Having a baby in Australia

Like in all western countries, expectant mothers in Australia will find many different options available to them. All women living in Australia have access to primary maternity care services, generally through midwives and general practitioners. Depending on where you choose to live and your immigration and insurance status, not all birthing options may be available to you.

There are two major decisions you will need to make ahead of your delivery date – where and who – where you want to give birth and who you want to care for you during your pregnancy and birthing experience.

Where

Possible birthing locations include both private and public hospital facilities, birthing centres and home births.

Private facilities – Many private hospitals cater exclusively to private patients, while others provide care for both. Make sure you know whether or not your insurance covers a birth stay in a private hospital or if you can afford to pay the costs yourself.

Public facilities – These are readily available, covered by Medicare, and require only a referral from your family doctor. If you decide this is the route for you, you need to understand that if your pregnancy is deemed high risk, you will attend the hospital for your prenatal care rather than your chosen doctor’s office.

Birthing centres – Set up in a home birthing style, these may be the best choice for someone wanting the home birthing experience in a more sterile hospital setting.

Home birth – Home birthing is the last available option and is only plausible for low risk pregnancies and private patients. It is vital to know what your insurance will cover in terms of home birth, as well as a realistic understanding of all the possible risks.

Who

Who you choose to care for you during your pregnancy and birth will depend in part on where you choose to deliver. Your caregiver options are an obstetrician, a midwife or a general practitioner. If you have chosen to deliver your baby in a public hospital under the public health system, and your pregnancy is not designated high risk, it is unlikely you will be under an obstetrician’s care.

Midwives play a significant role in pregnancy and birth care in Australia, and are often involved from the start of a pregnancy, through to early development of the infant after birth.

Other considerations

Language-specific audio CDs are made available to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women in an effort to combat differing cultural expectations, language barriers and practices of immigrants. The CD project, entitled “Having your baby in Australia? We speak your language”, has contributed to significant obstetric improvement among CALD women in Australia since its inception. Emergency cesareans have decreased by 15.1 percent.

Maternity leave/paternity leave

In general, women who are employed full-time or part-time and have worked for the same employer for a minimum period of 12 months are eligible to take up to 52 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, though the leave cannot extend past your child’s first birthday.

Additionally, casual workers who have worked for an employer on a regular and systematic basis for at least 12 months are also entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. Your right to take unpaid maternity leave is guaranteed in both state and federal law in Australia.

You are required to give written notice of your expected maternity leave at least 10 weeks before your baby is due or 10 weeks before the date you wish to start maternity leave. This notice must include a medical certificate from your doctor verifying your pregnancy and your expected due date. Partners are generally eligible for short paternity leave, a period of up to one week after the birth of the child or other termination of the pregnancy. Extended paternity leave is available for up to 51 weeks after the birth of the child if the male partner is to be the child’s primary care giver. Partner leave may also apply to same sex partners in some circumstances.