Our maternity options

Your choice of private obstetrician

When you choose your own private obstetrician, you get to develop a ongoing relationship with one expert who provides a dedicated maternity care experience throughout pregnancy, labour and postnatally at their private consulting rooms.

Your obstetrician will attend the birth and care for you during your stay at St John of God Berwick Hospital. They will understand your birthing preferences and be the medical lead for your baby’s birth into the world.

During your pregnancy, typically you see your chosen obstetrician:

• monthly, until approximately 28 weeks
• every two weeks, until 36 weeks; and then
• weekly, until the birth of your baby.

Your private health insurance will fund the majority of your costs. Out-of-pocket costs will depend on your obstetrician. You can call obstetrician rooms for an outline their costs.

Next steps:

Ask your GP for a referral to a specific obstetrician or fill out the form below for more information.

Joy

When you choose Joy maternity care you are cared for by a team of obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other clinicians rather than one single obstetrician.

During your pregnancy you will see a midwife and a obstetrician on duty at the Joy antenatal clinic. When you give birth and in hospital you will be cared for by the obstetrician on duty and our midwives, who you may have already met at the Joy antenatal clinic. This team care approach enables us to keep our fees as low as possible for you.

Our $990 low-cost Joy maternity package offers expecting parents all the perks of a private maternity care experience, including a private room where your partner can stay with you at no extra cost and a longer hospital stay, but with reduced out of pocket costs.

The Joy of knowing what's included

The one-off fee of $990* includes:

• your antenatal appointments at the Joy clinic with the on-duty obstetrician and midwife
• bulk billed blood tests
• pregnancy education classes to prepare you for birth
• vaginal or caesarean births
• a three-night private hospital stay including bedding for your partner
• education workshops - including paediatric first aid and sleep/settling
• post birth support - with midwives, lactation consultant and physiotherapy
• a midwife follow up appointment three weeks after birth to discuss how you are going at home.

*$990 out-of-pocket fees: Private health insurance with obstetric cover and Medicare required. Contact your insurer regarding excess or co-payments. You will be charged one pregnancy and management fee of $1,316.75 at 28 weeks gestation. Medicare will provide you a $322 rebate, leaving you only $990 out of pocket. Extra charges may apply as care is based on the needs of the individual, including ultrasounds, paediatric care, anesthetist, obstetric ultrasounds and other specialists.  These costs will be discussed at your first consultation or by calling 8784 5800.

Am I eligible for Joy?

You may be eligible for Joy if you:

1. are pregnant (up to 36 weeks)
2. have private health insurance with obstetric cover with Medicare
3. would like to experience a shared care approach with midwives and obstetricians working together.

Not all pregnancies are the same and you may require or want an extra level of care. Medium to high-risk pregnancies, including if you are expecting twins, need an additional level of care and are best managed by a dedicated consultant obstetrician. Please contact us to find out more about eligibility requirements. 

Next steps:

Ask your GP for a referral to any of our obstetricians to access the Joy clinic.

You can also:
Take a maternity tour or call our Joy midwives for more information:
Tel: (03) 8784 5800 

Interested in our maternity services?

Thinking of starting and expanding your family? Or have you just found out you are pregnant? To find our more and get more information on our maternity services please call our maternity ward.

Maternity ward
Tel: (03) 8784 5300
8.00am to 4.00pm 
Monday to Friday