The True Value and Cost of Private Midwifery Care
Choosing private midwifery care is an investment in your health, your baby’s wellbeing, and the experience you want for your birth. While it may feel like a significant financial commitment, understanding what this care truly includes — and the outcomes it supports — helps families appreciate the meaningful value behind the numbers.
Beyond Appointments: What You’re Really Investing In
Private midwifery care is far more than a schedule of antenatal visits. It is a continuity-of-care model, where you are supported by the same known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of parenthood. Research continues to show that continuity of midwifery care is associated with:
Lower rates of intervention, including caesarean birth and induction
Reduced preterm birth and neonatal complications
Increased satisfaction and confidence
Personalised care that supports safety and emotional wellbeing
Behind the scenes, your midwife dedicates extensive time to planning, documentation, emergency readiness, clinical review, and collaboration with other health professionals. This unseen work is essential to providing safe, responsive, and deeply personalised care.
Understanding the Cost
Private midwifery care is designed to make the most of Medicare rebates and, where relevant, private health insurance.
Most families reach the Medicare Safety Net, which significantly increases rebates on later pregnancy appointments.
For planned hospital births, private health insurance may cover the hospital bed fee for women insured for maternity care.
While the upfront cost may seem significant, these rebates often reduce the out-of-pocket amount, making private care more accessible than many families expect.
The True Value: Safety, Autonomy, and Support
What families are truly investing in is the peace of mind that comes from having a trusted midwife who knows your history, your values, and your intentions for birth. Continuity allows for proactive, thoughtful care and swift response if things vary from normal.
This level of personalised support is difficult to replicate in standard maternity systems, where care is often fragmented and time-limited.
At Birth Tribe Midwifery, private care reflects professional expertise, clinical governance, and 24/7 availability — but it also reflects something deeper: the experience of being seen, heard, and supported throughout one of life’s most significant transitions.