HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Midwives
Kaiwhakawhānau
Midwives provide maternity care for women from early pregnancy until 4 to 6 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. 2 community midwives attend a home birth. After your pēpi (baby) is born, a community midwife will visit you at least 7 times (including 5 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.
What midwives do
During pregnancy, labour, birth and up to 6 weeks after your pēpi 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 pēpi
- 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 pēpi
- visits you at home after your pēpi is born to provide support for caring for your new pēpi and breastfeeding
- provides health checks for you and your pēpi
- refers you and your pēpi to a Well Child Tamariki Ora provider
- provides you with supportive care that reflects you, your whānau (family), your culture and beliefs.
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.
Qualifications and training
All midwives have a Bachelor of Midwifery degree. This is 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 2 years, with patient feedback contributing to their evaluation.
Use these feedback forms to provide feedback about a midwife.
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 November 2024.
SourcesReview key: HIMDW-262040
