Maternity: Your Stay

Your Stay

Nursing Care

Our care is aimed at meeting your physical, emotional and educational needs.  During the first days of your stay the amount of nursing staff time you require will be greater than that needed towards the end of your stay.  The reason for this is that as you become more confident and more independent with managing your baby your nursing requirements will naturally decrease.

The nursing staff will involve you in the clinical handover of your care with the next nurse allocated to care for you.  If you wish to have a sleep at this handover time, please advise the nurse caring for you, so that you are not disturbed.

What Can I Expect?

Your hospital stay can be a very busy time.  Following is a snapshot of an average morning:

Before 8.00am along with caring for the needs of your new baby, night staff will be entering your room from 6.00am to do observations.  Doctor’s rounds commence from 6.30 - 7.00am and then the morning shift nurses will introduce themselves and check your chart. Breakfast is then served.

Physical checks and more observations will follow. Catering staff will clear your breakfast tray and freshen your water jug. Housekeeping staff will service your room and make your bed.  Later they will serve and then clear your morning tea tray.  Menus will be given out and collected for the next day and visiting hours will commence at 11.00am.

New mothers experience a variety of physical and emotional changes after their delivery. Apart from the excitement and joy, you can also experience sleep deprivation and hormonal changes which can lead to feelings of extreme tiredness and teary episodes. This is normal.  Babies usually feed around 6 – 8 times every 24 hours and often more frequently in the first few days, so we strongly suggest that you take advantage of the rest period and advise your family and friends to visit in visiting hours.

Registration of Birth Form

Parents must register the birth of their baby within 60 days of delivery. The maternity staff will give you the forms for Registration of Birth and the Family Allowance Claim after the birth of your baby.

Visiting Hours

To ensure you get adequate rest, we encourage you to restrict your visitor numbers and their length of stay.  Visiting hours are 11.00am – 1.00pm and 4.00pm – 8.00pm daily.

There is a strict rest period from 2.30pm - 4.00pm. During this time we do not admit visitors or transfer phone calls to your room (except by prior arrangement with you).