Hi, I'm Sharon. I'm the maternity unit manager here at Gladstone - welcome to our maternity unit.
If you're expecting a baby then congratulations!
Gladstone Hospital maternity unit cares for around 600 women giving birth each year.
We have an amazing team who are here to support you through this very special time of
your lives. Whether you have a normal pregnancy or have more complex needs, our
goal is to provide the best standards of care and support to ensure that you and
your family are safe and have a fulfilling birthing experience to take
you forward on your journey through to parenthood.
Hello, I'm midwife Anna. It's important that you know that early and regular
antenatal care is essential to promote good health and outcomes for mother and
baby. You should attend your GP as soon as you think that you may be pregnant or
are planning to become pregnant, particularly if you have any other
health issues. Your GP can help you to be in the best possible health to have a baby.
You have a number of options for your care throughout your pregnancy;
they include: sharing your care between your GP and the hospital,
Midwifery Group Practice, private care with an obstetrician or a midwife, total
hospital care or Nhulundu. At the beginning of your pregnancy your GP will
conduct a number of routine investigations, such as blood tests and
ultrasounds, and send a referral to the hospital where you're choosing to birth.
You will be contacted by the hospital for a booking in visit when your referral is
received. At this booking-in visit you will spend approximately two hours with
your midwife, who will thoroughly check your health history and discuss your
pregnancy care plan with you. You will receive a pregnancy health record at
this visit, which you should carry with you every time you attend an appointment
throughout your pregnancy and provide it to all health care professionals
providing care for you. If you have any serious health issues,
you may require a referral to a tertiary hospital such as Rockhampton or the
Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital. If you develop gestational diabetes
during your pregnancy, we run education sessions with the dietitian and diabetic
educator. There is also a specialised clinic on Tuesdays where you will see
a diabetic educator, a dietitian, a doctor and a midwife.
Hi, I'm midwife Jess. I'd like to give you an overview of the Midwifery Group Practice
model of care. This is the model care that provides woman- centred
midwifery care for low to moderate risk women.
You'll have your own midwife who will care for you during your pregnancy, birth
and postnatal period. This care may also be accessed in the community, saving you a
trip to the hospital. If you're interested in Midwifery
Group Practice then please advise your GP when doing a referral to the hospital.
Midwifery Group Practice usually has a wait list, so please ensure your
referral comes through early in pregnancy to get a place. MGP care is
available for low to moderate risk women who live within the Gladstone area.
Once you're past 20 weeks pregnant you can come directly to the maternity
unit if you have any pregnancy related concerns or complications.
We like you to ring us first so that we can be prepared for your visit. This phone call also
allows us to advise if you need to come in very quickly, or if the matter could
be dealt with by your GP. We will also advise you as to the most appropriate
access to use if out of hours. Please remember to bring your pregnancy health
record to every visit. Gladstone Hospital provides care for births at 37 weeks or
more, and Rockhampton Hospital provides planned births of 32 weeks gestation or
more. Transfer to a tertiary centre in Brisbane is required prior to 32 weeks
gestation. Transfer or birth at these services may be required for serious
health concerns, such as gestational diabetes requiring insulin, or high body
mass index BMI.
We encourage first-time mums and their support people to attend any natal
classes which are held on the second Saturday of every month. Ideally, you'll
be 30 weeks pregnant when you attend. It is a one-day class
covering labour and birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum support. Please speak to
your midwife if you are interested in attending these classes. When you're
packing your bag for hospital you need to bring everything required for your
baby including clothes, nappies, bunny rugs, as well as anything you need for
yourself. Always ring the maternity ward on 4976 3257 before coming to the
hospital for any reason, and remember to bring your pregnancy health record.
If you have a low risk pregnancy, we encourage you to stay home as long as
possible in early labour. You're welcome to seek support via telephone if you
have any questions or concerns. Once your labour establishes, your support
people can be with you for an unlimited time while you are in the birth suite.
Please advise them to bring comfortable clothes, swimwear if using
the birth pool, footwear, snacks and drinks. You're welcome to bring your own
music and comfort items for labour such as aromatherapy, massage oils, or a pillow.
You can make note of these things when completing your birth plan in your
pregnancy health record. Our birth suites have water immersion available.
Please let us know when you call if you would like to use this and we will allocate
this room if it is available.
If you are having a planned caesarean section, you'll be analysed to come to
the ward for admission. You can have one support person with you
in the operation theatre if you are having a spinal anaesthetic.
Your support person must have enclosed footwear. You can bring a camera or a phone to take
the photos of your newborn baby. Most men go home on the third day after a
caesarean section if mom and baby are both well.
Here at Gladstone Hospital we have a neonatal nursery that can support well
babies from 35 weeks. We also provide stabilisation of acutely unwell or
premature babies awaiting transfer to a high level facility. If your baby's
born prematurely and is initially supported in another facility, they may
be transferred back to us from 35 weeks, if they're stable.
We aim to get you and your baby home from hospital as quickly as possible, as soon as
you are both well enough to do so. We're a Baby Friendly Health Initiative, or BFHI-accredited
hospital, and promote the 10 steps that encourage breastfeeding. Ask one of our
friendly midwives for more information on how you can benefit from breastfeeding support
at Gladstone Hospital. Midwives will provide your
postnatal care in addition to other support services such as
physiotherapists, mental health, and social workers. We also have an
Indigenous Liaison Worker available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
clients. Visiting hours are from 10:00 in the morning till 12:30 and 4.00 to 8.00 p.m,
with a rest period between, where only one support person is allowed with you.
Space for flowers is very limited - please encourage your family to send them to
your home as you'll be able to enjoy them for longer. It is very important
that midwives have enough time with you when you're in hospital. Please talk to
your visitors about allowing enough free time for this to occur. This is
particularly important on the day that you're going home as we have a lot of
information to give you. For the safety of our newborn babies, visitors to the
maternity unit and neonatal nursery must be free of any infections or conditions
and must follow strict hand hygiene requirements.
If you live in the Gladstone region, the Extended Midwifery Service will visit in
the first two weeks, and the child health and family nurse will offer home
visits around two and four weeks to check on you and your baby.
Postnatal referrals will be arranged with your local services if you live outside of
the Gladstone area. It's important that your personal details such as your
telephone and address are always updated if you make any changes. This allows us
to provide appropriate follow-up care to you.
If you have any questions about your
pregnancy journey, please contact us. We appreciate your feedback. Our service is
here for you so please let us know what we're doing well and which areas we can
improve. You can also get more information about our service at the
website linked below.