Maternity: Your delivery

Your delivery

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.

Caesarean Delivery

If you are having a booked Caesarean delivery, you will need to present on the day of your operation, to the main desk in the hospital front foyer for admission 1½ 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.

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.