Mothers of babies born in New Zealand are eligible for free, essential antenatal and postnatal services. If you require specialist obstetric or pediatric care, or any non-routine ultrasound scans or laboratory tests, these will be at a cost to you.
Lead Maternity Carer
Pregnant women are required to choose and register with a lead maternity carer (LMC), who is a midwife, a GP or a specialist obstetrician. This person will be responsible for delivering all maternity care services until about six weeks after the birth of the baby.
The best place to find out about maternity care in New Zealand is 0800 MUM 2 BE (0800 686 223). This service will mail out 'Your Pregnancy' - the Ministry of Health's information booklet for pregnant mothers. You can also order or download this booklet from the HealthEd website below.
An expecting mother should aim to make contact with her choice of LMC before the end of her first trimester of pregnancy (about 14 weeks). This allows time to plan what care will be needed during the pregnancy, and what birthing method the mother-to-be would like. The LMC will also be able to provide a list of antenatal classes available locally.
Birth
An expecting mother will have some freedom in choosing how her baby is to be born, and in what environment. However, this will also depend on her health, and any expected difficulties during the birth.
Wellington Hospital in Newtown is the main maternity unit in Wellington. It provides the highest level of tertiary specialist services. Women who are expecting no problems in their pregnancy and delivery may be booked into one of the other hospitals in the region.
Postnatal Care
Women in New Zealand usually stay in hospital for 24 to 48 hours after childbirth to rest and bond with their new baby. Their LMC will visit the new mother while she is in hospital, and at least five times in the next four to six weeks before the responsibility of maternity care is transferred to a Well Child provider.
Well Child Programme
Well Child is the programme of care for children under five years. This care is different from the medical care a child will receive when he or she is ill. The largest provider of Well Child services is the national Royal New Zealand Plunket Society.
The Plunket nurse (or another Well Child provider) offers support, information and advice to do with early childhood growth and development, on such issues as sleeping, breast-feeding, and teething. Regular examinations are free, as is immunisation. As the child ages, dental, vision and hearing checks are provided free too.
A Well Child provider is the first contact for any parental concerns, and also acts as a guide to other services offered in the community.
Plunket also has a car seat rental service, which provides safety restraints for babies and small children. The use of car seats and safety restraints for children and babies is compulsory by law.
Royal New Zealand Plunket Society website
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