Boodjari Yorgas Midwifery Group Practice
Boodjari Yorgas in Noongar language (Boodjari means pregnant, Yorgas means women).
Midwifery Group Practice?
The Boodjari Yorgas Midwifery Group Practice (BYMGP) is a program run by the Armadale Health Service (AHS) for women who prefer to be cared for by the same midwife in a culturally safe way throughout their pregnancy journey.
Your main care will be provided by a midwife from the BYMGP team in partnership with a GP Obstetrician or Specialist Obstetrician.
The program allows women having Aboriginal babies to build a strong, trusting relationship with their known midwife and have optional support from our Aboriginal Health Officer and Grandmother Liaison Officers.
Our services include:
- practical assistance to access antenatal care in hospital
- support during labour and on the postnatal ward
- support for families if the baby is in the special care nursery or paediatric ward
- support in the emergency department
- home visits
- linking you with other community services or support agencies.
What are the benefits of the program?
The BYMGP program began in 2007 as a community initiative.
Research has shown that care from a known midwife during pregnancy, labour, birth and after a baby is born results in improved outcomes for mothers and babies, including:
- Greater birth satisfaction for mothers and their families
- Safer birth outcomes for babies
- Better breastfeeding outcomes
- Reduced birth intervention such as epidural use, inductions and caesarean sections
- Shorter stay in hospital after birth
- Less postnatal depression
- Access to support after birth.
Booking into the program
The Boodjari Yorgas Midwifery Group Practice program is available to all women living within the AHS catchment area as well as some other specific areas. It is important to see a doctor or midwife as soon as you think you are a pregnant and regularly throughout your pregnancy.
How can I book into the program?
- A referral from your GP
- Transfer of care from another hospital/program
- Transfer of care from AHS antenatal clinic
- Self-referral to the program (contact details on back page).
- If you have any medical or pregnancy complications that cannot be managed at AHS the BYMGP team may support your transfer to a higher-care hospital.
How will I be cared for through the program?
Your antenatal appointments are arranged with your midwife in your home, or at our clinic located at Armadale Hospital Community Health and Development Centre. You will be required to see an obstetric doctor at the hospital as part of your care.
Your main midwife will aim to provide your labour and birth care. If she is unavailable another of our BYMGP midwives will support you. You can ask your midwife about opportunities to meet with all the midwives in our small team throughout your care.
If you have a normal birth without complications, you can expect to be discharged between 4 to 12 hours following birth with support in your home from the BYMGP midwives. Your midwife will provide care at home until you meet with your Child Health Nurse.
Having a baby can be an exciting but sometimes challenging time.
The Boodjari Yorgas team look forward to meeting with you and your family to provide pregnancy care, education and support in a personalised manner.
Together we hope to guide younger generations to a stronger future.
Armadale Health Service respects and acknowledges the Whadjuk people as the traditional custodians
of the land on which we work, and of elders past and present.