your care plan

Items to be covered in your care plan

Your care plan is a record of the decisions you and your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) have made together about how your care will be provided.

It outlines your preferred plans for you and your baby during your pregnancy, labour and birth and postnatal care. A copy will be included in your clinical notes and you have a copy to keep.

When developing your care plan with you, your LMC will discuss the following items:
• schedule and location of visits for your pregnancy care
• how continuity of care will be achieved
• how to access your LMC in urgent situations
• cultural safety requirements
• education plan during pregnancy and following birth
• referral to other midwifery, medical, social and diagnostic services
• smoking cessation options
• screening for infectious diseases
• assessment of risk of family violence
• location for your birth and other services including booking into a facility or arrangements for home birth
• presence of others at birth
• birth environment and position for birthing
• options and preference for monitoring, intervention, and treatments
• handling of placenta/whenua with cultural sensitivity
• breastfeeding or other feeding requirements
• likely stay in the hospital and planning for going home
• requirements for your postnatal care
• risk of postnatal depression and support options
• advice regarding contraception and sexuality
• referral to Well Child provider and the timing for this.


Article provided courtesy of The Ministry of Health