Midwifery Birth Centre

The Midwifery Birth Centre (MBC) has no medical services onsite. Therefore, women receiving care at the MBC must be ‘low risk’. Pharmacological pain relief options such as epidural are not available at the MBC.

Criteria for acceptance to the service

At commencement of care, the woman must;

• Be assessed as Category ‘A’ when referencing the National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral (ACM NMGCR).
• Display and provide evidence of understanding that there is limited access to additional services and the midwifery staff will recommend transfer to another maternity service where care at BHS is no longer suitable or safe during either the antenatal or intrapartum periods.
• Reside in the East Metropolitan Health Service catchment area. 
• Be of maternal age ≥18 years and <40 years.
• Have a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥18 and ≤35.

During ongoing care

• Has an anatomy ultrasound scan between 18 and 21 weeks' gestation.  
• Agrees to have a full set of booking bloods at the commencement of care.
• Able to attend the MBC for all antenatal appointments per the recommended schedule.
• Unexplained, non-attendance at ≥2 consecutive antenatal appointments will deem a woman ineligible for the MBC, as the model of care aims to establish and provide a continuity of care relationship between midwives and women.
• For those booking into MBC at a gestation of >24 weeks, there must be evidence of prior routine antenatal care.
• Clients requesting booking in the third trimester will be at the discretion of the Midwifery Manager.
• All pregnant women are recommended to have a standard 75g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).