Key points
- An endorsed midwife holds a postgraduate qualification for scheduled medicines, on top of being a registered midwife.
- It lets her prescribe certain medicines, order tests and refer you on to other health professionals.
- It is also what allows Medicare rebates on her services, which is why eligible families pay a small gap for a home visit rather than a full private fee.
You will see the word “endorsed” on every EverNurture midwife’s profile. It is not a marketing term. It describes a specific qualification, and it changes what a midwife can do for you and what her care costs.
What endorsement actually is
Every practising midwife in Australia is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. An endorsed midwife has gone further and completed an endorsement for scheduled medicines (opens in a new tab), a postgraduate qualification recorded against her registration.
According to Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (opens in a new tab), that qualification means an endorsed midwife can:
- prescribe certain medicines
- order tests
- refer you to other health professionals, such as an obstetrician or paediatrician
Why it matters for what you pay
Endorsement is also what makes Medicare rebates possible. For eligible families, Medicare benefits apply to postnatal care from an endorsed midwife within a limited window after the birth, which is what keeps the out-of-pocket cost of a home visit low. Practices differ in what they charge and in how they handle the claim, so put both to the midwife you contact. There is more on Medicare rebates and fees.
Without endorsement, a private midwife’s care is simply a private fee. That is the practical difference the word carries.
What it does not mean
Endorsement is a qualification, not a description of the care on offer. Two endorsed midwives can work very differently: one may focus on postnatal home visits, another may run antenatal education as well. What each EverNurture midwife offers, the areas she covers and her availability are hers to set, and her own website is where that detail lives.
It also does not replace your other care. An endorsed midwife refers on when you need someone else, and works alongside your GP, obstetrician or hospital rather than instead of them.
All four EverNurture midwives are endorsed
Suzie, Nohelia (Natalie), Elisa and Rebecca are each endorsed, and each runs her own independent practice. That shared qualification is part of why the collective exists: whichever midwife you choose, the endorsement and the Medicare pathway are the same.
You can read a short introduction to each of them on Meet the midwives, or see how the collective fits together on How it works.
Worth asking
When you first speak to a midwife, it is reasonable to ask how her endorsement applies to your care: whether you are eligible for a rebate, what she can prescribe or order if you need it, and who she refers to. She will expect the question.