Antenatal care in Australia: your options and what is covered
Australia has one of the most accessible and well-funded maternity systems in the world. Pregnant women can choose from several distinct care pathways, each with different advantages depending on personal preference, location and whether they hold private health insurance. For Medicare cardholders, the public system provides comprehensive antenatal care, specialist oversight when needed and the birth itself at no direct cost. Understanding the options from early in your pregnancy means you can make a considered choice and, where applicable, join a waiting list before places fill up.
Public hospital care: comprehensive and free
All pregnant women in Australia who hold a Medicare card can access antenatal care through the public hospital system at no direct cost. This includes routine antenatal appointments, ultrasound scans, blood tests, specialist reviews and care throughout labour and the birth. Temporary residents and some visa holders may also be covered depending on their Medicare eligibility, so it is worth confirming your entitlement status with Services Australia early in pregnancy if you are uncertain.
In the public system, care is typically midwife-led for straightforward pregnancies. Obstetricians become involved when a clinical need arises, for example if a complication is detected, if you have a relevant medical history, or if your pregnancy progresses past term. This model means that most women with uncomplicated pregnancies will see midwives for the majority of their appointments, with medical escalation available as needed. The specific services and models of care on offer differ between states, territories and individual hospitals, so it is worth finding out what your local hospital provides when you register.
The process usually begins by contacting your local public hospital or birth centre directly, or by asking your GP to refer you. Most hospitals ask you to register by around ten to twelve weeks of pregnancy. Registering promptly is particularly important if you are interested in a specific model of care such as midwifery group practice, as places in preferred programs can fill quickly.
Shared care: your GP and the hospital together
Shared care is one of the most widely chosen options in Australia, and for good reason. In this arrangement, your local GP provides the majority of routine antenatal appointments throughout your pregnancy, while the public hospital provides ultrasound scans, blood tests, specialist reviews and the birth itself. The GP and hospital work from a shared care plan and stay in communication throughout, so there is no gap in your records between the two settings.
One of the main attractions of shared care is familiarity. Seeing your own GP, someone who already knows your medical history and whom you can contact between appointments, offers continuity and reassurance that a busy hospital clinic sometimes cannot match. For people who feel more at ease in a GP setting than a hospital environment, shared care can reduce the anxiety that some women associate with clinical settings.
From a cost perspective, shared care through a bulk-billing GP incurs no out-of-pocket fees for the GP appointments, as Medicare covers these. The hospital component, including scans, tests and the birth, is provided free through the public system. This makes shared care a cost-effective option that combines the strengths of both settings. If your GP does not currently offer shared care, they may be able to refer you to a nearby practice that does, or your hospital's antenatal team can advise on GP partners in your area.
Midwifery group practice: continuity through pregnancy and beyond
Midwifery group practice, often abbreviated to MGP and sometimes referred to as caseload midwifery, is an increasingly available option at larger public hospitals in Australia. In this model you are assigned a primary midwife and a small backup team, usually two to four midwives, who provide your care continuously from early pregnancy right through to the postnatal period. Rather than seeing a different midwife at each appointment, you build a relationship with the same small team across all your antenatal visits, during labour and in the days following the birth.
The research evidence for midwifery group practice is among the strongest in maternity care. Reviews of randomised trials consistently find that women receiving continuity of midwifery care are less likely to require epidurals or instrumental births, more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and report significantly higher satisfaction than women in standard care, with no evidence of any increased risk to mother or baby. RANZCOG and the Australian College of Midwives both support the expansion of this model. Because MGP is provided through the public hospital system, it is free for eligible women: the advantage of continuity with a known carer comes without the cost associated with private obstetrics.
The main practical limitation is availability. MGP places are in high demand, particularly in urban hospitals, and waiting lists can be long. In some hospitals places are allocated by lottery or are offered first to women with particular clinical or social needs. Expressing your interest and registering as early as possible in pregnancy gives you the best chance of being offered a place. If MGP is not available at your nearest hospital, it is worth checking whether a nearby facility offers it, or whether a birth centre model is available as an alternative.
Private obstetric care: a single specialist throughout
Private obstetric care involves engaging a private obstetrician who provides all your antenatal appointments and attends the birth personally. This model is chosen by women who want the assurance of seeing the same specialist for every appointment and of knowing exactly who will be present during labour, regardless of the time of day or day of the week. Private obstetricians practise from private hospitals or from rooms affiliated with both public and private facilities.
Private care requires obstetric-level private health insurance, and insurance policies for hospital cover typically include waiting periods of twelve months for obstetric services. It is important to check the details of your policy well before you conceive if you are considering this pathway. Even with insurance, there are typically out-of-pocket gap fees payable: both the obstetrician's fee and the hospital accommodation charge usually involve a gap above what Medicare and insurance together cover. The size of the gap varies considerably between practitioners and hospitals, and it is entirely reasonable to ask about fees upfront before committing to a provider.
The private pathway also provides access to a private hospital for the birth, which typically means a private room, greater choice about your birth environment and, in consultation with your obstetrician, the option to plan an elective caesarean if that is your preference. For some women, particularly those with complex medical histories or previous difficult births, the continuity and direct specialist access that private care provides is the principal consideration in choosing this route.
Routine tests and investigations throughout pregnancy
The standard schedule of antenatal tests in Australia is broadly similar to that in other high-income countries. At the booking appointment, usually conducted by your GP between eight and twelve weeks, a set of blood tests is taken. These assess your full blood count to check for anaemia, your blood type and rhesus factor, immunity to rubella, and screen for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis. These results provide the baseline from which your care team monitors your health and the baby's development through the pregnancy.
Ultrasound scans include a dating scan in the first trimester to confirm the pregnancy and estimate the due date, followed by a morphology scan, also called the anatomy scan, at around 18 to 20 weeks to examine fetal anatomy in detail and check placental position. First trimester combined screening for chromosomal conditions, including a nuchal translucency measurement and a blood test, is offered to all women who wish to have it, usually between 11 and 13 weeks.
Gestational diabetes screening is offered to all pregnant women in Australia between 24 and 28 weeks. This may involve a glucose challenge test or a full oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), depending on local protocols and your clinical history. Australia takes a universal screening approach rather than offering tests only to women with identified risk factors: this means that women who might not be picked up by a targeted approach can still have gestational diabetes identified and managed early. Your GP or midwife will explain the process and advise which test is appropriate for you.
The pertussis vaccine and the National Immunisation Program
The pertussis vaccine, protecting against whooping cough, is recommended in every pregnancy in Australia, ideally given between 20 and 32 weeks. The timing is deliberate: antibodies produced in response to the vaccine pass through the placenta before the birth, giving the newborn some protection in the early weeks of life before the baby is old enough to receive their own vaccinations. Whooping cough can be very serious for very young infants, so this maternal vaccination is a practical and evidence-based way of bridging the gap before the baby's own immune protection builds up.
The vaccine is available free under Australia's National Immunisation Program when given during pregnancy, so there is no out-of-pocket cost. It is typically administered by your GP or midwife at a scheduled antenatal visit. Partners and close household contacts who have not had a pertussis booster within the past ten years are also encouraged to be vaccinated, to reduce the chance of the infection being brought home to the newborn.
It is worth noting that Cubby currently supports the vaccine schedules for the United Kingdom, the United States, the UAE and Germany. The Australian National Immunisation Program schedule is not yet included in the Cubby app, so if you are based in Australia you will not be able to track your baby's Australian schedule within Cubby at this time. We hope to add Australian schedule support in a future update.
Frequently asked questions
Is antenatal care free in Australia?
Public antenatal care is free for all pregnant women who hold a Medicare card. This covers routine appointments, ultrasound scans, blood tests and the birth itself at a public hospital. Private obstetric care involves out-of-pocket gap fees even with private health insurance.
What is shared care in pregnancy?
Shared care is a popular arrangement in Australia where your local GP provides most routine antenatal appointments, and a public hospital provides specialist services including scans, blood tests and the birth. It gives you the familiarity of a known GP combined with hospital-level resources when needed.
What is midwifery group practice?
Midwifery group practice, sometimes called caseload midwifery or MGP, means you are assigned a primary midwife and a small backup team who provide your care throughout pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period. Evidence supports this model for better birth outcomes and higher satisfaction, though waiting lists can be long in popular areas.
Is gestational diabetes testing compulsory in Australia?
Testing is not compulsory, but it is recommended universally for all pregnant women in Australia at 24 to 28 weeks, regardless of risk factors. This differs from some other countries where testing is offered only to women with identified risk factors. Your midwife or GP will discuss the options with you.
Getting ready for your baby's arrival?
Cubby tracks feeds, sleep, nappies and your baby's vaccine schedule from day one, shared with everyone who helps care for them.
Start free