Postnatal Services is located on level three at the Royal Hospital for Women. It comprises of the Paddington and Oxford Wards and has a combination of shared and single rooms available.

We are a Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hospital (BFHI). Our maternity service encourages, respects, and supports mothers’ informed choice of infant feeding. We adhere and practice the ‘10 steps for successful breastfeeding, which is beneficial for all mothers and babies. We practice rooming-in to help mothers become familiar with their baby’s behaviour and needs. We don’t have a designated well baby nursery. 

Staff

The postnatal ward is staffed by an array of healthcare disciplines and providers, spanning a wide spectrum of specialties and professionals. This encompasses experienced midwives and student midwives, reflecting our role as a teaching hospital.

The Paddington and Oxford Postnatal Wards have a combination of shared and single rooms available.

Single rooms are prioritised for women who have babies in the Neonatal intensive care. They are also available for women who are under the care of a private obstetrician with private health insurance. However, it must be noted that this is subject to availability.

Consult the Patient Liaison Officer at front desk for further information.

Partner Accommodation

Partners are welcome to stay if you are in a single room. There is a boarder fee for overnight accommodation attached to this which includes breakfast only. Please discuss this with the midwife caring for you. Children are unable to stay overnight.

Dietary Requirements

Please inform the staff of any dietary requirements you may have.

On booking you will be given a flyer with information as to what to bring into hospital. 

Facilities for Families

We have mini fridges in each room and a patient kitchenette for you to store food and beverages.

Please ask staff for stickers to label your food and beverages.

4:00pm - 8:00pm  

Quiet time 1:00pm-4:00pm  

Children must be supervised at all times 

Partners are welcome all day and can stay until 10:00pm

Only 2 people are allowed at the bedside at the same time

Mother – What to Expect

Postnatal check

A midwife will do a daily head to toe check and assessment of your postnatal wellbeing. They will ask you a series of questions regarding your health and if you have any concerns. They will discuss management of postnatal issues and plan your care for the day.  A physical assessment may be conducted by a midwife or doctor. Please ask your midwife if you have any questions or concerns about yourself or your baby.

Baby Wellness Check

This will be completed prior to your discharge by a midwife or paediatrician.

R.E.A.C.H

If you are worried about a recent change in your condition or that of your loved one please REACH out.

Six-week postnatal check

Your six-week postnatal check-up is either with your local GP if you were on the GP Shared Care Program, your obstetrician if you had your care privately or midwife with the Midwifery Group Practice. This is an opportunity for your health care professional to check that your body is returning to its pre-pregnant state, your lactation is established and you’re coping with life and your new baby.

Baby – What to Expect

Baby Wellness Check

This will be completed prior to your discharge by a midwife or paediatrician.

Birth registration

Once your baby enters the world the birthing midwife will give you your birth registration package. This contains information you will need to fill out to register your baby with Births Deaths and Marriages. Only one set of papers are given to you. If you lose them you will need to consult Birth, Deaths, and Marriages for a replacement copy.

You will have 4 weeks to fill it out and send in it. A Medicare and Centrelink form are also in the package. You will need to lodge this form so they can add and issue you a new card with your baby’s details.

Centrelink payments are made at discretion and are means tested. For further information contacted Centrelink to see if you are eligible for any allowances.

Personal Health Record- Blue book

After birth your midwife caring for you will give you your Personal Health record, otherwise known as the ‘blue book'. This keeps a record of your baby details, child and family health visits, milestones weight and height charts, and immunisations. It is important that you don’t lose it as it contains important information concerning your baby. You will need to have it with you when you visit your GP and Child and Family Health Centre and all health professionals.

Postnatal Follow-Up Services.

So it’s now time to go home – you have the car packed, the baby seat secured on the back seat and a newborn in your arms. You are probably asking where I go next and who I can contact if I need assistance.

Rest assured there are a variety of services that are available to follow up with.

• Child and Family Health Centres
  • The Child and Family Health Centres are available in all areas and a great resource to access. They provide free health, growth and development checks for babies and children from birth to five years. Please call the central booking number within the first week of going home to make the first appointment. They can often offer this as a home visit
  • To see where your closest centre is click this link.
• Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
  • The Australian Breastfeeding Association is a service offered to new breastfeeding mums who offer support with lactation and breastfeeding. It provides telephone help line for peer counselling support, groups for breastfeeding women lots of online resources who need advice during this.
  • Contact ABA on website www.breastfeeding.asn.au or by phone on 1800 686 268 (1800 mum 2 mum) – this hotline is 24/7 and a free service.
• General Practitioner/ Obstetrician/ Paediatrician
  • If there any medical issues for your newborn or yourself it is best to consult with your local GP and/or, Obstetrician or Paediatrician or immediate support can be found at Sydney Children’s Hospital Emergency.
• Sydney Children’s Hospital
  • Once your newborn is discharged from the Royal Hospital for Women and your child is unwell, it. It is advisable to take them to Sydney Children’s Hospital High St.
  • Contact SCH on (02) 9382 1111 or visit Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.

Postnatal education is our primary focus to support your transition to parenthood. We offer a number of classes including bath, settling, fourth trimester, breastfeeding to name a few.

Check out the timetable for details.

Free to air TV education channel is available in each room.

Lactation

In a BFHI facility, breastfeeding mothers are given consistent information and support with breastfeeding by midwives. Our lactation service provides additional support and assistance for new mothers who are having difficulties with their breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding Support Unit

The Breastfeeding Support Unit (BSU) is a unique service offering outpatient and inpatient consultations to postnatal mothers. For more information, click this link. 

Our Midwifery Support Programme is a service offered to new mothers.

To be eligible for the program, you must leave within the time periods according to your method of birth.

To qualify you must live within the designated boundaries for the Royal Hospital for Women catchment area postcodes 2000- 2036 + 2060. If you live out of this area, other hospitals offer home visiting programs as well and we can get in contact with them and see if they have availability.

A safety check will be discussed on discharge to ensure it is a safe work environment for the midwife to visit. The midwife will acquire your details and give you information on the program. They will not phone you but should arrive between the hours of 9 am and 3:00 pm. Please give accurate details on parking, cross streets, pets and any safety concerns.

A midwife will come to your home and spend up to one hour a day with you and your newborn. They will individualise their visits according to your needs and support you through this period. They will visit you over a period of 4 days. Three visits will be offered. The first two will be consecutive then we will miss one day, and the final visit will be granted on the 4th day of your visits. You will still be under the care of the hospital during this time so if any complications arise or follow up is required, then the midwife caring for you can contact the hospital to arrange follow up or review of care, for you and your newborn.

A week following your discharge from the program, the midwives will contact you via phone to do a final wellness check and feedback questionnaire. If you have any questions during this phone call, the midwives will direct you to suitable follow-up.

Discharge planning

We start planning your discharge as soon as you arrive to our postnatal service. Your midwife caring for you will guide and discuss this with you. They will help you plan and prepare for your discharge home as well as assist you in your transition into parenthood.

Length of stay

Some women may stay up to 3 days (72 hours) for a vaginal delivery or 5 days (120 Hours) after a caesarean section. If other complications arise each individual will be assessed, and length of stay will be assessed accordingly.

Some women may prefer to go home earlier (6-8 hours after vaginal birth or 24 hrs after a caesarean) with the support of the midwives visiting them at home. Depending on the type of antenatal care you may be followed up by different midwifery support. If the antenatal care was with a GP or private obstetrician, then the Midwifery Support Programme (MSP) with visit at home.

Alternatively, some women may have received antenatal care and are followed up by the Midwifery Antenatal Postnatal Service (MAPS) or Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) program for their home visiting postnatal care.

If you have been followed up by Midwifery Group Practice or Midwifery Antenatal Postnatal Service, we encourage discharge as a soon as possibly unless you are experiencing other issues that forgo early discharge, so your midwifery team can follow you up with care at home.

• Personalised service
• Ongoing care with your GP who will continue to look after you and your family before and after baby is born
• More flexible appointment times, that is, after hours and weekends
• Waiting times are generally shorter than hospital clinics

It is recommended that several months before you are planning to become pregnant you see your GP to discuss issues such as rubella immunity, folic acid intake and your options for antenatal care.  If you are already pregnant see your GP as soon as possible.

You will have some of your pregnancy care with  your GP and some with the midwives or doctors at the hospital.

You would give birth to your baby in the hospital birthing unit, a midwife will look after you during your labour and birth.  Your GP may come and visit you while you are in hospital but will not deliver the baby.

You usually spend 2-4 hours in the birthing unit before being transferred up to the postnatal ward.  Some women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth may go home four hours after the birth with midwifery support.

If you choose to go home early, a midwife will visit you in  your home until baby is 5-7 days old, your GP may also visit if required.

If you require emergency medical help and you are less than 20 weeks pregnant please contact the Prince of Wales Emergency (casualty) department.  If it is a non-urgent problem contact your GP (some GPs provide an after hours service) who will assess your condition and may refer you to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) at the hospital the following day.

If you are over 20 weeks pregnant contact the birthing unit on 9382 6100.

At the Royal Hospital for Women there is a midwife to assist women that choose to participate in the Antenatal Shared Care Program who can be contacted on 9382 6016 and can assist you with the following :

• Answer any concerns/questions you may have about the program
• See you for check ups if your GP is going to be away
• Explain and arrange various services at the hospital
• Provide you with information on pregnancy, birth and after the baby is born

The midwife is a resource person in the hospital for you to contact at any time.

You may not be able to choose this option of care if you have significant medical and/or other history, or develop complications throughout your pregnancy, or your GP is not affiliated with the Royal Hospital for Women Antenatal Shared Care Program. 

If you would like to be seen by the NVP and HG service, please see your GP for a referral. The NVP and HG service will also accept referrals from private obstetricians and ED departments. Please call prior to attending to book in an appointment time. If you are unsure about how to access the service or have a question about the referral process, please call and discuss your query with a midwife.

The NVP and HG service is run by a team of midwives that will oversee your care. You will also be seen by an Obstetrician regularly and if required will be reviewed by an Obstetric physician. This may be in the clinic or in the Outpatients department.  

The NVP and HG service is situated in the Pregnancy Day Stay unit at the Royal Hospital for Women. This is an outpatient clinic that treats women for a number of pregnancy related conditions. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may be able to have your care provided at home with the Hospital in the Home team. Please speak to your midwife or doctor if you would be interested in this option.

You may be offered medication for nausea, vomiting, reflux and constipation. Some of these medications maybe given orally or by a cannula. You may also be offered the administration of intravenous (IV) fluids to help resolve your symptoms. Midwifes and doctors will review your medications regularly to ensure they are working well for you.

• Often woman experiencing NVP or HG can feel low in mood and struggle with their mental health.  As part of your care the NVP and HG service will support your emotional needs by providing support from our midwives, social workers, and perinatal mental health teams. 

• Women accessing the NVP and HG service may also be offered ComPacks. These a non-clinical community support packages to help you at home and include activities such as transport to and from appointments, delivery of food shops, meal prep and domestic help (e.g. cleaning). For more information, ask your midwife or see the ComPacks flyer here. 

• MotherSafe

  MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. MotherSafe provide information to families and Health Care Providers about safe and effective treatments for Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Call 02 9382 6539 (Sydney Metropolitan Area) or 1800 647 848 (Non-Metropolitan Area).

• Continuity of care with your named midwife before and after baby is born.
• Mobile phone contact for NON-URGENT e.g. appointment changes, informing you have had a blood test/ultrasound.
• Location may be more convenient e.g. hospital antenatal clinic.

It is recommended that several months before you are planning to become pregnant you see your GP to discuss optimising your health and other issues such as rubella immunity, folic acid intake. At this time it is good to research different options for your maternity care.

If you are already pregnant see your GP as soon as possible.

You will have your pregnancy care with your known midwife (and doctors if needed) at the hospital.

You would give birth to your baby in the hospital birth unit. A birth unit midwife will look after you during your labour and birth. If for any reason during your labour you need a doctor they are always available.

You usually spend 2-4 hours in the birth unit before being transferred up to the postnatal ward.  Some women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth may go home 4 hours after the birth with MAPS midwifery support.

When you go home, the MAPS midwife will visit you in your home until baby is about 10-14 days old.

If you require emergency medical help and you are less than 20 weeks pregnant please attend or contact the Prince of Wales Emergency department.  If it is a non-urgent problem contact your GP (some GPs provide an afterhours service) who will assess your condition and may refer you to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) at the hospital the following day.

For any labour related issues and URGENT concerns over 20 weeks contact the birthing unit triage on 0439 869 035 24 hours a day.

You can call your midwife between 8:00am and 4:30pm (some may only work certain days, so if you urgently need an answer please call triage underlined above). Otherwise the midwives will assist you as soon as they can with:

• Answering any concerns/questions you may have about the program.
• Explaining various services at the hospital.
• Providing you with information on pregnancy, birth and after the baby is born.

Despite The Royal Hospital for Women providing a large number of MAPS midwives and teams occasionally there may be limited availability. If you live outside of the hospital area we are not be able to provide postnatal visits in the home.

If you are undecided about continuing with your pregnancy, SUPPS can arrange for counselling to help with your decision.

Receiving the right care during pregnancy improves outcomes for mothers and babies, regardless of which substances are being taken.

 

SUPPS is a voluntary service for women antenatally, but postnatally SUPPS will need to be part of your baby’s follow-up care.  Even if you don’t want SUPPS involvement, it is essential that you receive adequate antenatal care.

The role of SUPPS is to give you the information you need to make informed choices about drug or alcohol use and treatment options, whilst keeping you and your baby safe.

SUPPS has the most current information on the effects of substances and can work with you towards achieving stability or abstinence by the time your baby arrives. Partners can also be referred for treatment or counselling if needed as it makes it much easier if those close to you support your choices.

SUPPS can refer you to services to help with finding suitable housing prior to your baby’s birth. Unfortunately, some women are wary of SUPPS as they are worried about Department of communities and Justice (DCJ) involvement (previously DOCS/FACS). It’s true that SUPPS workers, like all health or education workers, are legally required to report any real concerns that a child may be at risk.  However, SUPPS will be upfront about those concerns and discuss them with you beforehand and assist with addressing any concerns raised.

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 24/7 Helpline

This hotline provides confidential support for people struggling with addiction. You can call the Alcohol Drug Information Service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

1800 250 015

https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/royal-hospital-for-women/services-clinics/directory/mothersafeRoyal Hospital for Women's perinatal mental health team, comprised of psychiatrists, trainee psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health midwives, provides support during pregnancy and the first year post-birth. Eligibility includes all women delivering at RHW, with those in the local area able to access services for a year post-birth. During the booking visit, mental health is assessed, and referrals are made as needed. If interested in our services and not yet referred, please discuss with your midwife or doctor to arrange a referral.

Psychology

• The Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Service supports women who are receiving antenatal care at the Royal, who have birthed at the Royal within the last year and live within the SESLHD, and parents whose babies are in the NICU. 
• For more information, see the Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Psychology Service page.

Psychiatry

• Women can be referred by their general practitioner, obstetrician, social worker or the perinatal mental health midwife to see one of the psychiatry doctors. They will have a detailed assessment of their mental health and treatment recommendations will be made in collaboration with the women. Possible recommendations include monitoring, psychological therapy, and consideration of medication. 

CMC PNMH

• The Clinical Midwifery Consultant (CMC) in Perinatal Mental Health at RHW coordinates care for women booked into RHW for their baby who have mental health concerns such as anxiety or low mood, these include preexisting Mental Health conditions  or ones that emerge during the perinatal period. The CMC Perinatal Mental Health provides clinical advice to patients, carers, and other health professionals within a defined specialty. The CMC PNMH develops Psychosocial Support Plans for women when needed for their Birth & Postnatal admission.
• Referrals to the CMC Perinatal Mental Health are through the Multidisciplinary Case Discussion after the completion of the psychosocial questionnaire at booking. Referrals are made by the booking midwife and allocated to Perinatal Mental Health when appropriate. Referrals can also be made by your midwife, obstetrician, RMO or GP anytime during pregnancy.
• Referrals are also received up to the first year postpartum from GP’s, Child & Family Health Nurses, Karitane and/or Tresillian for women who live in the Eastern sector of SESLHD.

POMHS service

• The Perinatal Outreach Mental Health Service (POMHS) clinician is a psychologist or Mental Health Midwife/Nurse who provides care for families during pregnancy & up to 12 months postpartum who are faced with mental health challenges before or during pregnancy or in the transition to parenthood.

• The SESLHD Mental Health Service caters to a local population of over 930,000 residents in Sydney's eastern and south eastern suburbs, operates through networked services in the north (Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service) and south (St George and Sutherland Mental Health Service), encompassing both hospital and community settings. The service is committed to inclusivity and responsiveness, tailoring initiatives for consumers with complex needs. Providing age-specific and specialised services, the SESLHD Mental Health Service empowers stakeholders to influence system change. The service supports community understanding of mental health and effective treatment access. 
• Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that provides support, information, and resources related to mental health and emotional well-being during the perinatal period (from pregnancy to the early postnatal period). COPE offers a range of services, including online resources, helplines, and educational materials, to support individuals and families dealing with perinatal mental health issues.
• This Way Up offers online treatment programs for perinatal mental health designed to teach practical skills to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
• MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. The MotherSafe service provides a comprehensive counselling service for women and their healthcare providers concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.