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Options for maternity care
Townsville Ingham Ayr Charters Towers Palm Island
Townsville University Hospital
Your pregnancy, birth and early weeks as a new mother are a special time for you and your family. Townsville University Hospital has several options for care. You can choose from these options based on your obstetric or medical health, and to suit your personal circumstances and preferences.
If your pregnancy is found as having no risk factors, this is classified as a low-risk or normal pregnancy. If risk factors are identified, it may be recommended that you receive all your pregnancy care at the hospital clinic. During your first visit your GP or midwife will discuss the choices that are available to you.
Birth Centre Care
The Birth Centre offers care in a home-like environment and is suitable if you wish to have a natural approach to childbirth and have a low or normal-risk pregnancy. You will receive one-to-one care by a known midwife throughout your pregnancy, during labour and birth, and after birth for up to six weeks.
If complications arise during your pregnancy or labour your midwife will refer to the obstetric team in the hospital clinics or birth suite.
Decisions will be made in consultation with you, your midwife and obstetrician.
Midwifery Group Practice
Women using the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) model of care will have a known midwife who works with one or more backup midwives to provide care from early in pregnancy, throughout labour and birth, and for up to six weeks after birth. MGP midwives work closely with Townsville University Hospital obstetricians and other health care professionals, allowing the team to care for pregnant women regardless of their pregnancy risk or the complexity of their care. Women will give birth in The Townsville University Hospital birth suite and receive up to six weeks postnatal care in your home following the birth.
Following the birth of your baby, regardless of which option of care you chose, your GP and Child Youth and Family Health Service can provide ongoing support.
Midwife Clinic Care
The midwives who work in clinics provide antenatal care five afternoons a week. You will give birth in the Birth Suite at the hospital and your labour and birth will be attended by midwives and doctors working in the birth suite that day. You may go home after six hours or choose to be transferred to the Maternity Ward.
The average length of stay after a normal birth is 1 - 2 days.
Once you return home, you will be visited or phoned by a midwife for up to five days (if you live in the Townsville area).
Following the birth of your baby, regardless of which option of care you chose, your GP and Child Youth and Family Health Service can provide ongoing support.
Shared care with your GP
You may choose shared care between your GP and an allocated obstetric team at the hospital.
You will be referred to the hospital antenatal clinic for a booking-in visit before 12 weeks plus a visit at 36 and 41 weeks.
You will give birth in the birth suite at the hospital and your labour and birth will be attended by midwives and doctors working in the birth suite on that day.
You may go home after six hours or choose to be transferred to the Maternity Ward. The average length of stay for a normal birth is 1 - 2 days.
Once you return home, you will be visited or phoned by a midwife for up to five days (if you live in the Townsville area).
Following the birth of your baby, regardless of which option of care you chose, your GP and Child Youth and Family Health Service can provide ongoing support.
Outreach Midwife Clinic Care - Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS)
The Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS) medical centre has a midwife clinic, GP clinic and Mothers and Babies Clinic. This service is only available to clients of TAIHS medical centre.
You will also have some antenatal care at the hospital with an obstetrician.
Contact the centre’s midwife on 0459 815 459 or Mothers and Babies Clinic at TAIHS on 4759 4045.
Following the birth of your baby, regardless of which option of care you chose, your GP and Child Youth and Family Health Service can provide ongoing support.
Maternal Fetal Medicine
You will be referred to this clinic if you or your baby requires specialist care during pregnancy. For example: multiple pregnancy, cardiac disease, epilepsy, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, foetal structure anomaly or tertiary ultrasound scanning.
Your care will be coordinated by you and an obstetric team/medical team to best manage your needs. You will have your care with obstetricians and physicians at the hospital. Visits can be combined to see a midwife. You will expect to labour and give birth in the birth suite unless you are booked for an elective caesarean. If all is well after the birth of your baby, plan for discharge within 1 - 2 days (2 - 3 days following caesarean section).
Once you return home you will be visited or phoned by a midwife for up to five days (if within the Townsville area).
Following the birth of your baby, regardless of which option of care you chose, your GP and Child Youth and Family Health Service can provide ongoing support.
Midwifery Navigator
We understand that some pregnancies are more complicated than others. Townsville University Hospital has a Midwifery Navigator who supports our most vulnerable pregnant women through their pregnancy.
The Midwifery Navigator provides education and coordinates care to provide a positive woman and baby-centred health experience from conception to six weeks postpartum for women with vulnerable and complex care requirements. Vulnerability includes, and is not limited to, adolescents, those with dependence on drug and alcohol, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and those with a mental health diagnosis. The criteria is complex and patients cannot refer themselves, as the referral comes from health professionals within the hospital.
Ingham Health Service
The Ingham Health Service provides a level three maternity service to low-risk pregnant women in the Hinchinbrook area, including one-to-one caseload midwifery care with one dedicated midwife from early pregnancy to six weeks post-birth. The team provides women with comprehensive antenatal care in conjunction with rural generalist obstetricians and anaesthetists, lactation support, onsite low-risk birthing with a comfortable birth room and birth pool.
The facility includes consult rooms, a birthing pool, modern birth room, onsite sonography and operating theatres.
The services include:
- 24-hour on-call availability from your midwife
- collaborative and comprehensive antenatal care in conjunction with rural generalist obstetricians
- antenatal education for yourself and your partner
- onsite low-risk birthing
- early postnatal discharge
- lactation consultant support
- links with
- ATSI Health Team
- Child health
- extensive postnatal care and home visiting for up to six weeks post birth
- outreach service to the Cardwell/Kennedy area.
For further information on this service contact the Midwifery Group Practice on (07) 4720 3050
High-risk pregnant women can still have all their post and antenatal support at the Ingham Health Service, but birth at Townsville University Hospital.
Ayr Health Service
The Ayr Health Service is home to a small team of six midwives who work on a rotational basis, helping women with low-risk pregnancies welcome their babies into the world.
In addition to low-risk onsite birthing, the team provides comprehensive antenatal and postnatal care to most pregnant women. High-risk pregnancies will need to travel to Townsville University Hospital for their birth.
Charters Towers Health Service
The Charters Towers Health Service provides comprehensive antenatal and postnatal care to most pregnant women. Women travel to Townsville University Hospital for birthing their babies.
Palm Island Maternity Service
Women who live on or visit Palm Island can have their care with Queensland Health midwives and an Indigenous health worker. The midwives are available all day every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Palm Island Primary Health Care Centre and can provide antenatal care, pathology and screening tests, as well as organise any appointments you may need at Townsville University Hospital. A Queensland Health ultrasonographer visits Palm Island monthly to perform obstetric ultrasounds. Postnatal care, including follow-up tests and contraception, is also provided in the community with an Indigenous health worker to provide support.
No appointment is necessary.
Important resources
Safer Baby Bundle hits milestone of its own | Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Contact us
Townsville Birth Centre
Phone: 4433 2779
Midwifery Group Practice
Phone: 4433 9486
Midwife Clinic Care
Phone: 4433 1450
Outreach Midwife Clinic Care - Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS)
Phone: 0459 815 4598
or
Mothers and Babies Clinic at TAIHS
Phone: 4759 4045
Ingham Health Service
Phone: 4720 3050
Ayr Health Service
Phone: 4783 0855
Palm Island midwife
Phone: 0437 550 171
Useful resources
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The Townsville Hospital and Health Service acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which our health facilities have been built and on which we meet today.
We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging; and we value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and knowledge.