Birthing Hospitals in Adelaide l Birthing Professionals in Adelaide l Women's Health Services l Prenatal Exercise l Homebirth l Postnatal Depression
Birthing Hospitals in Adelaide
PUBLIC MATERNITY HOSPITALS
Womens and Childrens Hospital -
Level 3 facilities. Births per annum approximately 4000
Midwifery Group Practice, Labour Ward, Education Classes (Caesarean, Prenatal, Lactation)
Midwifery Group Practice - What is it? Midwifery Group Practice (MGP - sometimes called "caseload") is a midwife-led model of maternity care that offers continuity of midwifery carer to women and their families throughout pregnancy, birth and the early weeks at home with a new baby. If you choose to enrol under MGP care, your care will be given by a midwife who will act as your Lead Maternity Carer for pregnancy, labour and birth, and the postpartum period. Your midwife works in a small Group Practice, where the midwives are on-call to provide care as needed to the women in their defined caseloads and to provide back-up to each other. Where conditions arise that indicate the need for medical involvement in your care, the midwives work collaboratively with medical colleagues to coordinate the best care for you and your baby. Your midwife remains the Lead Carer for you and your baby right through until several weeks postpartum. Some care will be provided outside of the hospital, including at your home.
Who is eligible for this service? This is a new service since January 2004 that is publicly funded from the Women's & Children's Hospital, and places are limited. Any pregnant woman who resides within a postcode range of approximately 20 km from the WCH site is eligible to enrol in the service, subject to availability of places. Women choosing MGP care will be booked under the public health system. Demand from women with private health insurance will be monitored, but the program is currently not resourced to offer places for those choosing private care. This service does not operate together with shared care provided by a GP - instead, it is a midwifery-led model of care.
What do I need to do next? If you are interested in MGP care, please inform the staff member that you are seeing. Some information will be requested from you: the date your baby is due, postal code, insurance status, number of pregnancies and your contact details. A MGP midwife will call you to discuss the service further and answer questions you may have. Availability will be subject to demand for the service.
** MGP Latest News!! ** We have been told that we can announce that the Women's & Children's Hospital in Adelaide are officially starting their Public Homebirth Service on 1st February 2009. The service will run out of the current MGP (midwifery group practice). Our understanding is that from 1st February any woman who is currently booked with the service should be able to discuss the possibility of converting to a planned homebirth (as long as she meets the state homebirth policy low-risk criteria and a "homebirth" midwife is available), and new women booking into the MPG will also be able to do this. As expected, a previous history of caesarean (even past VBAC) is excluded from birthing at home at present. Emily Daw - MGP co-ordinator has advised CARES SA to let women know that MGP is still very keen for VBAC women to birth in hospital and if they are thinking of using MGP, then to contact her directly 8161 8005 as early in the pregnancy as possible. Emily will personally attempt to link you with a midwife who is supportive and experienced in VBACs.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital ** IMPORTANT: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is not presently offering birthing facilities **
They will conduct antenatal care and postnatal care, however, you will need to go to the Women's & Childrens to give birth with your midwife or to Lyell McEwin Hospital. We are hoping that this will change in the very near future. The Central Northern Adelaide Health Service is currently deciding between 6 recommendations given to them by a committe that undertook to bring birthing services back if at all possible. They still offer the wonderful Mothers and Midwives programme for continuity of care, Education Classes.
Flinders Medical Centre - Labour Ward, Birth Centre, Education Classes, Level 3 facilities, Births Per annum approximately 2300
Unfortunately, VBAC women are not accepted into the midwifery group practice at this point in time as they are still considered " high risk", we are hoping this will change soon and FMC will adopt some of the WCH criteria and actually classify otherwise healthy VBAC women as low risk.
VBAC births are allowed in labour and delivery suite, but follow the usual " high risk" so high level of monitoring requirements as standard protocols.
Gawler Health Service - Midwifery care in the antenatal clinic, labour & delivery suite and postnatal suite. Births per annum approximately 320-350.
While the Gawler Health Service does not offer caseload midwifery, their longstanding midwives strive to provide excellent care of the public health care system.
Mount Barker Hospital
Lyell McEwin Hospital - Birth Centre, Labour Ward, Education Classes. Births per annum approximately 1600
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
Calvary Hospital - Births per annum approximately 600
O
offers a continuity of care based model of midwifery care for labour.
You meet a team of 3 midwives before the birth date, one of whom will attend your needs when you are in labour. She may stay for up to 10 hours. You need to ask for this service as not all obstetricians who practice at Calvary support it - you may need to demand this excellent iniative of Calvary Hospital. It is the only private hospital in Adelaide who does this, and a service that the public system is trying to introduce comprehensively. Evidence shows time and time again that a known female caregiver in labour can reduce the length and severity of labour.
Ashford Hospital - Births per annum approximately 1200. Level 2 Hospital
North Eastern Community Hospital - Births per annum approximately 440. Level 1 Hospital
Burnside War Memorial Hospital - Births per annum approximately 500. Level 2 Hospital
Central Districts Hospital - Births per annum approximately 240. Level 2 Hospital
Flinders Private Hospital - Births per annum approximately 450. Level 1 Hospital
Birthing Hospitals in Adelaide l Birthing Professionals in Adelaide l Women's Health Services l Prenatal Exercise l Homebirth l Postnatal Depression