Care options during pregnancy in Hunter New England

• Visit your GP if you have a positive pregnancy test.
• Your GP will confirm your pregnancy by taking a comprehensive health and medical history, ordering your blood tests and an obstetric ultrasound.
• You'll have an early pregnancy dating scan.
• A referral will be sent to the closest hospital to your address for pregnancy care.
• Your hospital maternity unit will make an appointment after receiving a referral for your first visit, or you can contact them yourself.

• You'll have your first visit at the hospital maternity unit, attended by a midwife at around 11-14 weeks to discuss options for your care.
• If your care is through John Hunter Hospital, Narrabri Hospital, or Moree Hospital, from 11 weeks, you'll have a blood test for your Initial Maternity Assessment and Planning (IMAP) visit. You'll attend your IMAP appointment at the hospital antenatal clinic, which will include a visit with a midwife, obstetrician and an ultrasound scan. This visit can take up to 2 hours.
• You'll get a pregnancy plan and referral to a model of care.
• Your pregnancy care will depend on your general health, your preferences, where you live and your previous birth experience. For more information go to Pregnancy, birth and baby
• You'll be offered a referral to the Get Healthy in Pregnancy service.

• First visit with your ongoing antenatal care provider.
• You'll be given a request given form for your morphology scan.
• Book in for the Pregnancy wise early pregnancy education session (John Hunter Hospital only).
• You'll have your morphology ultrasound scan at around 20 weeks.
• Ongoing care with your provider will continue.

• Antenatal visit with the hospital midwives at 28 weeks.
• You'll have routine blood tests, including a glucose tolerance test.
• Immunisations including whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines will be offered.
• Anti-D injection for women with negative blood group.
• Book into birth and parenting classes if you have not already done this.
• Now is a good time to start thinking about your birth preferences (PDF 534.71KB) (PDF 534.71KB) (PDF 534.71KB) and talk about it with your care provider.

• Antenatal visit with the hospital midwives at 36 weeks.
• Continued ongoing care with your provider.
• Routine blood tests.
• Second Anti D injection for women with negative blood group.
• Book in for your free breastfeeding class.

• Continued routine visits with your care provider.
• Time to meet your baby (remember, only 5% of babies are born on their due date).
• For women who go past their due date, an appointment will be arranged by your care provider to attend the Maternity Assessment Unit at around 41 weeks.
• Plans will be made for you to birth your baby before 42 weeks.

Women requiring specialist or higher-level care will be referred to the High-Risk Clinic.

Community antenatal clinics make our services more convenient for women to access ongoing antenatal care in their local communities. These clinics are run by midwives and are for healthy pregnant women with normal risk for medical or obstetric conditions. You can choose a community clinic near you:

Shared care means that you are cared for by your GP in consultation with the hospital doctors and midwives. GP shared care requires all women to attend their local hospital for an initial visit, a visit at 28 weeks and 36 weeks.  

Your baby will be born at a maternity hospital. Shared care enables you to continue seeing your family doctor, who you already know and trust, during your pregnancy, and this may be more convenient for you.

If you're a healthy woman with normal risk for medical or obstetric conditions, and interested in continuity of midwifery care, midwifery group practice (MGP) may be the model of care to suit you.

MGP offers you continuous care with a known midwife throughout your pregnancy birth and postnatal period. You'll get to know your allocated midwife and other midwives from the team.

MGP model of care is available at:

John Hunter Hospital

Hunter Midwifery Group Practice (HMGP)

HMGP midwives provide continuity of midwifery care for healthy women with normal risk for medical or obstetric conditions. You'll be assigned a midwife who will coordinate with you all your care throughout your pregnancy, birth and for 2 weeks after the birth of your baby.

The service is based at John Hunter Hospital (JHH), with antenatal care provided at one of our community antenatal clinics, JHH or at a home visit. This will be discussed and arranged with your midwife. Most women have their babies at the JHH Birth Centre and go home after 4-6 hours, where the majority of postnatal care can be provided in your home.

Birth Centre Team

The Birth Centre team provides care from a small, rotating team of midwives. The team aims to provide continuity of midwifery care in pregnancy and will be there to support you during labour and birth.

Antenatal (pregnancy) check-ups are located at Wallsend clinic on Thursdays. The birth of your baby will take place at the Birth Centre in John Hunter Hospital, after birth care is provided in your home by the John Hunter Home Maternity Service up to 5 days post-birth. 

There is 24/7 phone support available to you for pregnancy and labour concerns

Belmont Midwifery Group Practice (BMGP)

BMGP Midwives provides continuity of midwifery care for healthy women with normal risk for medical or obstetric conditions. You'll be allocated a primary care midwife who will care for you throughout your pregnancy, birth and for up to 2 weeks at home.

BMGP offers:

• Birth at the Belmont Birthing Centre.
• A public health funded homebirth service: some women who book to have their babies under the care of BMGP choose to have a planned homebirth with the care and support of Belmont midwives. If this is an option that interests you, please ask your midwife at Belmont for more information. There are some restrictions, including set geographical boundaries, that we are happy to discuss with you.

There is 24/7 phone support available to you for pregnancy and labour concerns.

Maitland Hospital

Maitland Midwifery Group Practice (MMGP)

Maitland MGP service offers women continuous care from booking visit with a known midwife throughout the pregnancy birth and postnatal period when you are discharged from hospital usually after 4-6 hours where the majority of postnatal care can be provided in your home.

You'll get to know your allocated midwife and other midwives from the team. Our team of 7 midwives are focused on individualised care, early discharge from hospital and includes education and support for normal birth and breastfeeding.

A public health funded home birth will be available in Maitland through the MMGP from May 2026. If this is an option that interests you, please ask your midwife.

Glen Innes Hospital

Glen Innes Hospital Midwifery Group Practice

The Glen Innes Hospital Midwifery Group Practice program offers you 1 midwife (who works in a team) who will care for you in your pregnancy and at home for up to 6 weeks after your baby is born. Your midwife will support you with active labour, normal birth, breastfeeding and early discharge from the birthing unit.

The midwives consult with a local GP obstetrician, obstetricians in Armidale, Tamworth or JHH, according to your individual health and pregnancy needs.

You'll need to come to the maternity unit for a first visit between 11-14 weeks with a midwife. Your baby will be born at Glen Innes Hospital unless certain pregnancy complications arise.

Manning Hospital

Manning Hospital Midwifery Group Practice

Manning MGP midwives provides continuity of care for women with normal risk for medical or obstetric conditions. You will be assigned a midwife who will co-ordinate with you all your care throughout pregnancy, birth and up to 6 weeks postnatally. If any issues do develop in your pregnancy, your care will be coordinated by your midwife to include review and further plan for care with Dr's at Manning Base. Your allocated midwife will continue to provide care and support for the remainder of your pregnancy, birth and postnatally.

MAPS is available at Maitland Hospital and has an outreach at Cessnock Hospital for women birthing at Maitland Hospital.

This provides a continuity model of midwifery care in the antenatal and postnatal period. Midwives work within a team based on geographical location and you will be assigned a midwife within that team. The midwife will coordinate all antenatal and postnatal care home visits and follow up if discharged from hospital early.

Specialist obstetric care

Specialist obstetricians are best able to care for women who have pregnancies complicated by numerous factors including (but not limited to):

• a previous pregnancy requiring specialist care and/or hospitalisation
• a pregnancy that is not progressing normally
• a multiple pregnancy, for example twins
• diabetes and/or other conditions.

All women have access to specialist obstetric care within Hunter New England LHD.

Specialist obstetric care clinics are available at:

• Armidale Hospital
• John Hunter Hospital
• Maitland Hospital
• Manning Hospital
• Tamworth Hospital
• Moree Hospital

Pregnancy Connect High Risk Obstetric Virtual (Telehealth) Service

Specialist obstetricians provide virual (telehealth) antenatal care for high-risk pregnancies in partnership with your local maternity service. Care is provided in your local community where available.

John Hunter Hospital M3Team: care for known complex pregnancies

For some women with certain medical conditions or complicated pregnancies, we offer the option of having care by a team of obstetricians, other specialists and midwives. This model of care is only available at John Hunter Hospital and referrals will take place at your Initial Maternity Assessment and Planning (IMAP) appointment.

The M3Team will provide your pregnancy care at the John Hunter Hospital Antenatal Clinic. You can enquire about this team at your first visit.

John Hunter Hospital family care midwives.

Some women who are experiencing, or have previously experienced, psychosocial stressors may be eligible to receive care through the Family Care Midwife team. If you are referred to this service, you will be allocated a dedicated midwife who will provide your antenatal and postnatal care, supporting you throughout your pregnancy and into the early parenting period. Your midwife will work closely with obstetricians and other allied health professionals as needed to ensure you receive coordinated, individualised care. Appointments may take place at John Hunter Hospital or through community outreach clinics.

This model of care is available exclusively through John Hunter Hospital. If appropriate a referral can be made during your initial maternity assessment and planning appointment.

This model of care is available at some of our rural facilities and is provided by general practitioners (GPs) with an Advanced Diploma in Obstetrics in consultation with consultant obstetricians according to your individual health and pregnancy needs. This option is not available at John Hunter Hospital or Maitland Hospital.

You'll need to come to the maternity unit for your first visit. You'll need to attend the hospital for a minimum of 3 visits, the initial visit, 28 weeks and 36 weeks. Your baby will be born at your closest hospital maternity unit unless certain pregnancy complications arise. Your GP obstetrician will be available and generally present for your birth. The care during labour will be provided by the midwives at the hospital.

Women seeing a private obstetrician may birth at Hunter New England LHD hospitals. Women choosing this option of care will see their obstetrician for all their antenatal care in their obstetrician's private consulting rooms. The first visit for all women regardless of care provider, is recommended between 11-14 weeks gestation.

You'll need to contact your obstetrician early in your pregnancy and ensure they have the ability to provide you care and continue pregnancy care at their private rooms. A discussion with your obstetrician would be required if you're wanting to birth in the nearest public hospital.

You may choose to have care with a privately practising midwife who will care for your pregnancy and birth. If required your private midwife may be able to support you to birth at your local maternity facility. An initial visit is recommended at your local hospital between 11-14 weeks gestation.   

The AMIHS is a culturally led service that provides culturally safe pregnancy and baby care for women having Aboriginal babies. AMIHS is a continuity of care model where an Aboriginal health worker (or Aboriginal health practitioner) and a midwife work together with women and their families to improve health outcomes. AMIHS provides high-quality pregnancy care starting in early pregnancy and continues until the baby is 8 weeks old. AMIHS can offer education support and referral to other services, depending on the needs of the family.

Services include:

• flexibility (home visits, community and hospital clinic visits may be offered)
• antenatal and postnatal care
• cultural support
• booking in to maternity hospitals
• antenatal education
• health promotion
• referral to other appropriate services
• community development activities
• parenting support
• breastfeeding support
• information on infant feeding and nutrition
• some AMIHS teams have social workers and lactation consultants available

Where available, AMIHS works closely with Aboriginal Child Health Programs such as Building Strong Foundations (BSF) and New Directions to ensure a smooth transition of care for families from early pregnancy up until the child turns 5-8 years.
 

How to access AMIHS

You can contact your local AMIHS service if you:

• are pregnant or have had your baby in the last 6-8 weeks (the best time to contact AMIHS is in early pregnancy before 16 weeks gestation)
• have been referred by a GP (although a GP referral is not always necessary)

AMIHS care is available at the following locations:

Area	Service name	Clinic locations	Contact
Armidale, Guyra, Walcha and Uralla	Karrali Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Freda Mott Centre, Armidale	(02) 6776 9807
Gunnedah	Kadeekamballa clinic	Gunnedah Hospital Community Centre	(02) 6741 8000
Inverell/Glen Innes	Inverell Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Inverell Community Health Building	(02) 6721 9594 (02) 6721 9185 HNELHD-AMIHSInverellGlenInnes@health.nsw.gov.au
Maitland/Cessnock/Kurri Kurri	Naae-Wanni Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Maitland Hospital Cessnock/Kurri Kurri Community Health Service	(02) 4087 1167
Moree	Gamilaroi Midwifery Service	Collarenebri Mungindi Moree Community Health Centre Home visits	(02) 6757 0200 or email HNELHD-MoreeAMIHS@health.nsw.gov.au
Muswellbrook, Scone, Singleton	Kuunarr Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Muswellbrook Singleton, or Scone Hospitals Home visits	Call (02) 6542 2023 or email HNELHD-UHSAMIHS@health.nsw.gov.au
Narrabri	Narrabri Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Wee Waa Pilliga Narrabri Community Health Centre Home visits	(02) 6799 2800
Newcastle, Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie	Birra Li Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health Services	Newcastle Community Health Centre John Hunter Hospital Raymond Terrace Community Health Centre, Tomaree Hospital, Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre (Toronto). Home visits	Call (02) 4016 4900 or email HNELHD-Birrali@health.nsw.gov.au
Quirindi	HealthOne Quirindi Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service	Walhallow Werris Creek Multipurpose Service HealthOne Quirindi Community Health Centre Home visits	(02) 6746 0215
Tamworth	Tamworth Aboriginal Mothers and Babies Service	Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Centre Coledale and Tamworth Community Centres Home visits	(02) 6767 8100
Taree/Manning	Taree Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service - Biripi and Tobwabba	First Steps Count Taree Community Health Centre Manning Hospital Home visits	(02) 6592 9624

Birra Li video series

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Video transcript

Birra Li - Pregnancy

[Sarah Corrigan, Aboriginal Health Worker]
 

The earlier that we access pregnancy care we know the better the health outcomes for both mum and bub at the end of the pregnancy. 

 

Here in Newcastle as part of the John Hunter Hospital, we have several different models of care available for women who are pregnant. 

 

You can come through Birra Li which is the Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service, you can get a midwife and Aboriginal health worker. They attend your antenatal appointments with you. They can be at a clinic, at home visit, at the John Hunter itself. There's also midwifery teams Belmont Group Practice. We have a continuous midwife care throughout the pregnancy or you have the option of shared care so seeing your GP or your Aboriginal medical services and then coming up to the hospital for particular visits. 

 

The visits usually involve a midwife doing a check on baby, that's listening to baby's heartbeat with the doppler, measuring your pregnancy belly, taking your blood pressure, recording those on your antenatal record and then sometimes you might go up to the John Hunter and see the doctor as well.
 

In Aboriginal maternal health services we also offer the support of an Aboriginal health worker to negotiate the hospital settings and some of those clinical appointments.

 

It's really important to have regular check-ups because things can be happening inside our body due to the big changes that pregnancy has on mum's body and it's really important that we check on those so things like your iron levels, they can change without mum even realising,

so regular checks mean we know what your baseline is. It also means that if there was anything that was a little bit concerning or a worry then we can get onto that quickly and we make sure that we can get the best outcomes for you and baby. 

 

I think we've probably all heard that saying you know you eat for two when you're pregnant and it's not a hundred percent true what you actually need to do is maintain a really good healthy diet. We know that when we're making a baby they take all the good stuff out of our diet to help them grow big, so it's really important we include, you know, high iron foods in our diets so, red mean at least three times a week. We want to include green leafy veggies, vitamin C rich foods will help us to absorb iron. Whatever we put into our body will pass through the

placenta into bub.

 

We know that there isn't a safe level of alcohol that we can tell women they can drink the safest thing is not to drink at all during pregnancy.

 

Smoking tobacco during pregnancy is responsible for premature birth, smaller birth weights, respiratory illness and we also know that the effects of drugs that mother may take the babies born with those same effects including withdrawal.

 

If you've got any concerns then you can access support around that early.

 

You might often hear that a wives tale that you know towards the end of pregnancy is babies stop moving, they don't move as much and we know that this isn't true. You should feel baby's movements right up to birth, it's really important that if you think your baby's movements have changed or you haven't felt your baby move that you call your health care provider as soon as possible.

 

[Mother]

 

When I was pregnant I had the whooping cough vaccination and down at my GP then I had the flu shot as well I didn't have to have anything else so that was easy. 

 

[Sarah Corrigan, Aboriginal Health Worker]

 

It's important to remain active and to continue exercising in pregnancy, mainly because pregnancy is a normal state for women, it's something that our bodies are designed to do. We know that if mum maintains a healthy weight during pregnancy there can be less complications at birth. We know that moms recover better physically from birth when they're well. It helps with your mental health as well, especially with all those changes during pregnancy, it's good to still have a bit of me time to be able to think through things and sometimes things like specific exercise programs or classes for mum's to be can be a really good place to pick up a support network and have a yarn to other mums.

View our Bira Li video series

Moree AMIHS

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This service is available at John Hunter, Maitland, Manning, Tamworth and Armidale Hospitals for women with early pregnancy abdominal pain, bleeding or severe vomiting (up to 18 weeks).

A referral by a medical practitioner (general practice or emergency department) is required for this service. There is no capacity for self-referral.

Our multicultural health unit provide the following service to women from multicultural and diverse backgrounds.

Health care interpreter services

We provide professional health care interpreters for all women from multicultural and diverse backgrounds. Health care interpreters assist women to communicate with their health professional during antenatal visits, labour, postnatal period and other health-related occasions. If you need the assistance of a health care interpreter, please let staff know and they will arrange this for you.

Our Aboriginal hospital liaison officers are available in our hospitals to assist our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

If you or your family require assistance in accessing hospital services, please ask one of our staff members to contact the Aboriginal liaison officer for you.

Some women may still be using alcohol or taking drugs during pregnancy. Alcohol and drugs can have harmful effects on unborn babies. Our staff can offer a range of support for you to optimise your health and the health of your unborn baby.

Substance Use In Pregnancy and Parenting Service (SUPPS) is available at John Hunter Hospital and Tamworth Hospital. If you're pregnant and using illict drugs, drinking alcohol or on an opioid treatment program, it is important to seek pregnancy care and support as soon as possible.

For more information, talk to your doctor, midwife or the team involved in your care.

Social workers are part of the health care team looking after you and your family while you are in hospital. In some of our hospitals, a social worker may be available to see you in the antenatal clinic. This service is confidential and free.

Social workers can offer counselling to individuals and families in all areas, including:

• women or families experiencing difficulties during the pregnancy, such as family breakdown or financial difficulties
• women or families considering adoption
• information about community support services.

To contact a social worker, you can ask your midwife, doctor or other hospital staff involved in your care to contact a social worker for you.

PFC a joint program between NSW Health and NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) for families where there are concerns about the safety and wellbeing of their unborn baby. The PFC program is voluntary and family led.

PFC can be offered to pregnant women and their families who meet the criteria below:

• Women are between 12-32 weeks pregnant.
• Women and families are having antenatal care or birthing at the following HNELHD Health facilities:
  • Maitland Hospital
  • John Hunter Hospital
  • Gunnedah Hospital
  • Tamworth Hospital
• Women and families have a DCJ worker involved for their unborn baby.

Women and their families can speak to their HNELHD Health worker including midwives, AMIHS or social workers or their DCJ worker about being referred to the PFC Program.

Promoting Healthy Eating

Eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy promotes healthy growth and development for your baby, prepares you for breastfeeding and is important for your own wellbeing.

A dietician may be available or recommended at some sites to assess your dietary needs.  A referral by your midwife or doctor may be required to organise this.

If you need to arrange to see the dietitian during your pregnancy, your midwife or doctor can refer you.

Get Healthy in Pregnancy

The Get Healthy in Pregnancy Service is a free telephone health coaching service available to anyone aged 16 years and over. You will be able to talk with a qualified dietitian or exercise physiologist over the phone in the privacy of your own home.

Your health coach could help you to:

• eat healthily
• get active
• gain or maintain a healthy amount of weight during your pregnancy
• not drink alcohol during your pregnancy
• return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

For Aboriginal women or women carrying an Aboriginal baby you may be able to speak with the Get Healthy Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO), for your first phone call or one of your coaching calls. The ALO will talk to you about your needs and your access to services in the community before referring you to either a dietitian or an exercise physiologist for the remainder of your phone calls.

Discuss referral to the service with your midwife at your booking-in visit.

Find out more about Get Healthy in Pregnancy.

The Pregnancy Wise class is a great one-off class for pregnant women to attend to learn about the normal changes that occur throughout the pregnancy and caring for yourself and your baby during pregnancy, including safe exercise and movement, back care and eating well.

Helping women to move well: Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist is available to give you advice or treatment on the discomforts that may arise during your pregnancy or after your baby is born. These may include back pain, pelvic pain, pelvic floor weakness, incontinence or abdominal muscle weakness.

If you wish to see a physiotherapist, you may ask your caregiver (midwife or doctor) to refer you to the physiotherapy department or local support service.