For Patients and Visitors
What is the Service?
Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Our multidisciplinary team of midwives, lactation consultants, medical staff and allied health professionals, are all here to assist you with the transition to parenthood.
What can I expect from the service?
Following birth, the midwives will assist with placing your baby skin to skin with you and he or she will stay there until after the first breastfeed. Skin to skin keeps the baby warm and calm and will assist with a feeling of closeness that helps to release the hormones of breastfeeding.
At Northern Health, we aim to assist with exclusive breastfeeding for all healthy, term infants.
You will be transferred to the Maternity ward where your care will be coordinated by our team of midwives and doctors. Our Physiotherapists, Lactation Consultants and Social Workers are also available as required. The midwives will provide education in infant care and support with breastfeeding.
Your baby will receive a free Hearing Test before discharge. At 48 hours of age, he or she will also have a small sample of blood taken from the heel, for the Neonatal Screening Test. This test checks for very rare childhood disease, including cystic fibrosis.
Throughout your stay, you will be assisted with caring for your baby yet encouraged to take over full care before discharge, to promote a safe and happy transfer to your home and families.
The ward strives to keep mothers and babies together and so all babies remain with their mothers throughout the hospital stay .Sometimes babies require extra medical treatment and are required to spend time in the neonatal nursery. If this happens to your baby, you will have unlimited access to this area.
Two visitors are allowed per patient per day (inclusive of support person). One support person in maternity can visit between 8am -8pm. A second visitor can visit between 12pm to 6pm.
The length of stay for a normal birth, is generally 2 nights, with an extra night provided following a caesarean section. If mother and baby are both well, you can decide to leave after 24 hours (following medical review). Early discharging patients will be offered additional home visits by our community midwives (Domiciliary midwives).
All women are offered a home visit by our domiciliary midwives. The midwives will come to your home a day after discharge to see how you and your baby are settling in. The baby will be weighed and issues such as breastfeeding discussed. The Neonatal Screening Test may also be performed on the baby if discharge is before 48 hours from birth.
You and your baby will need to see your local doctor for a six week postnatal check-up.
What do I bring to hospital?
For mother:
- Nightie or shirt for use in birthing suite
- Comfortable clothing for day
- Nightgown or pyjamas
- Slippers
- Maternity bra and breastfeeding pads
- Super Maternity pads (3 packs). Non-perfumed, non-coloured (please note that the hospital does not supplies sanitary pads to patients)
- Toiletries, including soap, shampoo and deodorant
- Tissues
- Pen
- Special dietary or favoured foods can be stored in the patient fridge
For baby:
- Baby clothes (grow suits are ideal), enough for 3-5 days
- Baby singlets (3-5 days)
- Baby beanie/hat
- Baby wraps/rugs (5-6)
- Bibs/feeders
- Booties/socks
- Baby Bath lotion
- Disposable nappies (please note that the hospital does not provide baby nappies)
At Northern Health, we support exclusive breastfeeding for all term, healthy babies. If you intend to formula feed your baby, you are required to please bring in your own formula and sterilised teats and bottles.
Contact us:
Northern Hospital Epping
Maternity Unit
Telephone: 8405 8206
Inclusion criteria:
All women who live locally are invited to register for Maternity care at Northern Health. Women from regional areas requiring additional medical/midwifery monitoring may also be accepted, via local hospital referral.
How to Refer:
All referrals to Northern Health should be sent to the Northern Health Ambulatory Care Entry & Triage Service (ACETS)
Fax: 8405 8616
Free Call: 1300 128 539
Email: ACETS.Helpdesk@nh.org.au
