What are my choices for maternity services in rural South Australia?

You can choose who will care for you during your pregnancy and after birth. This may depend on where you live in rural or remote South Australia.

You can choose to be cared for by:

• publicly funded midwives, at a local hospital or in a midwifery group practice
• privately practising midwives, if you use an eligible midwife some of the costs are covered by Medicare
• your GP, who might offer 'shared maternity care' with the midwives and doctors at a local hospital
• a private obstetrician (a specialist) at a public or a private hospital

Read more about maternity care in Australia.

Midwifery continuity of care

Most public hospitals offer continuity of care programs through midwives. This means the same midwife or team of midwives will care for you for most visits. You will usually need a referral from your doctor to access a hospital midwife.

Some public hospital midwifery group practices also offer home birth services.

Getting continuity of care from your midwife has many benefits, such as:

• a more positive birth experience
• having fewer interventions during labour
• being more likely to have a vaginal birth
• being more likely to be able to breastfeed your baby

You may prefer to have the same health professional throughout your pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

To help choose what is best for you, see the types of care during pregnancy and birth in South Australia.

Where can I give birth in rural South Australia?

It's your choice where to birth your baby.

Depending on where you live your options might include the following:

• public care in a public hospital — you can receive maternity care from hospital midwives in public hospitals
• private care in a public hospital — you can choose your own private doctor or obstetrician to care for you
• private hospitals — have maternity services and some have birthing centre suites
• a home birth — is suitable if you don’t have any pregnancy complications

The costs of care in a public hospital are usually covered by Medicare.

If you choose private care, private health insurance can help cover some of the costs, if you have it.

For information on the hospitals and health services in your area, see Regional hospitals and health services.

Find information here on Planned home birth in South Australia.

Talk to your local hospital or health service to find out what help you can get if you need it.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

What support is there for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in rural South Australia?

Birthing on Country in rural South Australia?

Birthing on Country is about giving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander babies the best start in life. It includes supporting you in your transition to parenting through culturally appropriate care.

Find out about Ngangkita Ngartu, the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program at The Women's and Children's Hospital.

Find an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) near you.

Ask your midwife, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker or doctor what programs are available.

What if I need to travel long distances to give birth in rural South Australia?

If you need to travel a long distance to give birth, try to plan ahead.

You may be able to claim back some of your travel and accommodation expenses. Found out more through the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS).

Resources and support

Read about the types of care available during pregnancy and birth through the Children's Health Network.

For more information on the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme contact the PATS team on 1300 341 684.

Find out more about parenting in regional and remote areas.

If you are unhappy about the care you get, you may want to learn about making a healthcare complaint.