MidCentral DHB Midwifery leadership team have been in discussions with colleagues at the Te Papaioea Birthing Centre regarding possible solutions to this impending ‘festive peak’. Te Papaioea have agreed to take phone calls from women in this situation. They will gather information and determine if the women are low-risk and can birth at the birthing centre.
Te Papaioea will provide antenatal and birthing care for these low-risk women. Once the women have birthed, the Te Papaioea midwives will organise for a midwife in the community to provide postnatal care at home.
This will be a free service, funded through the maternity funding package for New Zealand residents or others with work visas who qualify as per the MOH 2011 eligibility directive. If they have other risk factors or do not want to birth at the birthing centre, the women will be referred to Palmerston North Hospital for care. Those who birth at the hospital will have postnatal care provided by the team of community midwives until the mother and baby are discharged to the care of a Well Child provider of the women’s choice and to the GP at about 4-6 weeks after birth.
This service is not available to women who already have a midwife or to those who live in the Whanganui District and the arrangements only apply for the period specified.
As such, for women nearing the end of their first trimester, General Practice Teams are being asked to offer and undertake the screening that is available to women up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. This will ensure the women do not miss out on available screening tests. There is funding available through section 88 for maternity first-trimester non-LMC visit up until the end of the 14th week of pregnancy.
Women (who are due during the period 15 December 2015 and 15 January 2019, and who do not already have a midwife or do not live in the Whanganui District) can contact Te Papaioea on 06 929 4584 or Hospital Maternity Services on 06 350 8403 or 350 8410.