Key points
- A visit covers both of you: your baby’s health and wellbeing, and your own recovery, feeding and mental health.
- Eligible families can claim a Medicare rebate on visits until their baby is seven weeks old, usually leaving about $17 per visit.
- Each midwife sets her own fee, areas and availability, so confirm those when you first make contact.
If you have booked a home visit with an EverNurture midwife, or you are weighing one up, it helps to know what actually happens. A visit is unhurried, it takes place in your own home, and it covers both you and your baby. Here is what to expect.
Before the visit
You arrange the visit directly with the midwife you have chosen. She will ask a little about your birth, how feeding is going and how you are recovering, and she will agree a time that suits your family. There is nothing to set up at home. A comfortable spot to sit and somewhere to lay your baby down is plenty.
What a visit covers
Every family is different, so no two visits look the same. Across the collective, a home visit can include:
- Baby health checks and wellbeing
- Mum health checks, including emotional wellbeing and mental health
- Feeding support and guidance
- Parenting support and practical strategies
- Education and reassurance for new parents
- Referrals and care coordination when required
The services page sets out what each of these areas involves in more detail.
Your own check matters too
It is easy for the focus to sit entirely on the baby. A midwife visit deliberately includes you: how your body is recovering, how you are sleeping, and how you are feeling. Emotional wellbeing and mental health are part of that conversation, not an awkward add-on to it. If you need more support than a visit can give, your midwife can refer you and help coordinate your care.
Feeding, without the pressure
Feeding is one of the most common reasons families ask for a visit. Whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding or somewhere in between, the aim is to work out what is happening and what might help, in your own home where you actually feed your baby.
What it costs
All four EverNurture midwives are endorsed, which is what allows them to offer Medicare rebates on home visits. Eligible families can claim a rebate for visits provided until their baby is seven weeks old, which usually leaves about $17 out of pocket per visit. Each midwife sets her own fee and claims the rebate her own way, so confirm both when you first make contact. There is more detail on Medicare rebates and fees.
Questions worth asking
A short conversation before your first visit saves a lot of guesswork. It helps to ask:
- Am I eligible for a Medicare rebate, and what is your visit fee?
- Which areas do you visit, and when are you available?
- What does a visit cover, and how many visits might I need?
- How do I reach you between visits?
If you need help sooner
A home visit is planned care, not an emergency service. If something is urgent, call 000. For health advice at any hour, Healthdirect has a registered nurse on 1800 022 222, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby can be reached on 1800 882 436. Our resources page lists the organisations our midwives point families to most often.
Choosing your midwife
EverNurture brings four endorsed midwives together, and each one runs her own practice. Read the short introductions on Meet the midwives, then contact the one who suits your family. If you would rather not choose first, send one enquiry and tell us what you are looking for.
Whatever is on your mind, from a feeding question to a worry you cannot quite name, it is worth asking. That is what the visit is for.