Models of Care
There are several different care providers that you may encounter during your pregnancy in Bathurst. Read about the practitioners and the models of care they provide below.
GP Obstetrician
A GP Obstetrician is a GP with further training through the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). GP Obstetricians are qualified to look after you in pregnancy, during and after birth.
GP Obstetricians can give you the best of both worlds. They will take care of any other medical concerns you have during your pregnancy and can continue caring for you and your growing family into the future.
There are GP Obstetricians at several practices in Bathurst and some of these doctors participate in the Bathurst Hospital Maternity Roster. Discuss this with your GP or check their practice website for more information.
GP/ Midwife Shared Care
If your GP does not have additional DRANZCOG qualifications, they may still be happy to look after your pregnancy in a shared care model. This means that some appointments will be with your GP and others with a Midwife or Obstetrician. Discuss this with your GP and check out the information about Midwives and Obstetricians on this site.
If you are being cared for in a shared care model, it is ideal that you link in with a Midwife around 12-14 weeks gestation to make sure there are no complications that may need Obstetrician input.
Midwife
See Visit a Midwife for more information about how to access a midwife during your pregnancy journey.
Obstetrician
Unfortunately, Bathurst does not have its own private Obstetricians at this time. The closest private Obstetric Care is in Orange. Your GP will be able to refer you to an Orange Obstetrician if you choose this model of care.
The Bathurst Hospital has three permanent Obstetrician Gynaecologists (O&Gs) and several locum doctors covering public hospital obstetric care. A senior O&G is covering the maternity ward at all times with the support of GP Obstetricians and Obstetric Registrars.
The hospital O&Gs also run the Specialist Obstetric Clinic for women whose pregnancy is complicated.
MFM Specialist
Some women have complications in their pregnancy that require referral to a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) Specialist at a Tertiary Hospital. This is usually at Nepean Hospital in Sydney, or sometimes the MFM specialists visit Orange.
The MFM Specialist will share your care with the doctors at the Specialist Obstetric Clinic in Bathurst Hospital. Midwives can also be involved in pregnancy care if the woman chooses.