Birth suite

If you are less than 20 weeks pregnant and experiencing problems, please contact your GP or Townsville University Hospital Emergency Department in the first instance.

If you are in labour and wish to come into hospital, please ring +61 7 4433 2222 to speak with a midwife first to allow staff to assess your progress and prepare for your arrival.

When to come to hospital

• if your waters break
• when contractions are too painful to cope with at home
• if you have any vaginal bleeding
• if your baby is not moving as much as normal
• if you are worried about yourself or your baby
• please call first +61 7 4433 2222.

The Townsville Hospital birth suite is a seven-room unit where women can labour and birth their babies. The suite rooms have baths to help with pain relief and facilitate water birth if clinically appropriate. The suite also has a variety of labour-aids available to assist women in maintaining positions that are physically the most helpful to them and their babies during labour and birth.

Our birthing rooms are also equipped with the latest in life-saving equipment and are in close proximity to the operating theatres and neonatal units in the event of an emergency.

Getting to the birth suite

Come through the front entrance of the hospital (main foyer) and proceed to the main lifts. Take the lift to the second floor, go out to the main corridor, turn left and then left again into first corridor. On the right you will see the signs to the glass door of the birth suite. Press the intercom and tell the maternity staff you have arrived and they will let you in.

After-hours access

To access the hospital after hours, go to the main entrance and then turn right, follow the corner round to the left. In front of you on the wall is a brown box, there are two buzzers labelled security or main desk. Press main desk and someone will let you in.

What to bring:

Maternity patients should bring the following items with them when coming to hospital:

For baby:

• two - three growsuits or clothes for baby to wear in hospital
• one set of clothes for baby to go home in
• two - three bunny rugs
• one packet of baby wipes
• one bottle of bathing solution/ soap for baby
• one packet of disposable nappies (enough nappies for two - three days)
• formula and bottles for parents choosing to bottle feed their baby. Sterilising equipment is available.

For you:

• nightwear
• casual clothes for daywear
• underwear, footwear and toiletries for the mother
• four packets of maternity sanitary pads (these are not supplied by the hospital).

Other information

Photographing or videoing of normal births is permissible at the request of the labouring mother, provided it does not interfere with the woman’s care. Hospital staff should not be photographed or filmed without their specific consent.

Women are encouraged to bring a partner or another support person to their birth.

Due to space considerations, it may be possible to have two to three support people in the birthing room at a time.

If a mother would like to have her children present during labour or birth, she should speak to her Townsville University Hospital care team ahead of time so a plan can be made to support her wishes and prepare the children. Any children visiting the birth suite need to be supervised by another adult. 

Contact us

Townsville Hospital Birth Suite
Ph: +61 7 4433 2222