While you’re pregnant

Find out about maternity care, getting a midwife, parental leave, antenatal classes, health tests and parenting support.

Choose your lead maternity carer

As soon as your pregnancy is confirmed you need to choose a lead maternity carer (LMC).

Finding out you are pregnant — Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Most LMCs are registered midwives, but they can also be:

  • family doctors who provide maternity care
  • obstetricians (doctors who specialise in pregnancy and childbirth).

Your LMC will:

  • provide care throughout your pregnancy
  • be with you when you give birth
  • provide care to you and your baby for 4 to 6 weeks after the birth.

Find an LMC

The Ministry of Health website has advice on choosing an LMC.

Lead maternity carers — Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Contact details for qualified midwives who are members of the NZ College of Midwives.

Find your midwife — NZ College of Midwives

Your local Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora may provide free antenatal classes. Talk to your LMC about what’s available in your area.

Antenatal classes — Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Free or subsidised maternity care

NZ citizens and permanent residents get free pregnancy care unless you choose a private obstetrician or private sonographer.

Even if you are not an NZ citizen or permanent resident, you may be able to get free or subsidised pregnancy care.

Find out whether you can get government-funded pregnancy care and what services are included.

Pregnancy services — Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Your health while you’re pregnant

Health tests and screening

Talk to your lead maternity carer about what screening you should have.

You’ll be offered HIV screening with your first antenatal blood tests. Picking up HIV in pregnancy can stop it transferring to your baby.

Find out about your choices for tests, care and treatment.

Your health during pregnancy

Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora have health advice for pregnancy, such as:

  • nutrients and supplements
  • eating and exercise
  • morning sickness
  • immunisations.

Having a healthy pregnancy — Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

More support and information about health

Information for before and after birth:

Keeping baby safe during pregnancy:

Working while you’re pregnant

You can take up to 10 days unpaid special leave when you’re pregnant. This is for pregnancy related reasons, such as medical appointments, antenatal classes, scans — it does not have to be taken as a full day’s leave.

Types of parental leave: Special leave — Employment New Zealand

Parental leave

Parental leave is the leave you apply to your employer for so that you do not have to work once you have your baby.

Parental leave payments (also called paid parental leave — PPL) are available when you take time off from work to care for a baby or child under 6 or recover from pregnancy. This is separate from parental leave.

First apply for parental leave from your employer, then apply for parental leave payments from Inland Revenue.

Types of parental leave — Employment NZ

Paid parental leave — Inland Revenue

If you’re renting

If you want to stay in your rental home once your baby is born, let your landlord know you’re pregnant.

Make sure your rental agreement lets you have another person living there. If it does not, you can talk to your landlord about changing the agreement to include another person.

You cannot be discriminated against because of your family status, such as if you’re caring for children or are a single parent.

Parenting support

Information and links for parents and caregivers.

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact one of the following agencies.

Utility links and page information

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