Finding a midwife to be your lead maternity carer

For a downloadable list of LMC midwives for Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti click on the following link:

LMC midwives for Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti

If you are unable to find an LMC midwife, preferably contact us via our online form or if needed phone us on 0800 Find MW (0800 346 369). Leave a message and we will ring you back. If you know your NHI hospital number please state it when contacting us.

If you are unable to find a community midwife LMC we can refer you to the midwifery team at Wellington Regional Hospital.

Your LMC can be a midwife, a general practitioner (GP) or a specialist obstetrician. You may register with an LMC as soon as you become pregnant. You may also receive first trimester care (up until the 12th week of pregnancy) from a GP, even if they are not your LMC.

Possible questions to ask when choosing an LMC include:

• Do you work with a team, or will you provide all my care
  When and how should I contact you?
• Will you be on leave at any stage?
• What do you offer for birth location (eg hospital, maternity unit, birthing unit, home birth)?
• You may also like to ask questions about their experience, how busy they are, practice and philosophy about birth.

The Ministry of Health's HealthEd website provides further information about choosing a LMC.  

In Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti, if you want a midwife to be your lead maternity carer (LMC) we encourage you to register early in your pregnancy. A midwife LMC is responsible for your maternity care throughout your pregnancy, birth and until 6 weeks after the birth of your baby.

If it is taking time to find a midwife LMC, your GP can provide early pregnancy care. Your GP can arrange pregnancy blood tests and scans and can see you for any concerns. Ask your GP when you should visit them next if you are waiting for confirmation on booking with a midwife.

What to expect when trying to find a midwife LMC

This flow chart explains what to expect when trying to find a midwife LMC, and how we can help you with this.

The Ministry of Health's HealthEd website (https://www.healthed.govt.nz/) lists the things your LMC or backup LMC will do:

• Take responsibility for your care throughout your pregnancy, labour and birth, and for you and your baby’s care until 4 to 6 weeks after your baby is born.
• Provide you with information to help you make choices about your care.
• Provide you with free maternity care if you are eligible (unless your LMC is a private obstetrician.
• Refer you or your baby to a specialist if it becomes necessary.
• Develop a plan with you for your care, including your labour and the birth.
• Be with you during your labour and the birth.
• Visit you at home after the birth.
• Refer you to your chosen Well Child provider at a time agreed by you. This will be by 4 weeks after the birth of your baby.
• Provide a written note to your GP before discharging you from their care.

The New Zealand government sets the eligibility criteria for funding for health and disability services, including maternity care. There are a number of groups who meet eligibility criteria, including New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, Australian citizens and permanent residents who have lived or intend to live in New Zealand for 2 years or more and children of eligible people.

Find out more about eligibility for health care funding here.

The New Zealand College of Midwives

The New Zealand College of Midwives is the professional organisation for midwives. It offers education and advice to women regarding midwifery and maternity issues. Its website is www.midwife.org.nz. The Wellington region New Zealand College of Midwives has its own website at http://www.wellingtonmidwives.com/.

For a list of midwives in Wellington visit https://www.findyourmidwife.co.nz/midwives/wellington. This site is provided by the New Zealand College of Midwives and:

• has a due date calculator
• searches for midwives by due date, locality, preferred place of birth (hospital, birthing centre or home)
• shows only midwives who hold a current Annual Practising Certificate, are members of the New Zealand College of midwives and are currently practising
• provides up-to-date information - each midwife’s month-by-month availability is regularly updated
• provides written profiles of each midwife and contact details
• has a print list option for women who don’t have a computer
• includes information on New Zealand’s midwifery-led maternity care system.

Please note that this is not a definitive list of all the midwives that work in Wellington but is an indication of some of the midwifery groups that practice in the region.

Ministry of Health

Visit Mum 2 Be

You may find the Ministry of Health's booklet Your pregnancy helpful. 

LMCs and GP practices can obtain copies of this booklet through their local public health provider or fromwww.healthed.govt.nz

Nga Maia

Nga Maia is a national organisation supporting Maori in pregnancy and childbirth. Find out more at www.ngamaia.co.nz.

Home Birth Aotearoa

Home Birth Aotearoa is a national organisation representing the home birth associations across the country.

The website lists the contact details for a number of midwives who offer home births in Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti. Visit http://homebirth.org.nz/your-midwife/

Yellow Pages

Contact details for Independent midwives can also be found in the Yellow Pages.

To find a midwife in neighbouring regions, please use the following links:

• Find a midwife in Hutt Valley
• Find a midwife in the Wairarapa

For a national list of midwives visit https://www.findyourmidwife.co.nz This site is provided by the New Zealand College of Midwives.

Community Midwifery Team (CMT)

For more information about the CMT see the resources, information forms under midwifery