Your midwife will support and care for you during your labour and will help deliver your baby / pēpi. Franklin Midwives provide continuity of care and will try hard to be with you for the labour and birth of your baby. Times when one of the midwives may not be available would be If we have provided many hours of care and your baby has yet to arrive - this is usually if a labour is slower than anticipated and your care needs the involvement of the obstetrician at Middlemore. In this situation having a very tired midwife provide your care is not ideal and we would hand over to a well rested midwife. If you have a complication which makes having an employed midwife more familiar with the level of care you require. We will try to provide support in such cases. If you are having an elective caesarean section - we will try to attend if you would like that but women in labour must take priority If you need to birth at Middlemore due to complications or an induction of labour and there are women birthing who have no complications. A lead maternity carer midwife must prioritise primary care (normal and straightforward) while secondary care can be provided by the employed midwives. If there is a woman having a primary birth, we must provide care as there is no one else to do so. If you have higher needs then the employed midwives can provide an excellent standard of care. It is important that you understand that we also support home birth and each home birth needs two midwives to be present.

Your midwife will provide pregnancy care including regular checkups, organising any tests as required and planning your labour plan. Pregnancy care is free for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents. For more information view the New Zealand Government website. Franklin Midwives like to meet with you in the first trimester, usually before 10 weeks, as there are screening tests you may wish to have around 12 weeks. Following this, appointments are generally every 4 weeks to 28 weeks, every 2 weeks to 36 weeks then weekly until your baby arrives. However there are often small changes to this to accommodate your personal needs. Most antenatal care is provided at our clinic which is located upstairs at 5a Glasgow Road in Pukekohe. This is conveniently placed just off Manukau Road and opposite the newly built Franklin Hospital (no maternity services).

Your stay at a birthing centre or hospital after giving birth will usually be up to 2 days, or 2-5 days if you have had a caesarean. During this time you will have regular visits from your midwife and be supported to care and feed your baby. After the birth you may be tired and busy getting to know your new baby. Many women who have had a normal birth stay in a primary birthing unit if they do not wish to go straight home. If you have had a caesarean section, the usual hospital stay is 3-5 days with the first 24 hours being at Middlemore. Some women choose to go straight home after a normal birth, this is called a planned early discharge. Talk to your midwife about your postnatal stay and make sure your family know what your plan is. There are a few things which can mean an early discharge is not the safest choice and your midwife will discuss these with you. There is no time limit on how long you are able to stay at a birthing unit. It is individualised to ensure you and baby go home when you have gained some confidence in caring for him/her. It is very important that you are able to feed your baby when you are home. Franklin Midwives will visit you daily during your stay in the primary birthing unit and will try to do the same if you are in Middlemore. We work closely with the midwifery and nursing employed staff.

Your midwife will provide weekly home visits from after you give birth to when your baby / pēpi is 4-6 weeks old. Your midwife will provide support, assist with breastfeeding and monitor your baby’s growth and development. Franklin Midwives believe that postnatal care is a vital step toward successful breastfeeding, post birth recovery, emotional wellbeing and your transition to being a confident parent. As with all stages of this journey your care is individualised. If you have had a home birth we will often see you twice a day initially to make sure the initial period is going well. It is a legal requirement that we see you within the day following discharge from a birthing facility. Then we take into consideration type of birth, type of feeding and any other factors which help us know how best to tailor your care to you.

Your midwife will help connect you with a Well Child/Tamariki Ora service once your baby / pēpi is 6 weeks old. Well Child/Tamariki Ora services provide free health checks for your tamariki from 6 weeks old to 5 years. It is also important to register your baby with a local GP for ongoing medical care and to organise immunisations. All babies born in New Zealand are registered with the National Immunisation Register. During your postnatal time with us - between 28 and 40 days following the birth - we will discuss your preference for Well Child Provider as well as immunisations. It is important for you to know that we support your right to choice and that choice extends to your child/children.