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You Have Choices

Information brochure of the Maternity Care Options within Northern NSW Local Health District

Information Brochure developed March 2016. This brochure has been developed with funding from NSW Health Office of Kids and Families. It has been made to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women and women carrying an Aboriginal baby about maternity services they can access in Northern NSW. This brochure also gives you information on other helpful services across the Northern NSW Local Health District.

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If you think .,,you are pregnant

go to your local doctor as

........ soon as possible &

...find out for sure.....

Why go early?

• Better for your baby and for you

• Get tests done that you need

• Meet the people who are going to care for you

• Get the right service for you during pregnancy birth & after

When do you need to start the process?

Once you have confirmed your pregnancy contact either your Local Hospital midwife or the Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS) if this service is available in your area and have a yarn about what you need to get done. The earlier you attend a service the better the outcomes can be. For baby’s best health your first hospital appointment is recommended at between 12-14 weeks of pregnancy.

There are tests such as blood tests that need to be arranged and first ultrasound is performed at around 12 weeks, so booking into these is very important. Midwives will help you with request forms for these bookings and if you’re with the AMIHS they can also help with transport to get you to these appointments.

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You usually need to see a Midwife or Doctor around 6-10 times throughout your pregnancy.

Write down any questions you have and take them to the service you are going to use as they can discuss these with you.

There are 5 Hospitals with Birthing Services within the NNSW Local Health District and these have antenatal services. These are Tweed, Murwillumbah, Byron Central, Lismore and Grafton Hospitals. There are Medical Specialist Outreach Programs at Bonalbo, Kyogle and Casino. Please contact the local hospital for information.

There are also 5 Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Services within the NNSWLHD and they can help throughout your pregnancy and up till 6 weeks after birth.

Your local AMIHS Service is for all Aboriginal families, including dads, mums and babies and women giving birth to Aboriginal babies as well. Referrals can be made by the client, their family, GP’S, Obstetricians or Midwives or any other health care workers and can be made by phone or faxed to the AMIHS service you have chosen.

Lismore AMIHS services Lismore, Coraki, Box Ridge and Nimbin. Phone: (02) 6620 7559 Fax: (02) 6620 2610

Ballina/Byron AMIHS services Ballina, Woodburn, Cabbage Tree Island, Suffolk Park, Wardell, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay. Phone: (02) 6686 8977 Fax: (02) 6686 0187

Casino AMIHS services Casino, Tabulam and Bonalbo. Phone: (02) 6660 0617 Fax: (02) 66624 013

Clarence Valley AMIHS services Grafton, Maclean, Yamba and Iluka. Phone: (02) 6641 8702 Fax: (02) 6640 2422

Kyogle AMIHS services Kyogle, Muli Muli, Woodenbong and Urbenville. Phone: (02) 6030 0488 Fax: (02) 6632 1699

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There are Medical Specialist Outreach Programs (MSOP) where a midwife and obstetrician attends these clinics. These are held at Kyogle Hospital, Bonalbo Hospital and Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation Richmond Valley (BNMACRV) as well as a midwives clinic at Casino Hospital. Please contact the following hospitals to find out when these clinic are on.

Bonalbo Hospital (02) 6665 1203 Kyogle Hospital (02) 6632 1522 Casino Hospital (02) 6662 2111

Do you know what services are out there to help you with your pregnancy?

Speak to the midwives or doctors about your Maternity Care options,

The types of Pregnancy Care you can access:Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS):

Is provided by a midwife and an Aboriginal Health Worker who visit you at home or at a Health facility to provide care during your pregnancy as well as after the baby is born.

The team work with you throughout your pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after your baby is born. Delivering a high quality maternity service that focuses on you and your family’s needs. Home visiting is an option.

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Midwives Clinics:

A midwife will see you for all your antenatal visits and if there are any problems they will refer you to a doctor.

Midwifery Group Practice:

One midwife cares for your pregnancy and you see them for most visits. The midwife works in a small team and you meet all the midwives throughout your pregnancy so you know who will care for you during your birth and after you have the baby. The midwives can arrange for all the tests you will need in pregnancy. This model is usually available to women who do not have any health or pregnancy problems. If you need additional care because you have a pregnancy or health problem then the midwife will refer you onto a doctor.

Home visiting is available after you have your baby and up to four weeks.

Shared Care:

You can see a suitably qualified GP of your choice for most of your antenatal visits and then come to the hospital to see the midwives or doctors for some of the visits. However you will need to book into the hospital where you want to birth before 20 weeks of pregnancy. You will also need to attend the hospital for visits in late pregnancy so the hospital staff gets to know you.

Doctors Clinic:

A doctor with training in obstetrics will see you for all your antenatal visits.

Private Obstetric Care:

This is provided by a specialist Obstetrician (a professional who is specialised in pregnancy care) of your choice who will see you for all your antenatal care and will also be available for your labour and birth. There is a fee for this service.

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Talk to the staff at the hospital about what models of care are available for you so you get the right one to fit your needs.

Hospitals and outreach antenatal services

The Tweed Hospital (TTH)

For women who live around Tweed Heads and the surrounding districts. It is a referral hospital for women living in the Tweed to Byron Shire area, or who are receiving care in Tweed, Murwillumbah or Byron Central Hospitals.

• Pregnancy diabetes clinic

• Next Birth after Caesarean Clinic

• Breech Clinic

• Doctor and Midwives antenatal clinics

• Shared Care

• Specialist Obstetrician clinics for pregnant women who have health issues and who may need higher level care

• Paediatrician (baby doctor) & Special Care Nursery for babies who are unwell

• Home Visiting Program for after birth

Antenatal clinic Phone: (07) 5506 7325 or Women’s Care Unit Phone: (07) 5506 7490.

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Lismore Base Hospital (LBH)

For women who live around Lismore and the surrounding districts. It is the referral hospital for the Richmond and Clarence district women who are receiving care at Grafton Hospital and have higher needs of care for pregnancy or birthing.

• Midwifery Group Practice - Lismore Community Birthing Service

• Pregnancy diabetes clinic

• Next Birth after Caesarean Clinic

• Breech Service including vaginal breech

• Doctor and Midwives antenatal clinics:

• Shared Care

• Specialist Obstetrician clinics for pregnant women who have health issues and who may need higher level care

• Paediatrician (baby doctor) & Special Care Nursery for babies who are unwell

• Home Visiting Program for after birth

Phone: (02) 6629 4646.

Grafton Grafton Base Hospital (GBH)

Provides care for mothers of normal to moderate risk and babies of over 34 weeks gestation living in the Grafton & surrounding districts. Midwives staff the unit and Obstetricians and Paediatricians are available to come into the hospital as required.

• Obstetrician

• GP clinics

• Midwives Clinic

• Home Visiting Program for after birth

• Special Care Nursery for newborns who are unwell

Phone: (02) 6640 2222.

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Murwillumbah District Hospital (MDH)

Provides two services for pregnant women; one is the antenatal clinic for women birthing at The Tweed Hospital and the second is the Midwifery Group Practice known as the Murwillumbah Birth Centre (MBC) for women birthing at the Murwillumbah Hospital.

Antenatal Clinic

Is an outreach antenatal clinic for women who have no health or pregnancy problems. It is also for women who may have health or pregnancy problems and who need specialist care by a doctor, live south of Tweed Heads and who are intending to give birth at The Tweed hospital.

• GP/Obstetrician shared model of care for women living in the Tweed/Byron area.

• GP/midwife model of care for women who have no

particular health or pregnancy problems.

Antenatal Outpatient clinic (02) 6672 0238

or Women’s Care Unit Phone: (02) 6672 0217.

Murwillumbah Birth Centre (MBC)

Is a Midwifery Group Practice model for women who have no health pregnancy problems and live within 40 minutes of the hospital.

• Women are assigned a midwife who cares for them throughout the pregnancy, birth and up to 4 weeks after the birth (postnatal).

• Specialises in natural birthing: epidurals are not available but gas and morphine are an option. Many births are water births.

• Home visiting during pregnancy and up to 4 weeks after the birth (postnatal).

Phone: (02) 6672 0108.

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Byron Central Hospital (BCH)

Is a Midwifery Group Practice model based currently at the Byron Central Hospital Birth Centre. It’s available for women who have no health or pregnancy problems and who plan to birth with the Byron Community Birthing Service (BCBS) and who live within the Byron Shire.

• Option for Midwife & Doctor model available Shared Care where a doctor who is employed by the hospital attends your birth.

• Option to have your baby at home if you live within 40 minutes of the hospital.

• This service specialises in natural birthing and you can choose to have a water birth. Epidurals are not an option, but gas and morphine are.

• Home visiting during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth.

Phone: (02) 6639 9850.

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Services you might want to think about using for pregnancy care and after birth.

Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS)

What can they help you with?

• Pregnancy and baby checks;

• Sort out hospital bookings;

• Support to get to Doctors appointments and other Specialists care;

• Give advice on any troubles you may be having in your pregnancy and help with advice on breastfeeding and other information for after baby is born;

• Supply information on what to expect in labour, breastfeeding support and advice;

• Can link you in to other services;

• Antenatal classes.

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Aboriginal Medical Services

Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS)

Have different services you can access for throughout all of life care. You can go to them for your pregnancy checkups and other support throughout your pregnancy and continue to attend other services such as Child and Family Nurses to help you after your baby is born.

Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation (BNMAC)

Is home to the Bulgarr Ngarru Medical Aboriginal Corporation Clarence Valley (BNMACCV) and the Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Corporation Richmond Valley (BNMACRV)

These Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) provide health services to the Aboriginal communities of Grafton and Casino areas as well as outreach clinics to Baryulgil, Malabugilmah, Muli Muli, Yamba, Maclean, Coraki, Box Ridge & Tabulam communities.

For information on Outreach clinics for Baryulgil, Malabugilmah & Muli Muli please ring Grafton Clinic to inquire.

Grafton Clinic Phone: (02) 6643 2199

South Grafton Clinic Phone: (02) 6644 3555

Maclean Clinic Phone: (02) 6645 5824

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Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation Richmond Valley (BNMACRV)

Has access to many different health services and programs in Casino.

For information on outreach clinics for Coraki/ Box Ridge and Tabulam communities, please ring Casino Clinic

Phone: (02) 6662 3514.

Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service

Services Aboriginal people in and around Ballina area. Services include Podiatry, Optometry, Paediatrician, Hearing, Mums and Bubs, Counselling and Psychology, Tackling Smoking & Healthy Lifestyle Programs.

Bullinah does outreach clinics to Cabbage Tree Island. For information on outreach clinics call Ballina service.

Phone: (02) 6681 5644.

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Additional Medical Clinics

Bugalwena General Practice

Is a bulk-billing medical practice located in the Tweed Valley for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and their immediate families.

Phone: (07) 5513 1322.

Jullums Lismore Aboriginal Medical Service

Is a bulk billing service for Aboriginal people and their families who live within Lismore and surrounding areas. They have clinics dealing with pregnancy care and have Aboriginal Health Workers on staff.

Phone: (02) 6621 4366.

Lismore GP Super Clinic

Provides overall medical care for all the family to improve the health outcomes of the Lismore Community. They provide bulk billing if you are a health care card holder.

Phone: (02) 6624 1411.

Nimbin Medical Centre

Provides a wide scope of general practice services. The Centre bulk-bills health care card holders. Other services include a paediatrician, a psychologist, and a dietician who visits the practice as needed.

Phone: (02) 6689 1410.

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Answers to some of the questions you may have.

What do I need to bring to hospital?

You can bring the clothing that you will need for yourself and clothes for your baby to go home in including a blanket to be wrapped in. You will need the usual toiletries that you would use at home plus a supply of sanitary pads.

You can also bring sweets such as barley sugar and fruit juices to have while in hospital. Nappies will be supplied for the baby while you are in the hospital but you will need to bring nappies and an outfit for when you take your baby home.

If you intend to be driven home by private transport you will need to make sure that you have a properly fitted capsule in the vehicle to take the baby home in.

How long do I stay in hospital?

If there are no problems with you or your baby you can return home after 4 hours of giving birth.

You may stay for longer if needed and when you leave hospital you may be seen at home by your AMIHS midwife, a midwife from the hospital, or your midwifery group practice midwife depending on the model of care you are booked with.

The Child & Family Nurse can also visit you at home.

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Don’t hesitate to talk to staff at any of these services if you have other questions.

So please don’t forget to;

Book into your choice of pregnancy care as early as possible to ensure the best outcomes for you and your baby

Get your baby capsule fitted during your pregnancy so you can bring baby home safely.

Northern NSW Local Health District services are situated within the four Aboriginal Nations. The Women’s Care Units are located within the hospitals of Tweed, Murwillumbah, Byron Shire, Lismore and Grafton. We acknowledge the traditional owners of these Nations and pay our respects to country and the Elders past and present. We also acknowledge Aboriginal people who have come from other places throughout Australia and now reside upon this country.

Aboriginal Health Workers (AHW) can help answer questions you may have.

Give them a ring and they are often able to direct you to the services you need to help you and your family on health matters.

There are male and female workers. Please contact the following numbers and ask to speak to one of the Health staff in your area.

Northern NSW Local Health District Aboriginal Health Workers contact numbers

Tweed (07) 5506 7597

Ballina (02) 6686 8977

Coraki (02) 6683 9157

Casino (02) 6662 4444

Lismore (02) 6620 7585

Maclean (02) 6640 0123

Grafton (02) 6640 2402

Muli Muli (02) 6635 1487

Bonalbo (02) 6665 1203

Tabulam (02) 6666 1538