General News
8 April, 2025
Locals urged to use service
Local midwives urge the community to use MDHS' innovative maternity service with further expansion finalised at the end of this month.
Alongside World Health Day yesterday, local midwives encourage the community to take advantage of their innovative local care.
Maryborough District Health Service’s (MDHS) Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) is nationally recognised due to the continuity of care it offers women from precon-ception through to early parenting.
Introduced in 2022, the ‘Maryborough Model’ assigns a primary midwife who will be a point of contact for the family throughout and after the pregnancy.
Executive director of care Debbie Rogers said their low risk maternity service allows women to have continuity of care no matter where they need or choose to give birth.
“We can still support women that need to birth at a higher level service than we can offer. That’s not about the skill of our clinicians, that’s not about the skill of our midwives, it’s about the level of care that the organisation can support,” she said.
Anna Bianchi, MGP midwife, said that their model is flexible offering expecting mothers comfort and confidence throughout their pregnancy.
“We’re a low risk birthing service but we’re an all risk booking service for maternity,” she said.
“That makes things much easier for women who may have to birth at Bendigo, may have to birth at Ballarat, because of anticipated needs of their baby or risk factors for themselves — they can still have their local midwife, they can still have local care here which saves them from having to travel.”
For Sarah Grundy, endorsed midwife who’s involved in the Sexual and Reproductive Advice (SaRA) clinic, the collaboration of this model keeps it safe.
“I think the power of any continuity of care model is the connection to the community, the connection to the women, and the women’s connection to the midwives and the team. We don’t work in isolation we work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team,” she said.
MGP midwife Rebecca Smith said they’ll often work in partnership with another midwife — seven days on to seven days off.
While women are able to book with their midwife they are also available at all hours for emergencies through to strange questions.
“You can’t really plan what will happen in a general day but it encompasses a lot of different aspects of maternity,” she said.
“The sense of safety for families as well does come a lot from knowing who’s going to be looking after them when they’re having their baby. That continuity of care from the start of pregnancy all the way through to the end builds a big sense of trust with the women that we care for.”
It’s that personal connection, genuine care, that stays with the midwives as well. For Ms Bianchi, like many of her colleagues, she’ll “take them home” with her.
“There are always women you just keep with you. There are always births you just keep with you. I think the difference is at MGP they’re all special because we do get to know them so well,” she said.
It’s a relationship of trust which is fostered by time. Something Ms Grundy believes is particularly important.
“Women and families deserve time. They deserve time to have their worries and concerns listened to. Because then we can better understand them and create a deeper connection and understand their needs and be more responsive to their needs as well,” she said.
According to the Australian College of Midwives, which Ms Rogers supported, a continuity of care is the “gold standard” in Australia which leads to better outcomes for mothers and their babies.
“The evidence supports women do better with a known carer and a continuity of care model, and that’s what this model is,” she said.
But the benefits don’t stop at expecting mothers. Ms Bianchi highlighted fathers roles in the pregnancy.
“Dad’s are quite often the forgotten element of pregnancy and birth but it’s their pregnancy and their birth also,” she said.
“Dad’s need a lot of support during labour, bless them they really do, so any fears or worries or concerns they have they’ll feel safe too because they know the midwife.”
Ms Bianchi also said that the continuity of care helps with postpartum depression, specifically among dads, which studies have found that one in 10 experience.
The service will also be expanded as a part of the redevelopment of the Maryborough Hospital. The over $100 million investment will include two new birthing suites which Ms Rogers hopes will bring more women to MGP.
“We’re moving into two beautiful birth rooms in the new hospital at the end of April so we’re hoping that increases the number of women that want to have their babies here,” she said.
For further information and self referral, without needing to go to a GP, visit MDHS’ website or search https://mdhs-maternity.com.au