South West Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) offers a variety of midwifery and medical models of care. We will discuss the model most appropriate for you at your first pregnancy appointment with the hospital and, depending on your individual needs and the capacity of the preferred service, help you to plan your pregnancy.

Services Available

The different models of care are explained below:

Midwifery Group Practice  

Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) is a pregnancy care option which offers: 

• continuity of care with a primary midwife, who will care for you throughout your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period with a known back-up midwife.
• the ability to contact your midwife at any time via their mobile phone. 
• the availability of an on-call midwife for when you go into labour or need a pregnancy review outside of your routine appointments. 
• visits from your midwife at home after the birth and until the baby is 2 weeks old. 
• health checks on you and your baby and support with feeding for the first 2 weeks.

Maternity Antenatal Postnatal Service  

Features of the Maternity Antenatal Postnatal Service (MAPS) include:

• the same midwife cares for you during your pregnancy and after your baby is born. 
• during labour and birth your care is provided by the birthing unit midwives and doctors. MAPS does NOT include midwife care at this time. 
• the ability to contact your midwife at any time via their mobile phone. 
• visits from your midwife at home after the birth and until the baby is 2 weeks old. 
• health checks on you and your baby and support with feeding for the first 2 weeks.

Team Midwifery 

Features of the Team Midwifery Service include:

• a small group of midwives who care for you during your pregnancy, labour and birth, and after your baby is born.
• the Team Midwives work a rotating roster, so a specific midwife is not on call for the birth, but all the other midwives will know your history and birth plan. 
• when you are in labour, the rostered Team midwife will care for you. 
• team midwifery also offer up to 1 week or more of postnatal visits, depending on individual needs, with postpartum care or breastfeeding guidance. 

Midwives Clinic 

Features of the Midwives Clinic Service include:  

• suitable only for those expecting a low or moderate-risk pregnancy. 
• a midwife who will attend to all your pregnancy care and meet with you at each appointment.
• you should not that your labour and birth care will be provided by the birthing unit midwives and doctors. 
• some Midwives Clinics are available in the community, rather than at a hospital.

GP Antenatal Shared Care 

Pregnancy care with your family doctor is called Antenatal Shared Care, or GP Shared Care. This model features:

• shared care between your family doctor or GP, and your local hospital. 
• When it is time to have your baby, the care you receive during labour and birth is provided by the midwives and doctors at the hospital. 
• GP Shared Care is for women who are likely to have a low-risk pregnancy. 
• If problems arise during your pregnancy, you may need to have your pregnancy care at the hospital. Your GP works closely with the hospital to transfer your pregnancy care. 

For more information on Antenatal Shared Care with your family doctor please call 0484 627 228 or click .

Medical Clinics

Women with moderate- to high-risk pregnancies may have pregnancy care: 

• shared between midwives and doctors in the hospital,
• in a specific collaborative clinic for their identified risk, such as premature birth. 

Aboriginal Health Services for Pregnancy

South West Sydney Local Health District has several services specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and women having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander baby. All hospitals have an Aboriginal Liaison Service to support women and their families.

Tharawal Medical Service - Campbelltown

• MGP, one midwife will provide your pregnancy care at her rooms in the Tharawal Medical Service, 
• Your labour and birth care will be provided by your MGP midwife at Campbelltown Hospital, 
• After the baby is born your midwife will visit you at home until the baby is 2 weeks old. 

The MGP model works from Tharawal with the support of an Aboriginal health worker, and the entire Tharawal multi-disciplinary team. 

Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service (AMIHS) - Campbelltown

• an MAPS for Aboriginal women and women having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander baby at Campbelltown,
• provides continuity of care throughout the pregnancy and for 6 weeks after baby is born. 
• available in various locations, including hospital, community and at home, depending on individual circumstances. 
• care is provided by a midwife and an Aboriginal Health worker to ensure cultural support throughout the pregnancy.

Binya Wiyangara - Liverpool

• Aboriginal antenatal model of care run by an Aboriginal midwife in Liverpool Hospital.
• First booking history appointments for Aboriginal women and babies who will identify as Aboriginal can be made for Wednesday mornings using the Booking in My Pregnancy online form. 
• Some appointments are available at Gandangara Medical Service in Liverpool.  The midwives clinic is for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women who are expected to have a low risk pregnancy. The clinic operates on Wednesday afternoons.

The Binya Wiyangara midwife works collaboratively with the:

• Aboriginal Liaison Officer, 
• Perinatal Infant Mental Health Service,
• Aboriginal Social Worker and Health Care Worker, and 
• The multidisciplinary team. 

Obstetrician Care

Private Obstetrician care is where you receive antenatal care from an Obstetrician of your choice outside of the hospital, in their private rooms. You are still required to book into a hospital for your labour, birth and postnatal care, and you will still give birth in your chosen hospital, but with care from your private Obstetrician. There are, as you might expect, added costs involved with this model of care.

First Steps

Read ‘First Steps in Pregnancy’ for more information about connecting with the antenatal clinic at your hospital.

To begin your pregnancy care with South West Sydney Local Health District complete the ‘Booking in My Pregnancy’ form.