SWH provides medically led antenatal care supported by a team of midwives at the Women’s Health Service (WHS). The medically led appointments include obstetric and early pregnancy assessment and our midwife led appointments cover pregnancy and antenatal care. A ‘Booking in” appointment occurs around 24 weeks and discussed the options for antenatal classes and the Outpatient Midwifery Assessment clinic.
An alternative model of care offers a number of pregnant women the option of joining our midwife-led Continuity Midwife Program (CMP) for low and high risk pregnancies. CMP is run by a small team of highly experienced midwives and offers women the benefit of receiving a large proportion of their pregnancy care. You will also receive antenatal care from Obstetric doctors at 12, 28, 36 and 41 weeks of your pregnancy. The CMP midwives aim to be present for your labour and birth, and will provide postnatal care at home. If you are wishing to join CMP please phone (03) 5564 4154 when you are 12 weeks pregnant to enquire about being part of the program.
Shared care for pregnancy care with accredited general practitioners (GP) is also an option for you. Please speak to the Obstetric consultant at the time of your first appointment to arrange this. If you are undertaking shared care the shared care clinician will replace the midwife antenatal appointments at 16-18 weeks, 32 weeks and 38 weeks.
SWH provides antenatal care for women in South West Victoria. For an appointment you will need a referral letter from your General Practitioner (GP) to access services in the WHS.
Your doctor will need to fax your referral letter to the service.
Our fax number is: (03) 5564 4370
Once the referral is received, the WHS will notify you that your referral has been processed and offer you the next available time for your appointment. We aim to see you between 10 – 12 weeks of your pregnancy for your first antenatal appointment.
Women are seen strictly in order of appointment time, but we have concurrent clinics running at any given time so you may see others that arrive later seen before you. We do our best to run to time, however delays do occur and we therefore recommend that you allow at least two hours for your appointment. We do ask that you present back to reception if you have been waiting for more than 30 minutes.
