Whanganui and Palmerston North district health board midwives have united in their opposition to the loss of full maternity services from Whanganui Hospital.
The midwives are members of the midwifery union, the Midwifery Employee Representation & Advisory Service (MERAS), and said the change being considered by both DHBs would depriveWanganui women of a secondary care maternity facility.
The midwives said it would also compromise the safety of many other women travelling to Palmerston North to give birth.
The health boards are discussing a regional women's health service plan which could have up to half of Wanganui's mothers travelling to Palmerston North Hospital to give birth.
The change is being promoted to shore up a fragile maternity service at Wanganui Hospital, especially with shortages looming in obstetrics and gynaecology in the coming months.
Bernard McIlhone, a spokesperson for MERAS, said the union was particularly concerned about the distance women would be from family, if they had to transfer to Palmerston North.
"Families will be separated around the time of birth and as there are no facilities for whanau to stay in Palmerston North, they will experience increased stress, a lack of family support and wellbeing, which will impact upon outcomes for the mother and baby," Mr McIlhone said.
The spokesman said the proposal compromised continuity of care and women would receive fragmented support, particularly among those with the highest clinical and cultural needs.
He said it was worrying that the plan "significantly underestimates" the number of women who would deliver in Palmerston North at a hospital that did not have adequate staffing or capacity to accommodate the up to 400 additional births expected to come from Wanganui.
Mr McIlhone said existing infrastructure at Palmerston North Hospital would not cope and when there were no beds available, many mothers would be turned away and sent further afield.
MERAS members marched from Palmerston North Square to MidCentral DHB offices yesterday and will be joining a hikoi in Wanganui tomorrow.
The Wanganui march leaves from the corner of Taupo Quay and Victoria Ave at 2pm, moving up the avenue to Majestic Square where people representing the College of Midwives will speak.
