Birthing services in the Top End

Darwin has a wide range of services for women during pregnancy, birth and after baby/babies are born:

• pregnancy care
• shared care with general practitioners
• team midwifery care
• midwifery care with the midwifery group practice.

Pregnancy care

If you have a normal risk pregnancy, you will have most of your pregnancy care with a midwife.

If you have a high risk pregnancy, you will see both midwives and doctors.

For more information on pregnancy care, call the antenatal clinic on 08 8922 6707.

Shared care with general practitioners

You can choose to have shared care.

If your pregnancy is normal, you can choose to have most of your care with your general practitioner (GP).

If you choose shared care, you will have 3 appointments with midwives and doctors:

• first visit at 14 to 17 weeks
• second visit at 36 weeks
• third visit at 40 weeks and 3 days.

Team midwifery care

If your pregnancy is normal risk, you can be cared for by the midwifery team.

They will provide your care during pregnancy, birth and postnatal period.

Your midwife may refer you to a doctor if you develop any complications or risks.

Team midwifery have clinics at:

• Palmerston
• Wanguri
• Darwin Birth Centre.

For more information on team midwifery care, call the antenatal clinic on 08 8922 6707.

Midwifery group practice

The midwifery group practice (MGP) is a group of midwives who provide care for women:

• with high risk pregnancies
• from remote Aboriginal communities travelling to Darwin to birth
• with normal risk pregnancies planning to have a homebirth in the Darwin and Palmerston area.

In the MGP, you will have most of your pregnancy, birth and postnatal care provided by a small team of midwives.

Women with high risk pregnancies will also have care provided by doctors.

For more information on the MGP, call the antenatal clinic on 08 8922 6707.

Charles Darwin University – midwifery students

As part of their midwifery studies, you can share your pregnancy, birth and early parenting journey with a midwifery student.

They can provide you with more support and care as they follow you through your experience, while overseen by a registered midwife or doctor.

For more information:

• call the switchboard 08 8922 8888 and ask for the midwifery education consultant on pager 0765
• you can also email cdumid.doh@nt.gov.au.