Birthing Options Perth to Mandurah, Western Australia

Public Hospital – Standard or Shared Care

This is where around 70% of Western Australian women choose to give birth. As long as you have a Medicare card you will not experience any out of pocket costs no matter what type of birth you have. If you choose to birth in a public hospital, you will be referred to one of the following birthing hospitals based on your postcode. You can choose to have your prenatal care with the hospital midwives and obstetricians, GP shared care, midwifery group practice, or you can even have a private obstetrician and birth in a public hospital. This is a list of public maternity hospitals between Perth and Mandurah. 

• Fiona Stanley Hospital
• King Edward Memorial Hospital
• Rockingham General Hospital
• Armadale Health Service 

Public Hospital – Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)

MGP, or caseload midwifery, means you’re cared for by one primary midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, supported by a small backup team. This model offers continuity of care, which has been shown to:

• Reduce rates of induction, caesarean, and other interventions
• Increase the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth
• Improve birth satisfaction and breastfeeding outcomes
• Support informed, personalised decision-making
• Cochrane Review: Sandall et al. (2016) Midwife-led continuity models of care compared with other models of care for women during pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

In Western Australia, access to MGP is limited and highly sought after, so it’s important to apply early if you’d like to access this option. MGP is offered at the following hospitals: 

• Armadale Health Service
• Bunbury Hospital
• Fiona Stanley Hospital – (Including an all-risk MGP program)
• King Edward Memorial Hospital – (Including an all-risk MGP program)
• Margaret River Hospital

Family Birth Centre (Public Hospital)

Low-risk women can apply to birth at the Family Birth Centres at either Fiona Stanley or King Edward Memorial. These midwifery-led centres offer a more homelike environment that supports physiological birth, with access to speciality baths for waterbirth and a less clinical atmosphere.

Ideal for those wanting a ‘natural birth’ with limited intervention. However the programs are popular and eligibility is strict. Early application is recommended if this option appeals to you.

• Family Birth Centre – Fiona Stanley Hospital – self-referral online form here
• Family Birth Centre – King Edward Memorial Hospital – Download application form and return via email
• Eligibility criteria for clients birthing at the Family Birth Centre 

Private Hospital

You can self-refer to a private obstetrician at your selected hospital at any point in your pregnancy. Many women choose a private hospital birth for the benefits such as a private room, a known care provider, room service, or to allow their partner to stay overnight. Most women who give birth in a private hospital usually must have gold hospital level health insurance which covers a large portion of the costs, but even with health insurance you can still expect to be around $5,000 out of pocket. 

• Peel Health Campus
• St John of God Bunbury Hospital
• St John of God Murdoch Hospital

While private care suits some families, it’s important to understand that private obstetric care is typically more medicalised, and national data shows significantly higher rates of inductions, epidurals, and caesareans in private hospitals, even among low-risk women. For those planning a low-risk vaginal birth, hiring an obstetrician is usually not necessary. You can read more about that here: Why You Don’t Need an Obstetrician

At Home – Homebirth

Homebirth means giving birth in your own home with a registered midwife. It’s a safe and valid option for most women, and it’s becoming increasingly popular across Perth, Mandurah and the Peel region.

Why women choose homebirth?

• A familiar, calm environment that supports undisturbed labour (highest rates of physiological birth)
• Fewer interventions, with lower rates of induction, epidural, and caesarean
• Midwifery-led, personalised care centred around your values
• Complete autonomy over who attends, including your partner, doula, photographer or other support people, with no hospital-imposed limits

Homebirth is a great option for women wanting continuity, autonomy, and a more connected birth experience. You can birth your baby at home and there are a few ways of doing so:

Homebirth with a Privately Practising Midwife (PPM)

Privately practising midwives (PPMs) are highly sought after so they tend to book up very quickly. They care for you from early in your pregnancy, during labour and birth and up until 6 weeks postpartum. Medicare will cover a portion of your pre and postnatal appointments but will not reimburse you for the birth. Some PPMs have admitting rights which means they can care for you during your labour and birth within a hospital setting if you wish or should the need arise. PPMs set their own eligibility criteria and have a much wider acceptance of women who would generally be excluded from other programs. PPMs vary in price but usually cost between $5,000 – $7,000 out of pocket (after your Medicare rebate). PPMs are able to prescribe medicines, refer you for blood tests and scans and they bring emergency resuscitation equipment and haemorrhage management medication to every birth, although this is very rarely needed. 

Find a PPM here: Privately Practising Midwives in Western Australia

Homebirth with the Community Midwifery Program (CMP).

The CMP offers publicly funded (free) home births for low-risk women who live within the designated catchment area. The CMP has very tight eligibility criteria and you can be excluded at any point during your pregnancy should you fall outside the criteria. The CMP has clinic locations at the following sites:

• King Edward Hospital: Subiaco, WA
• Kalamunda District Hospital, Kalamunda, WA
• Atwell: 9 Lanao Way, Atwell, WA

More info here: Community Midwifery Program

Without any Medical Support (Freebirth)

Some women may choose to freebirth. This is usually a birth at home with only family-based support. Many of these women are well educated in labour and birth, and complete neonatal resuscitation and other first aid programs. These women will generally transfer themselves to hospital via ambulance should the need arise.