Women who are cared for by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy are less likely to need intervention such a caesarean sections during labour and are less likely to report a traumatic birth, research has found.
The joint La Trobe University and Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne research also found that these women were less likely to need epidurals to cope with pain.
The study of 2300 women, published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found 88 per cent of those who had been assigned their own midwife reported having a positive experience, compared with 74 per cent of those who received the standard level of care.
"The relationship formed between the mother and the midwife over the pregnancy seems to be having a really big impact," the study's lead author, La Trobe University Midwifery Professor Helen McLachlan said.
Even though women in birth groups experienced the same level of pain during childbirth, those who had struck up a rapport with their midwife during their pregnancy were less likely to have suffered anxiety or have found the labour unbearable.
"This is really important because a bad experience with childbirth means women are more likely to delay or avoid having another child," Professor McLachlan said.
Under the program, pregnant women are looked after by the same midwife during the pregnancy, birth and early postnatal period, and they can call on the midwife for advice or help at anytime. This level of continuity is not often available to women who receive the standard level of care.
The study's co-author, Royal Women's Hospital Professor of Midwifery Della Forster said the "know your midwife" model is offered to women with low-risk pregnancies in about 30 per cent of public hospitals nationwide, or to about 8 per cent of women.
She said the Royal Women's had offered the program since 2007 and was finding demand from women was exceeding the number of places available.
"We think it is a model that should be rolled out across the country because it really is the gold standard of care," Professor Forster said.
"More women want this model and it is up to hospitals to implement the program more widely."
Cathy Quinlan managed to get a place in the Royal Women's program and gave birth to her daughter Juno just over a fortnight ago.
Dr Quinlan was full of praise for her midwife, Juanita, who delivered her baby and had visited to provide advice regularly since the birth.
"Juanita was fantastic," she said. "In labour, to have somebody you know - who knew what I was like and knew how to manage me - was fantastic."
The mother of four moved to Melbourne a couple of years ago and had given birth previously in England, where she said this level of care was standard.
Australian College of Midwives President Caroline Homer said every childbearing woman in the country should be given access to the program.