Addressing avoidable perinatal stress through advocacy for evidence-based maternity care since 1999
Welcome to Maternity Choices Australia.
​We have been advocating for women who become pregnant, give birth and access maternity care services in Australia since 1999.
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We are dedicated to addressing antenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian women.
Best practice maternity care is key to improving and supporting maternal mental health and ensuring better outcomes for mothers, babies, their families and their communities.
All women deserve to thrive in Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood
Resources and Support
What is maternal mental health?
Maternal mental health, also known as perinatal mental health, encompasses the mental health conditions mothers experience during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
In Australia, it's estimated:
1 in 3 pregnant women experience birth trauma.
1 in 5 new mothers experience postnatal depression.
1 in 10 new mothers experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
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Maternity Choices Australia is advocating for better support for women in the transition to motherhood, which helps treat and prevent maternal mental illness.
Did you know?
Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in the year after birth, followed by hospital-acquired complications.
Birth trauma researchers have found that women with repeated suicidal thoughts had feelings of being violated and shamed by their birth experiences, as they had received disrespectful care that lacked compassion by their care providers.
Our programs for addressing perinatal stress are below
Testimonials
"I had no idea of which hospital to choose, so it was really helpful to be able to read women's reviews of the services in my region."
Anon.
"I was feeling so confused about which choice was going to be best for me and my baby until I got help from MCA. I'm so grateful."
K. M.
"Thank you so much for your help with compiling my feedback for my hospital. I feel ready to meet with them now."
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E. C.
"I appreciate being able to share my birth experience with women coming after me. I really could have used Best Birth Finder when I was first pregnant."
S. J.