When Kate Ephraums fell pregnant with her first child, she wasn’t sure what kind of care to get. She was the first in her family and friendship group to have a baby.

“I thought we would go through the GP path,” she said.  

But a friend’s mother encouraged her to go through a midwifery program, a decision which she says changed her life. 

Three sons later — Henry, James and Angus—Kate is effusive about her experiences at Hornsby Kuring-Gai Hospital Midwifery Group Practice under the care of midwife Kim Baker. 

Kim got to know Kate when she was pregnant with her first child and says being there for the births of her second and third children was even more special.

“It was really lovely being there as their family expanded with each addition of a new gorgeous baby,” she said. 

“I feel truly blessed to be a midwife at Hornsby Hospital, but particularly in this role in this practice which gives me continuity with women and their families to make these wonderful connections.” 

Under this unique model, a mother sees the same midwife during her pregnancy, labour, birth and up to two weeks after her child is born. Each midwife cares for their own cohort of women and supports each other when needed. 

Mums and babies experience a range of well-established benefits from this method of care. Women are more likely to have a normal vaginal birth and successfully breastfeed. There are fewer medical interventions such as caesarean sections and epidurals.  

The midwifery group practice has run for 12 years and sees over 200 babies delivered annually. With the demand for continuity of care being so high the team has expanded, recently welcoming their sixth midwife Hannah to the fold.