Calvary Health Care ACT

Maternity

The Maternity Unit is situated on Level three in the Marian building. The entrance is on Level two of the Marian building, with the most convenient access via the sign posted entry beside the Emergency Department.

Our Maternity services include:

• Antenatal Clinic
• Birthing suite
• Midcall
• Preadmission
• Childbirth Education

Queries about maternity matters should be directed to the Ante Natal Clinic on 02 6201 6359

OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Calvary Hospital Public Maternity Unit is committed to providing you with excellent care, highly skilled staff and the best available facilities.

Our aim is that your experiences around pregnancy, labour and birth are a very positive beginning to that most important job of all – parenting.

The Calvary Public Hospital Maternity Unit embodies the four values of the Little Company of Mary – Hospitality, Healing, Stewardship and Respect.

These values will be displayed and practiced by all of the Calvary personnel you meet during your stay.

Calvary, like every hospital, brings people together in an unfamiliar environment to experience events and cope with issues that are not everyday happenings. We seek your assistance during your stay by having you share our values to ensure every patient enjoys the best possible care.

YOUR JOURNEY
By the time you come to Calvary Public Hospital to have your baby you will have enjoyed, and at times possibly endured, a long and emotional journey through pregnancy.

You will have made regular visits to the antenatal clinic, consulted your GP or specialist, and have had pregnancy blood tests and an ultrasound. You will most likely have attended childbirth education classes, and along with the advice of family and friends this has helped prepare you for your birthing experience.

Hopefully you will have found time to take one of the weekly tours through the Calvary Maternity Unit. These tours are held every Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm. If you would like to take part in a tour the group meets in the foyer of the Marion (Maternity) Building at 2.30pm and a midwife from our birth suite will meet you and lead the tour. (NO BOOKING REQUIRED)

Even with all these preparations and planning it is entirely natural for you to become nervous when the time comes for baby to arrive. The Calvary midwives, nurses, doctors and specialists understand this and they will work with you to make your birthing experience as fulfilling and safe as possible.

The Calvary Maternity Unit is family friendly, and women are encouraged to have their partner or a close friend with them through their labour and birth.

After your child is born the same team of highly skilled staff will assist you in your transition to parenthood.

Before you come into Calvary Hospital you should set up baby’s nursery or space at home - well before the expected date of the arrival of baby. This ensures that when you leave hospital baby’s place is ready and your transition to parenting is a bit less frantic. It is also good to have everything in place just in case baby comes a bit sooner than expected.

OUR BIRTHING FACILITIES
Your GP is a valuable source of information in the early stages of your pregnancy, and will organise your initial booking to have your baby at Calvary.

Calvary offers numerous birthing options. You may choose to be admitted as a public or private patient in the public maternity unit.

If you wish to book in as a private patient you will need to choose your own specialist. We are not able to guarantee accommodation in a single room. However, for women who need to have a caesarean section, every effort is made to accommodate them in a single room for the first night following the birth.

The birth suite has five birthing rooms all with ensuite facilities. The postnatal ward consists of some 4 single rooms, 2 two bed rooms and 2 four bed rooms.

For many women, pregnancy and birth - whilst physically demanding - usually proceeds normally. Some women may require assistance during the birthing process such as induction of labour, forceps, vacuum or caesarean section.

If this occurs Calvary Hospital has all the modern facilities and equipment, as well as highly skilled practitioners, to manage these unexpected turns of events. During this time you will be fully informed and consulted of the treatment options available to you.

The Maternity Unit staff are particularly attentive to the individual cultural and spiritual needs of women and their families and these matters will be considered throughout your stay at Calvary.

Should you require the services of a Dietician, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker, please inform the midwife in the antenatal clinic or on admission to the maternity unit. These services are available to all women during their pregnancy and stay in hospital.

WHAT TO BRING TO HOSPITAL
You will need to bring your blood group card, Medicare or health insurance card, and change for the phone or a phone card. A limited range of consumables can be purchased from the Cafe in Calvary Hospital.

Requirements for you:

• Comfortable day clothes, night attire/dressing gown/slippers
• Underwear including 3 nursing bras, washable nursing pads
• 3 packets of sanitary napkins
• 1 packet of tissues
• Clothes for going home
• Pen
• Wrist watch or small clock
• A bag for soiled washing

Requirements for baby:

• An outfit for baby to go home in for example:
• 1 jacket or cardigan
• Jumpsuit or nightie
• Singlet
• Bootees
• Hat
• 1 Bunny rug
• Cloth or disposable nappies

All personal and baby items brought to Calvary Maternity Unit should be laundered and labelled if possible. Calvary is unable to take responsibility for any lost articles.

MATERNITY VISITING HOURS
Visitors should be limited to a few at any one time. Visiting children must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult. The following visiting times apply to patients in the Calvary Maternity Unit.

General visitors are welcome from 3.00 - 5.00 pm and 7.00 - 8.00 pm.

Support people and siblings are welcome anytime from 8.00 am - 9.00 pm except during mothers’ rest time which is from 12.30pm – 3.00 pm.

AFTER BABY IS BORN
After your baby is born, you and your baby will receive every possible assistance and support from the Calvary team.

To assist you in your physical recovery after the birth a shape-up after birth class is held at 10 am each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning in the parent education room. Sessions are facilitated by a women’s’ health physiotherapist and all new mother’s are encouraged to attend.

STAYING IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
The staff at Calvary appreciate that having your baby will create both periods of elation and moments of uncertainty. At these times we understand your need to talk to friends who may not be able to see you in hospital or be with you at that particular time.

You may use your mobile phone to keep in touch with family and friends, but we ask that you keep your phone usage to a minimum and that you make and receive calls with consideration of the amenity and well-being of other new parents and babies.

Please nominate one person to make telephone enquiries to minimise calls to the Maternity Unit.

Mail is delivered daily. Mail should be addressed as follows:
(Your name in full)
Ward 3S
Calvary Health Care ACT
P.O. Box 254
JAMISON CENTRE ACT 2614

GOING ‘OFF-WARD’
After baby has arrived and you are starting to feel better, you may wish to spend some time ‘off-ward’ whilst remaining on the grounds of Calvary Hospital. This is particularly appealing if you have a large group of visitors or an existing family that cannot be comfortably accommodated in your ward accommodation.

If you wish to move around the Hospital, or perhaps spend some time at one of the cafes, please ask one of the nurses before you leave and advise them where you will be.

THE CALVARY SPECIAL CARE NURSERY - SPECIAL CARE FOR BABIES
The Calvary Public Hospital Maternity Unit has a Level 2 Special Care Nursery (SCN) which is located on Level 3 of the Marian Building. The SCN provides care to babies who have additional care needs such as breathing difficulties, prematurity, being small or who require feeding support. Infants are admitted to the nursery from Birth Suite or the Postnatal Ward. The SCN is also a step down facility for babies from The Canberra Hospital’s Centre for Newborn Care.

Who Works in the SCN
The SCN is staffed by experienced neonatal nurses and midwives and there is a paediatrician on call 24 hours a day. There are many people involved in the care of babies admitted to the nursery. Nursing staff rotate throughout the day, evening and night shifts. You may see many different faces but you can be confident that every nurse in the SCN is highly skilled and committed to the care of the new born patients.

Babies in the SCN are also under the care of a consultant paediatrician, and a member of the paediatric team will visit your baby every day.

Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists and Social Workers also form part of the team of health professionals working in the SCN. Other caregivers include pharmacists, pastoral carers, pathology carers, radiographers and ward clerks. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that the baby and family receive very good care.

Parents are Welcome
We encourage families to participate in the care of their baby in the SCN and every effort is made to ensure parents and siblings have plentiful opportunities to bond and gain confidence with the infant before going home.

Parent’s voice and touch are valuable forms of comforting and communicating with their baby. As soon as the baby’s condition allows we support parents to provide care such as feeding, nappy changing, bathing and other routines. The care provided to the baby may change frequently and the SCN staff provide updates to parents.

Visiting
We encourage parents to visit at any time as we value and encourage their participation. Other visitors are also welcome, but we ask that these visitors be accompanied by a parent or guardian of the baby. The baby’s siblings can visit but no other children. The SCN has a quiet time from 1230 – 3pm each day and during this time visiting is strictly limited to parents only.

Sleep
Sick or premature babies need rest and sleep to build their energy. All nursing care is planned so as to provide minimal disturbance to the baby and to enhance your time together.

Preventing Infections
All visitors to the SCN are asked to wash their hands each time they enter the Nursery. All babies have their own area in the SCN. This helps prevent infections being passed from one baby to another. For this reason we ask that parents do not touch other people’s babies.

Confidentiality
As parents, you need to know what is happening to your baby. Do not hesitate to ask the midwives or doctors to explain anything you do not understand about your baby’s condition, treatment and care needs. Information about your baby’s condition will be discussed with only you. We are unable to give information about your baby to friends or relatives over the phone.

Security and Safety
The door to the SCN is kept locked at all times. When arriving for a visit please ring the door bell and wait for the door to be released. When moving your baby around the nursery, please use the cot. For your own safety, please wear footwear during your visits. You are welcome to accompany your baby for any tests.

Discharge and Rooming In
When your baby is well he/she is discharged from the SCN. Leading up to this discharge, your baby may be brought to your room in between feeds or observations to spend time with you. If you are already at home when your baby is ready for discharge we provide a rooming in facility for parents. For first time parents it is often a good idea to room in for 1 – 2 nights. You can discuss this option with your baby’s paediatrician or midwife closer to the time of discharge.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Rest Time
It is important to rest as much as possible, so a rest time between 12.30 – 3.00 pm has been designated. Please ask your relatives and friends not to visit or telephone during this time.

Photographs
A commercial photographer attends the hospital on Monday-Friday at approximately 9.00 am to take baby’s photographs. No booking is required.

Rooming-In
We support 24 hour rooming-in for all healthy mothers and babies. Rooming-in ensures mothers and babies are not separated during the hospital stay. Rooming-in enables mothers to become confident with breastfeeding and baby care. Midwives are always available to assist you during this time.

Diet
Please notify your midwife of any special dietary requirements.
A pantry is available on the ward for patients use only.

GOING HOME
It is normal to go home on the morning of the third day after a vaginal birth and the morning of the fourth day after a caesarean birth.

The Midcall post-natal service offers some women the choice to be discharged six hours after the birth if mother and baby are well.

Midcall provides home-based postnatal midwifery care for mothers and their babies during the first week after the birth. Midcall is essentially a ‘hospital in the home’ arrangement, so after about a week of care under the Midcall program you will be formally discharged from Midcall by the midwife who will refer you to the Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

Day of Discharge
On the day you that you leave hospital you will be required to go through the formal discharge procedure. Prior to being discharged you will be seen by the doctors and nursing staff to ensure you and your baby are well enough to leave the care of the hospital.

Patients are usually discharged from Maternity in the morning. When you are organising for your partner or other people to be present and to assist you leaving the hospital, you should indicate to them to be available for the period prior to 11.00 am.

Before you leave ensure that you have been given your Birth Registration paper, Centrelink pack and Baby Personal Health record book. Centrelink papers cannot be reissued by the Hospital if you misplace them, so please ensure these documents are stored in a safe place.

Baby Capsule
The A.C.T. Motor Traffic Amendment Bill No.4, 1990, states that all infants under 12 months of age must be transported in an approved infant/child restraint correctly installed and suited to the child’s age and weight. Therefore, it is necessary to have an approved infant restraint fitted to your car. These can either be bought or hired.

Calvary personnel are not responsible for checking or fitting car restraints. In the ACT, the Kidsafe Centre in Pearce provides a baby capsule hire and fitting service. The Kidsafe phone number is 6290 2244. You should arrange an appointment to have the baby safety restraint fitted several weeks before your baby is due. Calvary does not provide this service.

Where to go for help once you have left Hospital
After you have been discharged from hospital you are encouraged to visit your local Child Health Centre. The maternal and child health nurse will support and assist you and your family.

Postnatal Check Up
You will be advised to make an appointment with your Obstetrician/General Practitioner (GP) for your six week postnatal check. If you have any concerns in the meantime contact your Obstetrician, G.P. or the Emergency Department at Calvary Health Care ACT.