Maternity is a 41 bed ward consisting of 23 single rooms and 9 with 2 beds in each. Each room has an ensuite bathroom with toilet and shower facilities.

As part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Baby Friendly Health Initiative we support all women to room-in with their babies at all times. Rooming-in helps you to bond with your baby and learn their feeding cues. Your baby will breastfeed more often and is not likely to experience breastfeeding problems. This time together will help you to feel confident in caring for your baby. If you are feeling drowsy or not feeling well enough to care for your baby overnight our staff will care for your baby in the ward overnight nursery.

• Maternity Midwifery Unit Manager Grade 3
• Maternity Midwifery Unit Manager Grade 1
• Clinical Midwifery Consultant for Postnatal and Infant Feeding
• Clinical Midwifery Educator
• Midwives
• Student Midwives
• Registered Nurses
• Enrolled Nurses

Visiting hours are between 08:00am and 08:00pm. These times are in place to protect the privacy of all women and their babies in the ward. The visiting times allow the women time to rest and to feed and care for their babies.

All women on the Maternity ward are provided with a meal and you are also welcome to bring food from home. A cafeteria is located on level 2 of the hospital and provides a large selection of food which are available for purchase by family and visitors.

Members of the staff from the Maternity ward team will provide one-on-one care for each woman and baby on a daily basis. We also provide information sessions (listed below) each day to support you in caring for your new baby.

• Baby care and bathing - 9am and 6:30pm Monday - Sunday
• Breastfeeding – 3:30pm Monday - Sunday
• Postnatal Exercise (Physiotherapy) – 9:30am Monday - Friday

What to bring in your postnatal bag – for your and for your baby:

• Clothes for day wear and sleeping
• Toiletries – soap, shampoo, toothpaste and tooth brush, hairbrush, deodorant
• Maternity pads (at least 3 packets)
• Mobile phone and charger
• A black pen

• Nappies 1-2 packets of newborn size
• Baby bath solution or baby soap
• Cotton buds
• Clothing for the baby to wear in hospital
• Clothes and baby blanket to take the baby home.

If you plan to bottle feed, you only need to bring your own supply of formula.

Prior to coming in to hospital, we recommend that you leave valuable items at home. Whilst in any public area, including your room , it is your responsibility to keep your valuable items with you at all times.

Following the birth of your baby and if you are feeling well, you may be looking forward to going home with your baby. Most women don't need to stay in hospital very long and may go home within hours of birth. We understand that going home with your new baby may be a little ‘ scary’. So that you feel supported during this time we provide a Midwifery home visiting service. The midwife will visit you at home in the days following birth to assess you and your baby and provide support.

If you are required to stay in hospital longer, you can expect to stay about 1-2 nights following a vaginal birth and 2-3 nights following a Caesarean birth. The planned time for discharge each day is 11:00am.

If your baby needs to remain in hospital for medical care you will encouraged to visit your baby 24 hours /days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

If your baby needs to remain in hospital for medical care you will still be discharged when you are medically ready. You will be able to visit your baby 24 hours /days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

As required by law, cars must be fitted with a child restraint. It is recommended your child restraint is fitted by an RMS approved fitting station prior to the birth of your baby.

Also read here about window and balcony safety for children. 

We will give you the Parent Pack for you to claim Paid Parental Leave or family assistance if you are a resident of Australia. We recommend that your support person takes the Parent Pack home if you have chosen to go to the maternity ward from Birth unit and not directly home.

We will enter the details of the birth and your baby’s information into the NSW Health “My Personal health record“. This book is for recording your baby’s vaccinations, weight and routine health checks. It is full of helpful information on growth milestones and ideas for helping baby develop. Bring this book with you every time you take your baby to your local doctor or early childhood health nurse.

When you are leaving the hospital we will hand you the Birth Registration statement so you can register your baby’s birth. You have 60 days to complete and post the Birth registration statement. Your midwife will have written in the date, time of birth, baby’s sex and weight and hospital details on the registration form. You then need to complete the rest of the form before sending to the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.

When you are discharged from hospital, the Hospital midwives may visit to continue to support you for the first week following the birth of your baby. They can also provide you with information about services available in your area. After this time, the hospital will discharge you and any further care or advice can be sought from:

• Breastfeeding drop-in clinics at Doonside, Old Toongabbie and Baulkham Hills, NSW
• Suprapubic catheters for postnatal women
• After the birth of your baby
• Local GP
• Child and family health services
• Healthdirect Australia (1 800 022 222)
• ABA

Please refer to the back of your baby’s personal health record (Blue Book) for contact details.

• WSLHD Child and family health services brochure

Click here to learn more about child and family health services.