Provider engagement and choice in the Lead Maternity Carer System: Evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand

Background New Zealand (NZ) has a unique choice‐based model of maternity care. Aims To examine how engagement in antenatal care and choice of Lead Maternity Care provider (LMC) vary with maternal demographics. Materials and Methods Our sample consisted of 6822 women enrolled during 2009 and 2010 into a longitudinal cohort study Growing Up in New Zealand. We asked if women had engaged a LMC, the type of LMC and whether they had a choice of LMC. Associations with maternal ethnicity, age, parity and education and household deprivation were determined. Results Ninety‐eight per cent of women had engaged a LMC provider. Twelve per cent reported not experiencing choice and 11% not receiving their first choice of LMC provider. The reported LMC provider type was independent midwife (66%), hospital midwife (15%), private obstetrician (8%), shared midwife and general practitioner (GP) (5%) and GP‐only care (