About Midwives

“Midwives provide safe, women-focused services that families can trust”

Midwives are specialists in pregnancy and childbirth. They complete a three-year degree known as the ‘Bachelor of Midwifery’ in order to gain the knowledge, skills and experience they have to provide safe and professional midwifery care. [If you would like to read the World Health Organisation definition of a Midwife adopted by the NZCOM and the International Confederation of Midwives in 2005, click here]

Midwives practice in different settings. They work in the community and provide birth care at home, in birthing units and in hospitals. [If you would like to read the Midwifery Council of New Zealand's Midwifery Scope of Practice, the legal definition of midwifery in New Zealand, click here]

Midwives provide free maternity care to all eligible women in New Zealand and over 75% of women today have a midwife as their Lead Maternity carer (LMC).

Midwives in New Zealand work in a partnership model of care with women. In this model each woman and her midwife are partners, working together to ensure that the woman has care that best meets her individual needs. The woman and the midwife get to know each other well over the whole maternity experience, building a relationship of trust with each other, sharing information and decision-making and recognising the active role that both play in the woman’s maternity care.

Services provided by midwives include some or all of the following:

• Preconceptual advice
• Free pregnancy testing
• Antenatal care and assessments throughout your pregnancy with visits at home or at the midwife’s clinic. This includes arranging any necessary blood tests or investigative procedures.
• Consultation with an obstetrician or other specialist if complications arise at any time during pregnancy, labour and birth or the weeks following.
• Information and education on a one-on-one basis and for groups
• Time for questions and planning to meet you and your family’s needs
• Support and professional care throughout labour and birth in the place of your choice
• Labour and birth pool hire
• Support, advice and professional care after your baby is born and for 4 – 6 weeks afterwards
• Early discharge home if you birth in hospital
• Support, advice and assistance with breastfeeding and caring for your baby
• Contraceptive advice
• Discharge from midwifery care when you are ready at about 4 – 6 weeks and referral on to the Plunket nurse, iwi provider, other well child provider or general practitioner. These practitioners can provide support and assist with ongoing care such as immunisation and well child checks.

To practise as a midwife in New Zealand, the midwife must have an annual practising certificate issued by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand.

The New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) sets and actively promotes high standards for midwifery practice. The NZCOM assists midwives to meet these through involvement in midwifery education and the Midwifery Standards Review process.

For more information about midwives click here or email nzcom@nzcom.org.nz

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