Doctors working in the public health system
Registrars and residents in private hospitals
Student midwives
Your caregiver choices
There are many caregivers in the maternity health care system, all playing unique roles in caring for women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and after the birth. Identifying and knowing the various healthcare providers, how they work together, their hierarchy and in what capacity they may become involved in your care are not always clear. Many women and their partners are not even aware of the availability of some caregivers or how their practise can vary depending on where they work. To read an overview of the various caregivers you could meet along the way, you can click on the:
A-Z of maternity caregivers
The public (and sometimes private) hospital system in Australia (and many other countries) provides several health care providers with an environment to train and gain experience before qualifying in their chosen profession. Both experienced and inexperienced caregivers work together as a team to provide maternity care for women and their families having babies. How this team coordinates their care can frequently be confusing, especially when many parents have little contact with the hospital system before having their baby. Consequently, it can quite often be daunting and overwhelming to understand their caregiver's various roles throughout the process of having a baby. For instance, if you book into a public hospital for your care, you are often 'allocated' to a certain Obstetric Consultant. However, you may not routinely see this consultant (or in many cases never meet them) because you are normally cared for by the midwives, obstetric registrars or residents, unless you or your baby develop a health condition or complications.