Choosing Your Birth Place & Support Team in Melbourne’s West

Choosing Your Birth Place & Support Team in Melbourne’s West

When you’re pregnant, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is where you will birth your baby — and who will be there to support you.
Many families in Sunbury, Gisborne, Bacchus Marsh, and across Melbourne’s west don’t realise they have multiple choices when it comes to their birth setting and care team.

In Victoria, most women birth in one of these three main locations:

• Home birth

• Private hospital

• Public hospital

(We also have a birth centre in Castlemaine, though this isn’t easily accessible for most in the western suburbs.)

Your choice of care provider can have a big impact on your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey. Below is a breakdown of your options — plus how services like hypnobirthing, childbirth education, pregnancy massage, and doula support can fit into your plan.

1. Private Midwife Care

A private midwife offers personalised, continuity-of-care throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This option has be proven as the gold standard of pregnancy care time and time again in countless studies.
Most private midwives support home births, and some have admitting rights at local hospitals. This means they can care for you at home and also accompany you into hospital if needed.

Options in our area are:

Clare https://www.tobirthbeautifully.com.au/

Joy and the Team at organic midwifery https://organicmidwifery.com.au/about/#joy

Mama https://www.mamabirth.au/

In our area, spaces with good private midwives book out quickly — so if you’re planning a low-intervention birth or a home birth, reach out early.

2. MGP – Midwifery Group Practice

If you’re birthing in a public hospital and unable to hire a private midwife, try to get into an MGP program. This model assigns you a known midwife (or small team), providing the relationship, trust, and continuity that research shows leads to better birth outcomes and higher maternal satisfaction. This is the closest thing you will get to continuity of care. BUT you needs to request this on your referral and you needs to ask early, only around 14% of Australians can access this option.

3. Shared Care with a Private Midwife or GP

Did you know you can have all your antenatal and postnatal appointments with a private midwife — and still choose to birth in hospital?
One great local option is some of the private midwives listed above. For a small fee, you get longer, more personalised appointments, continuity of care, and even birth education — something not often provided in standard public or private hospital care.

4. Private Obstetrician

A private obstetrician is a highly skilled surgeon and the go-to for families wanting a more medicalised approach to birth. Many people choose this option simply because they have private health insurance.
However, if you’re aiming for a physiological birth, it’s worth noting that some obstetricians have limited experience in this area, therefore t’s worth doing your research and look for any signs of red flags (such as we don’t work with doulas).

Having a Private OB does give you continuity of care, which the public system is lacking and not all OBS are the same so its important you interview a few before making your decision, and make sure your goals and values align. Its also important I note that not everyone wants or can have a physiological birth.

Some amazing OB options are

Dr Lionel Steinberg https://www.drlionelsteinberg.com.au/

Dr Vinay Rane https://melbournemothers.com/obstetrics/melbourne-obstetrician/

5. Standard Public Hospital Care

Public hospitals are generally safe and well-equipped, but continuity of care is lacking. You might see different midwives or doctors at each appointment, and strict protocols can sometimes lead to higher intervention rates (such as inductions or caesareans). You cannot expect any birth education at these appointments as they are simply just to busy. If this is your only option it’s vital you looking into independent birth education. It’s also vital you look at hospital policies and procedures, and upskill on how to navigate this system and how to advocate for yourself and baby.

6. Doula Support

A doula is a non-medical birth professional who offers emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
As a doula based in Melbourne’s west, I support families in Sunbury, Gisborne, Bacchus Marsh, and surrounding areas, I’m happy to travel up to an hour from Sunbury— I can support you at home, in public hospitals, and in private hospitals.

A doula can help you navigate your options, understand evidence-based information, and support and advocate for your birth preferences — whether you’re using hypnobirthing techniques, seeking a low-intervention birth, or wanting a calm and supported caesarean.

A doula can give you that continuity of care you wont be getting via the standard public system options

7. Free Birth with a Birth Keeper or Free Birth Doula

Free birth (or unassisted birth) is when a woman chooses to birth without clinical professionals. Some are supported by a birth keeper or free birth doula who provides emotional and spiritual care but no medical services. This choice prioritises autonomy and trust in the natural birth process but requires thorough preparation and self-responsibility.

Great options for this in our area is Sarah who you can contact via @the.midwifemummy

Local Extras to Support Your Birth Journey

No matter where or how you choose to birth, additional supports can help you feel calm, confident, and prepared (but make sure they are independent of the hospital you are birthing at to make sure to information you are given is not bias to hospital policies):

• Hypnobirthing classes — Learn relaxation, breathing, and visualisation techniques to stay calm during labour.

• Childbirth education — Understand your body, your rights, and your choices to make informed decisions.

• Pregnancy massage — Ease aches, improve circulation, and help your body prepare for labour.

• Doula support — Continuous care from someone who knows your birth preferences.

Final Thoughts

Your choice of birthplace and care provider shapes your pregnancy and birth experience. Whether you’re leaning towards home birth with a private midwife, a public hospital MGP program, or a private obstetrician, take the time to research your options.

If you’re based in Sunbury, Gisborne, or Melbourne’s west and would like support through hypnobirthing, childbirth education, pregnancy massage, or doula care, I’d love to chat about how we can make your birth experience positive, empowered, and uniquely yours.