Postpartum Support: Part 2 - Medical Support
Created in collaboration with Madeleine Newman, the founder of Poppins Postpartum (@poppinspostpartum).
Thankfully in New Zealand, we have a public health system that makes many of the medical services listed below available at no cost or with discounted fees. In addition, the best doctors often work in both the public sector and private practice. Having said that, Canstar found that 1.4 million Kiwis - almost 30% of the population - have private health insurance.
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The main advantages of health insurance is that the insurer will pay 100% of the costs less the deductible (the portion you pay) for treatments and conditions covered by the policy - which can run into the five figures. In other words, it gives you financial peace of mind.
Going the private route also means you’re able to access care sooner and choose which medical professional you see. In the public system, there can be long waitlists if your case is deemed non-urgent and you are assigned medical professionals - you don’t get to choose.
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The main disadvantage is the cost, with premiums rising as you age. Health insurance policies also come with T&Cs, including:
Deductibles (e.g., you have to pay the first $500), even on the more comprehensive policies;
Range of cover, from basic (e.g., surgical treatment only) to comprehensive (e.g., day-to-day medical expenses as well as major surgery). This means you may still have to pay out of pocket if a disease or treatment isn’t covered by your policy;
Waiting periods, which mean you can’t claim in the initial months after taking out a policy; and
Exclusions specific to you because of pre-existing conditions.
Top tip: If you already have health insurance and you add your baby before they're three months old to your policy, most insurers will cover their qualifying pre-existing medical conditions. Some insurers will even waive the premiums for your child’s health insurance policy for the first few months.
You can add children who are older than three months onto your policy at any time, but your insurer may need to assess their health first and may exclude certain conditions from coverage.
Midwives
Midwives provide new mothers and newborns with medical care for the first 4–6 weeks after birth. They make home visits to check on your recovery and your baby’s development.
Everyone has a midwife to help them post-birth, either through their Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) or the hospital. Even if you have an obstetrician or GP for the birth, it will be midwives who take care of you once you’re home.
Benefits to you: They are your first port of call for any health issues and can refer you to other specialists if needed, such as lactation consultants, maternal mental health and pelvic floor physios.
Cost: Free. Maternity care is free in New Zealand for most pregnant women (check your eligibility here). If you’re paying for a private obstetrician - which is around NZ$7,000 - post-birth care from a midwife is typically included in your package.
Whānau Āwhina Plunket
The charity Whānau Āwhina Plunket is the most well-known of the Well Child providers in New Zealand. Their primary role is to make sure babies have what they need to reach their developmental milestones from birth to 5 years. Everyone in New Zealand can access Plunket.
Benefits to you: A 24/7 free helpline (0800 933 922), which can be a huge support for absolutely any questions and without having to leave the home. Depending on the region you’re in, Plunket also offers tele-appointment with nurses, in-home visits, drop-in clinics, car seat installation, lactation consultants, playgroups and even toy libraries. You can use their local service search tool to see what’s available near you.
Cost: Free
Family Doctors (GP)
You can enrol your child in a general practice so they can see a family doctor and/or nurse. In general, after your midwife visits have finished, your family doctor is your first port of call for medical concerns.
Benefits to you: They treat common medical conditions and refer patients to hospitals and other medical services for urgent and specialist treatment. They can also administer vaccinations.
Cost: Free daytime standard visits for all children aged 13 and under who are eligible for publicly funded health services. After-hour services may incur extra costs.
Paediatricians
Paediatricians provide specialist care to children from newborn until adolescence. After birth, a member of the hospital’s paediatric team may conduct a routine check of your baby to ensure all is well.
From that point onwards, a child must be referred to a paediatrician by another medical professional, such as a family doctor. Parents cannot self-refer to a paediatrician.
Benefits to you: They provide care and treatment for children with ongoing or underlying health concerns that need to be monitored and treated by a specialist. Examples include developmental delays, functional disabilities, and serious illness. As with doctors for adults, paediatricians can also have sub-specialities, such as a paediatric dermatologist.
Cost: Free if you are seen within the public health system. $150-200 for a private standard consultation, can be as high as $500 for a complex private consultation.
Maternal Mental Health
Maternal Mental Health provides highly specialised care to women who are pregnant or have a baby under 12 months of age and who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health issues related to pregnancy, childbirth and/or the adjustment to parenting.
The Ministry of Health estimates 12–18% of Kiwi mothers and 10% of fathers will develop depression, anxiety or other mental health issues during the perinatal period. Much of this goes undiagnosed, so if you’re struggling, seek help from your midwife, family doctor, or Plunket, who can refer you to Maternal Mental Health. Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Aotearoa also provides a list of support services.
Benefits to you: The type of care depends on individual needs but can include community mental health teams, psychiatrists, therapy groups and counselling. They can also provide access to respite homes for mothers and in-home support (for example, some Karitane and maternity nurses take Maternal Mental Health contracts in addition to private work).
Cost: Free. This publicly funded service is administered by Te Whatu Ora.
Pelvic Floor Physios
Your pelvic floor helps control essential bodily functions, such as pooping, peeing and having sex. Many women experience pelvic floor injuries during birth.
Benefits to you: They can diagnose birth injuries and help you rebuild your muscles to repair the damage. You can read more about this in our collaboration with Unity Studios.
Cost: ACC expanded coverage of birth injuries in October 2022, so now many new mothers can access discounted services. Initial one-hour consults are around $75-120 if you meet the ACC criteria or $150-250 if you’re paying privately. Follow-up sessions are cost slightly less.
Baby Osteopath
A baby osteopath can identify any strains or restrictions that your baby might experience as a result of the birthing process. Issues can sometimes arise because of prolonged labour or very fast delivery, forceps or vacuum interventions, or excessive moulding of the baby’s head.
Benefits to you: They use gentle treatment that can help with breastfeeding challenges, fussiness (e.g., colic), digestive issues (e.g., reflux) and head shape. There is no minimum age for a child to see a baby osteo.
Cost: Initial consults for a baby are around $70-85. Follow-up sessions are cost slightly less.
Postpartum Support Series:
Now for the important legal part: The information we provide is general and not regulated financial advice for the purposes of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Please seek independent legal, financial, tax or other advice in considering whether the content in this article is appropriate for your goals, situation or needs. The information in this article is current as at 8 June 2023.
Stephanie Pow
Founder & CEO of Crayon
Madeleine Newman
Founder of Poppins Postpartum