HealthInfo Canterbury
Midwives
Midwives provide maternity care for women from early pregnancy until four to six weeks after birth. More than 90% of women in New Zealand have a midwife as their lead maternity carer (LMC).
Midwives work in a variety of settings.
- Community midwives provide pregnancy care in a clinic or at your home. Two community midwives attend a home birth. After your baby is born, a community midwife will visit you at least seven times (including five home visits).
- Core midwives work shifts in maternity facilities in hospitals and primary birthing units. They care for you if you need to be in hospital during pregnancy or after birth. When the birth takes place, they work alongside your community midwife.
The Canterbury DHB's primary birthing units are in Lincoln, Rangiora, Ashburton and Kaikōura.
Finding a midwife
Find Your Midwife is an online database of members of the New Zealand College of Midwives. It lists profiles that include availability and contact details.
The Midwifery Resource Centre offers a drop-in service for women and their families looking for pregnancy and childbirth information. A midwife is available from 12 noon to 2 pm on most weekdays to answer questions and provide advice.
You can call the Midwifery Resource Centre on (03) 365-2789. You can also leave a message on their answerphone and someone will call you back as soon as possible.
Qualifications and training
All midwives have a Bachelor of Midwifery degree, followed by mentoring from a senior midwife in their first year of practice. Midwives also undertake continuing education every year to maintain their practising certificates.
Practising midwives register with the Midwifery Council of New Zealand, which regulates the sector. They can also join the New Zealand College of Midwives, which sets professional standards.
Midwives are reviewed every two years, with patient feedback contributing to their evaluation.
Use these feedback forms to provide feedback about a midwife.
What midwives do
During pregnancy, labour, birth and up to six weeks after your baby is born, your midwife:
- provides you with regular pregnancy care, including explanations and referrals for blood tests and scans
- can prescribe medications such as folic acid, iodine, thrush treatments and antibiotics (ask your midwife before you buy over-the-counter medications as they may be cheaper with a prescription)
- monitors the health and wellbeing of you and your growing baby
- refers you to and works closely with other health professionals, such as specialist obstetricians if needed
- cares for you during labour and birth
- provides you with information about pregnancy, labour and caring for your new baby
- visits you at home after your baby is born to provide support for caring for your new baby and breastfeeding
- provides health checks for you and your baby
- refers you and your baby to a Well Child Tamariki Ora provider
- provides you with supportive care that reflects you, your whānau (family), your culture and beliefs.
Cost of seeing a midwife
Midwifery care in New Zealand is funded for New Zealand residents and other eligible women.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed January 2022.
Review key: HIMDW-262040
