Malabar Community Midwifery Link Service
The Malabar team commenced in 2006 targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families planning to give birth at the Royal Hospital for Women and includes non Aboriginal women who have an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander partner. The service aims to improve maternal and infant health by providing culturally appropriate care. The team includes a Consultant Midwife, four Clinical Midwife Specialists, an Aboriginal Health Worker, a Social Worker and, in partnership with Sydney Children’s Hospital, a Child and Family Health Nurse closely collaborates with the team to provide continuity of care.
The midwives work closely with the Aboriginal Health Education Officer and in a continuity of care model in which women get to know the midwives during the pregnancy. Research shows that building a relationship of trust with a midwife leads to a better birth experience for women. The Malabar Team also provides care for non Aboriginal women from the 2035 and 2036 postcodes.
Pregnancy visits are at the Malabar Clinic, at the hospital, at the La Perouse Aboriginal Community Health Centre or wherever convenient for the woman. The midwives are available on call for the labour and birth and after the birth will visit the family at home.
The Child and Family Health Nurse aims to meet you during your pregnancy to get to know you prior to providing ongoing support for you and your baby. The Child and Family Health Nurse conducts clinics at Malabar and La Perouse and provides some home visiting. The partnership with Sydney Children’s Hospital also provides clinics by a community paediatrician and a speech pathologist located conveniently at La Perouse