Insights from an Australian midwife on Homebirth model of care, prenatal education & decision making.
In this Midwife At Your Door video interview, Danae sits down with Australian midwife Lu McCarthy and explores the broader meaning of Homebirth Care through both clinical insight and lived experience.
The conversation draws together how midwives support physiological birth, emotional safety, and family confidence throughout pregnancy, labour, and the early post-partum period.
The conversation also explores the role of informed decision making, education, preparation, dads, partners, safety and the relationship between a family and their midwife.
Topics explored in this video
Midwives bring experience, calm and clinical awareness into the birth space, helping women feel safe, confident and supported throughout labour. A strong relationship built on trust allows mothers to stay connected to their instincts and move through labour in a way that feels natural and supported. When women labour in their own familiar environment, the sense of comfort and emotional safety often allows labour to progress more smoothly.
Midwives also support partners so they feel calm, involved and able to play an active role during the birth. Throughout labour they observe carefully, protecting the environment from unnecessary interruption while remaining ready to step forward with guidance if needed. This balance of presence and respectful observation helps support physiological birth.
Many families initially carry misconceptions or fears about homebirth, and part of the midwife’s role is helping them understand the process and feel confident in their choices. Continuity of care means that the same trusted midwife supports the family from pregnancy through postpartum, providing ongoing guidance and reassurance once the baby is born. For many families this experience becomes deeply empowering and transformative, offering a model of care that prioritises trust, safety and personalised support.
This interview provides a holistic overview of the homebirth model, helping viewers understand that skilled clinical care, emotional support, and continuity of relationship work together to create a safe and deeply supported birth experience within the home environment.
Video Transcript
Thinking, we’ll put the pool here.
Okay. Yeah. Perfect. Yeah. Yeah.
We’ll set up the pool together,
just like we are setting it up as someone’s home.
Yeah. And then we’ll just get in it and start chatting.
Okay. Was the last time you set up a pool?
Actually, a really long time ago. Train partners to do this.
Always blow the bottom up first.
Always blow the bottom up first.
Let’s say I’m having another baby. Excellent.
And I would be calling you. I’m ready then.
How does that look like then for me with my appointments?
So the good thing now is that women don’t need a GP referral anymore.
So when they actually find out they’re pregnant, or even if they’re planning a pregnancy, they can actually reach out to a home birth midwife at that point.
So sometimes women will reach out really early.
I had a woman contact me yesterday.
She was one day pregnant.
Oh, bless her. One day. Yep.
So we’re looking at the middle of next year.
And so she didn’t realise that I was able to then offer her any referrals for any scans that she wanted.
If she wanted a dating scan, I was able to do that.
Her antenatal bloods.
Anything like that in the early pregnancy.
I can do all of that for her.
So some women are booking in very early.
And then they’re being pencilled in, and the first visit is usually between 12 and 14 weeks.
The visits are monthly at the beginning.
So there’s usually two visits in that early stage of pregnancy.
Then as the pregnancy progresses, the visits become more frequent.
Usually every two to three weeks.
Then once women reach around 36 weeks, the visits become weekly.
Those visits include all the same clinical care that would be offered in a hospital setting.
We check blood pressure.
We check the baby’s growth.
We listen to the baby’s heartbeat.
We review test results.
We talk about nutrition, wellbeing and preparation for birth.
But the big difference is time.
Midwives working in private practice usually have a lot more time with the women they care for.
That allows conversations to happen in a much deeper way.
Women can ask questions.
Partners can be involved.
Families can understand what is happening during pregnancy and birth.
So by the time labour begins, the relationship between the midwife and the family is already established.
That continuity of care is one of the key strengths of the private midwifery model.
When labour begins, the woman calls her midwife directly.
The midwife then comes to the home when labour is established and stays with the woman throughout labour and birth.
All of the clinical equipment required for monitoring mother and baby is brought to the home.
That includes equipment to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, check blood pressure, and monitor wellbeing throughout labour.
Midwives also bring emergency equipment, oxygen and medications that may be required in rare situations.
So while the birth is happening in the home environment, the care being provided is still clinical and professional.
After the baby is born, the midwife remains with the family for several hours to ensure both mother and baby are stable and feeding well.
Postnatal care continues at home over the following weeks.
Midwives visit regularly during the early postpartum period to check the baby’s growth, support feeding and monitor the mother’s recovery.
For many families this extended care is one of the most valued aspects of the homebirth model.
The same midwife who supported the pregnancy and birth continues to provide care after the baby arrives.
This continuity allows the midwife to understand the family’s needs and provide personalised support.
Homebirth is often misunderstood because people imagine it as something informal or unstructured.
But in reality, it is a carefully planned model of care.
Midwives conduct home assessments during pregnancy to ensure the environment is suitable for birth.
They discuss emergency planning and hospital transfer procedures if required.
They ensure that all safety considerations are addressed well before labour begins.
Most importantly, the model supports physiological birth while maintaining awareness of situations that require escalation of care.
If complications arise, midwives work collaboratively with hospital services to ensure the safety of mother and baby.
So homebirth is not about rejecting medical care.
It is about providing the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
For many women, that place is their own home.
© 2025 Yoga to Birth. All rights reserved. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from Yoga to Birth.
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