Sutherland Hospital midwives celebrate first anniversary of midwifery group practice

Midwives from the Sutherland Hospital Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) program recently celebrated its first anniversary with more than 70 new mums, their babies and partners.
 
To mark the occasion, a picnic was held at Gunnamatta Park in Cronulla, where staff enjoyed a unique opportunity to catch up with the women they cared for during the past 12 months.
 
MGP is a model where women are cared for by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy, during childbirth and in the early weeks at home with a new baby. It is evidenced-based and has been shown to increase maternal satisfaction and decrease adverse birth outcomes.
 
Simone Payn, Acting Midwifery and Nursing Manager, Women’s and Children’s Health, Sutherland Hospital, said 171 babies were born during the model's first year of operation.
 
“Receiving care from someone you know and trust can be very empowering for women. It allows them to make informed choices about their pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. As a result, MGP is providing significant outcomes for women and their families,” Ms Payn said.
 
MGP is one of the models of care offered to mothers-to-be at Sutherland Hospital's Maternity Services when they make their first booking.
 
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Maternity Services, including at St George Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Women, offer this gold standard model.
 
For more information visit the Pregnancy and Parenting Information website.