Maternity: Your Stay

Your Stay

What to bring to Hospital

(it is advisable to have your bag packed by 34 weeks).

For You

• Sleepwear and light weight dressing gown
• Comfortable casual clothing for day wear
• Comfortable foot wear
• Own Toiletries and box of tissues
• Three packs of sanitary pads (maternity)
• Maternity bras & one box of nursing pads
• Health fund card, Medicare card and Pension card if applicable
• Enough money for incidentals
• Pen, wristwatch or clock
• Any current medication
• Consent forms (if you have not already returned these to your Obstetrician)

For Baby

• Baby Clothes
• We suggest 6 singlets and 6 outfits suitable for frequent nappy changes
• An approved baby restraint already fitted to your vehicle prior to discharge
• If intending to have your capsule professionally fitted, or to hire a baby capsule, remember to allow 3 – 4 weeks booking time.

What not to bring

We strongly advise you not to bring your valuables (for example jewellery or large sums of money) to hospital.  NB Items can be lodged in the hospital safe.

When to contact the Maternity Unit

Please contact the Midwives if you have any worries or concerns.

• Before 20 weeks pregnant: Present to the Accident & Emergency department with any medical concerns (the doctor on call will review you).
• After 20 weeks pregnant: Contact the Maternity Unit to inform the midwife when you are in labour or before coming into hospital.

It is very important to contact the Unit quickly (day or night) if any of the following occur:

• Ruptured membranes or continuous leaking of fluid
• Bright bleeding
• Regular contractions
• Premature labour i.e. prior to 37 weeks
• Unusual or severe abdominal pain
• Any concerns about baby’s movements

When you arrive at the hospital, please go straight to the Maternity Unit. If you are in strong labour, your partner is welcome to park at the front entrance to the hospital. Please remove the vehicle as soon as possible to avoid obstructing emergency vehicles.

If you arrive for admission during the night (from 9.00pm to 6.00am) you will find the doors locked for security reasons. Please ring the doorbell at the front entrance.

Caesarean Delivery

If you are having a booked Caesarean delivery, you will need to present of the day of operation to the main desk in the hospital front foyer for admission 1 ½ hours prior to your booked theatre time.  You will be escorted to the Admission Centre and prepared for your operation.  After your deliver and recovery period you will be transferred to the Maternity Unit.  Please leave your luggage in your car until after your operation when a room will be allocated to you.

Your support person may be present in the operating theatre if you have an epidural caesarean. They will be seated at the head of the operating table at the anaesthetist’s discretion.  In order to maintain a high standard of hygiene, your support person must wear full operating theatre attire.  A midwife or registered nurse will escort you while in theatre. 

Birthing Suite

Childbirth carries with it the potential for enormous personal growth and empowerment. As such, it should be accomplished in a manner that not only promotes safety but which also recognises and enhances the emotional and spiritual nature of birth. Our specialised team will strive to help you achieve your potential.

Support Persons in the Birthing Suite

Many women enjoy the company of a close family member or friend during their labour and birth, in addition to the company of their partner.  The midwives can help you explore the role of support people during antenatal classes.  If your support person is not present during your admission to the birthing suite, the midwife caring for you will notify him/her at your request.

It is important to maintain the privacy of all women in labour. Therefore, it is necessary for staff to accompany your support person into the Birthing Suite. If they need to leave the area, we ask that they keep the midwife informed of their whereabouts.

Food and drink is provided in the birthing suite for both you and your partner.

Phone Calls

Relatives and friends are requested not to phone the birthing suite to enquire about patients. It is best to arrange for your support person to contact the people you wish to keep informed. Each Birthing Suite has a phone for you to use.

In the interests of privacy and confidentiality, staff cannot give details about progress of labour or about the baby.

Mobile phones can interfere with monitoring equipment but may be used in the Birthing Suite unless staff instruct otherwise.  Mobile phones may also be used in patient rooms but their use in all other areas of the Unit is not permitted.

Baby Identification

Newborn babies are identified with two name tags which are placed on the baby immediately following his/her birth. Please inform staff if a name tag slips off so that it may be replaced.

Accommodation

The rooms at Pindara Maternity Unit are predominantly private room accommodation with ensuite facilities. 

Toddlers / Children

Toddlers and children are welcome to visit but are not permitted to stay overnight or remain unaccompanied in your care during the day in a “child minding” situation.  This is your special time with your new baby.

Can My Partner Stay Overnight?

Our philosophy embraces a belief in the benefits of fathers being involved in the “hands on” parenting experience right from delivery and being present to give physical and emotional support to their partner.  Whilst partners are welcome to stay overnight they are only provided with a recliner chair.

The presence of partners overnight is reliant on acceptance of the “Partner Code of Conduct”.  Any breach of the Code may result in immediate withdrawal for overnight stay privileges for your partner.

It is important your partner reads the “Partner Code of Conduct” and is also aware of the number of times people will need to enter your room each day e.g. serving and clearing of meals, servicing of room, nursing procedures, doctors’ rounds.  It is also important your partner understands the physical and emotional changes you will experience that can result in sleep deprivation and teary episodes.  Your partner must also accept that our focus of care will always remain on you, the patient, and your baby.

If partners choose to stay overnight the purpose is to:

• To allow you to experience more of the initial phase of being a new parent.
• To provide physical and emotional support to your partner.

In choosing to stay overnight, you agree to be bound by the following code of conduct.

• Your presence during the hospital stay must not impede your partners care or the care of another patient
• Nursing and or housekeeping routines will not be delayed, e.g. to allow you to sleep in
• Sleeping unclothed is unacceptable
• Once out of bed a dressing gown or equivalent attire is to be worn
• No sleepwear may be worn outside your partners room

Rooming In

We encourage you to keep your baby in your room with you as this promotes:

• Enhanced bonding
• Opportunities for learning practical parenting skills
• Establishment of lactation
• Increased confidence
• Decreased risk of cross infection

Midwives will support you in learning and developing skills for caring for your newborn.  We understand that at times your need for sleep may not be met and offer to care for your baby at this time or suggest that your support person stay and care for the baby.

Visiting Hours

We encourage you to restrict your visitor numbers and length of time they stay as adequate rest is essential.  Visiting hours are 11am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm daily. From 1pm to 3pm there is a strict rest period. During this time we do not admit visitors or transfer phone calls to your room (except by prior arrangement with you).

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.

What Can I Expect?

Your hospital stay can seem very busy.  What follows is a snapshot of an average morning:
Along with caring for the needs of your new baby, staff will be entering your room from quite early in the day e.g.night staff may need to do observations from 6.00am, doctors rounds start from 6.30 to 7.00am, breakfast is served, the am shift of nurses introduce themselves, charts are checked, beds are made and all this before 8.00am.  Physical checks and observations follow and housekeeping staff service your room.  Catering staff will clear your breakfast tray, freshen your water jug then serve and later clear your morning tea tray.  Menus will be given out and collected for the next day and visiting hours start at 11.00am.

Apart from the excitement and joy, new mothers also experience a variety of physical and emotional changes after delivery.  Babies usually feed around 6 – 8 times every 24 hours and often more frequently in the first few days and sleep deprivation combined with normal hormonal changes can lead to feelings of extreme tiredness and teary episodes.  We strongly suggest taking advantage of the rest period provided, by advising your family and friends of the times for visiting hours.

Lactation

Some mothers are concerned about the idea of going home before the “milk is in” or before breast feeding is “fully established”. By the time you are ready for discharge your milk may or may not be “in” or may be in the process of “coming in”.  Your hospital stay is about teaching you and helping you to gain confidence with the skills you need to care for your baby at home.  These skills include parentcraft skills and very importantly, feeding techniques. 

With breastfeeding we aim to have you attaching baby to the breast correctly and independently and able to recognise effective sucking.  Your lactation will take a few weeks to fully establish and will undergo numerous changes during that time in response to baby’s feeding pattern and needs. It is for these reasons that when looking at discharge day we place more emphasis on ensuring mothers have the necessary skills to continue with successful breastfeeding well beyond the hospital stay.

Extra Meals

Our catering department will provide meals for your partner if desired.  Extra meals must be on a separate menu and will incur a charge, which can be arranged at Front Reception.

Evening Out

You may wish to have an evening out with your partner during your hospital stay. We are happy to take care of your baby while you leave the hospital. However, please check with your doctor and midwife first and ensure you are accompanied at all times.

Registration of Birth Form

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