior to paying their fees to ensure they are on board.
Cost: Private OB and private hospital stay $3,500 - $7,500 with some back from Medicare
OTHER CARE PROVIDER OPTIONS -
Midwifery Clinic
Midwifery clinics provide continuity of care pre and post birth. You attend their clinic for your prenatal check ups instead of the hospital but they can’t attend your birth with you. Your midwife will see you postnatally however some clinics do not do home visits. These clinics can be great if you’re close by and not having to wait at the hospital to see a different midwife at each appointment is a big win. There are currently two clinics in Perth Perth Pregnant Centre in Clarkson and Perth Maternity in Success.
Cost: Free
GP Shared Care
You can visit your GP for check ups instead of the hospital. This can be a convenient option if it’s available to you. Your GP will work collaboratively with your hospital to relay information.
Cost: Cost of your GP consult
Cost: Free
Freebirth
You have the option, of course, to not use any medical model of care, and just birth your baby however you like. Most free births will be at home. You can have whoever you like at your birth. Despite what you may have heard, you are well within your rights to free birth, it’s completely legal and very much gaining in popularity. You will be able to find more information on google or facebook groups.
Photo by Illuminate with Nikola
Doula
A Doula is a birth support person and coach who provides emotional, physical and mental support as well as education around birthing options, rights, practices, physiology of birth and more. A Doula is a non-medical support person and you can hire a Doula to attend any type of birth. Choose the Doula that feels right to you and similarly you want your Doula to get the same feeling. You will work together to prepare for your ideal birth, and she will support you through the ups and downs of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Doulas provide a range of packages, if you don’t want her at your birth but throughout pregnancy and postpartum for support, she can do that too. One study shows that women who have a Doula are more likely to be satisfied with their birth, less likely to have epidurals, synthetic oxytocin, instrumental births and/ or caesareans, and were reported to be more likely have a spontaneous and shorter labour***.
“If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it” – Dr John Kennell MD
As you can see, there are A LOT of options. Only consider the options that feel right for you, don’t be confused by options that don’t align with you, or that you feel pressured into by anyone else. This is your birth, your choice and at the end of the day, you are the one that needs to own your decisions and live with your experience.
Generally what you want your birth to look like will depict the location and type of care you choose, it may feel natural or be a stretch to follow your dream birth but I say go for it!
Whatever feels most safe for you will be the safest option. How you perceive your birth will make you as a Mother, let’s ensure it’s the absolute best it can be!
You are so worthy of receiving the best care and I wish you all the best.
Feel free to get in contact with me if you have any queries on the above, or on how we can work together. I would love to hear from you! And PLEASE drop a comment below if you found this blog useful.
