Pregnancy and birthing services for different language or cultural needs

Good maternity care aims to look after all women equally. Even so, language or cultural barriers can make it harder for some pregnant women to have a fully informed and rewarding birthing experience.

If you are pregnant and have specific cultural or language needs, the first step is to tell your local maternity hospital about them and ask how the hospital can help. Many hospitals have staff who are specially trained to support women in this situation.

Why clear communication matters#

If you misunderstand what healthcare professionals tell you, it can be confusing, upsetting or, at worst, dangerous. This can happen if you misinterpret instructions, or if you agree to a care option without fully understanding its impact. Making sure you understand, and are understood, is an important part of safe care.

Interpreter services#

Many public hospitals provide access to interpreters. Some have interpreters on staff, and many can arrange an interpreter in person, over the phone or by videoconference. Interpreter services are often provided free of charge to the patient, and they can be better coordinated if arranged before your appointment.

It is better to use a qualified interpreter than a family member or friend, for several reasons:

• Qualified interpreters are required to communicate information accurately and to keep it confidential, so your privacy is protected. Family members and friends are not bound by these requirements.
• Using a qualified interpreter helps avoid a conflict of interest and prevents important information being left out or miscommunicated, which can happen if a relative or friend decides the healthcare professional does not need to know part of what is being said.
• Relatives or friends may also struggle with medical terminology, may not fully understand the information themselves, or may leave things out to protect you, or out of embarrassment at what is being discussed.

If you need an interpreter to be present in person when you meet a healthcare professional, arrange this when you make the appointment. Be clear about the language or dialect you speak. “Chinese”, for example, could mean Mandarin or Cantonese.

Translated health information#

Many health services, hospitals, community health centres and migrant support organisations provide printed health information in languages other than English, and a growing amount of multilingual health information is available online from governments, peak health bodies, hospitals and community services. Look for an interpreter or translation symbol, which shows where you can get translated information or help from an interpreter.

Extra support during pregnancy#

Some programs aim to improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies by providing information that encourages healthy behaviours during and after pregnancy. Such programs often focus on women who find it hard to access antenatal care, or who need additional support because of their circumstances, cultural or language background, age, or distance from services.

These programs do not usually provide clinical antenatal care. Instead, they help link women who need extra support with antenatal care and with other services that improve their health and wellbeing, such as counselling, allied health and dental services through community health centres.

Maternity care for refugees#

Women from refugee backgrounds can face a range of challenges when trying to access maternity care. These can include:

• A lack of cultural understanding among some service providers.
• Unfamiliarity with the available service options.
• Not understanding the roles of different healthcare professionals.
• Difficulties with transport.
• Language and literacy barriers.
• Differing cultural practices and beliefs relating to childbirth.

In some areas, specialised health workers or nurses work directly with refugee communities. Their role is to provide quick access to a health assessment, help educate other practitioners about refugee health and wellbeing, and make sure each woman’s care is well coordinated.

Culturally appropriate care#

Some maternity services are designed to improve access to culturally appropriate care for women from particular communities. These services aim to offer flexible, non-judgmental care through ongoing, trusting relationships with midwives and community health workers. They often provide outreach, encourage women to access care early in pregnancy, and build relationships between women and birthing hospitals. Their goals typically include:

• Increasing access to, and participation in, antenatal care and postnatal support.
• Identifying and managing health risks for women and their babies, particularly early in pregnancy.
• Reducing health risks to babies, including preterm birth and low birthweight.
• Optimising the health and wellbeing of women and their babies.

Where to get help#