Health Services

Maternity

Visitor information

For the latest visitor policy for maternity patients, see our Visiting Hospitals page.

General advice

Your doctor or midwife will tell you when you will need to come to hospital to give birth.

Call our 24/7 hotline on (07) 3810 1242 or (07) 3810 1564 to speak with a midwife about your questions or concerns.

How should I prepare for going into labour?

What to bring for mum

  • Your Pregnancy Health Record
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Toiletries and tissues
  • Maternity bras
  • Massage oil, barley sugar, glucose drinks or music for labour
  • Current medications
  • Maternity sanitary pads.

What to bring for baby

  • 24 newborn size nappies
  • Newborn clothes including singlets, jumpsuits or warm outfits
  • Small cotton blankets
  • Baby wipes or cotton wool
  • Face washers.

Birth partners should also prepare a bag.

Support during labour

It can be helpful to have a partner, family or friend providing emotional and physical support during labour. The hospital allows two support people with you during labour that can help you by:

  • supporting your decisions, such as the pain relief methods that you choose
  • explaining to the doctor or midwife what you need – and the other way round – which can help you feel much more in control of the situation
  • cut the umbilical cord – talk to your midwife about this.
What will happen when I arrive at the hospital?

On your arrival

Go to Birth Suite located on level 5 of Ipswich Hospital. It’s important that you bring your Pregnancy Health Record book.

A midwife will assess your health and discuss your birthing preferences before taking you into one of the birthing rooms for your labour. To start with, the midwife will:

  • check the baby’s position by feeling your stomach
  • check your temperature, pulse and blood pressure
  • listen to the baby’s heart rate
  • time your contractions
  • put an identification band on your wrist.

Birthing rooms

Birthing rooms have fit balls, mats, heat packs and seating for your support person.

How can I get emotional support?

Women experience different emotions during pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. It helps if you can talk about your concerns openly with your partner, close friend and GP. There are also many organisations that offer support.

For signs of depression, there are a number of places you can go for help, including a visit to your doctor.

Perinatal mental health

Mental health support

Pregnancy support

Jaghu Maternal and Infant Clinic

Services

The Jaghu team can see you at our community clinic at Bremer Medical Centre, in your home or in a space where you feel comfortable and safe.

The Jaghu team can also support you to attend any appointments needed at Ipswich Hospital.

Child Health Clinic: The Jaghu Child Health Clinic operates every Tuesday at Bremer Medical Centre. Clinics include growth assessments; infant nutrition information; developmental checks; support for parents and families to improve health literacy in early childhood development; early identification and referral to specialists and allied health services as required; and links to local community services and events. The clinic operates by appointment only. Contact the Child Health Nurse on the number below.

Playgroup: The joint Jaghu and Kambu Health playgroup runs every second Friday at Bremer Medical Centre. The playgroup is free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-2 and their families. Phone 3810 3000 or email CFC@KambuHealth.com.au for further information.

Dads' group: The Jaghu Dads group meets on the first Friday of the month to yarn about all things children and life. The group is open to all dads linked to the Jaghu service whose children identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Dads do not need to identify. Contact the group co-ordinator via the Jaghu email.

Jaghu dad's group

Contact

Refugee and Pasifika maternity models of care

Two innovative culturally responsive midwifery services are being offered to pregnant women living in West Moreton. The Clinical Midwife – Refugee/Multicultural Liaison and Clinical Midwife – Pasifika Liaison complement the current maternity care offered at West Moreton Health to provide woman-centred, family-oriented, culturally responsive maternity care for Refugee and Pacific Islander women and families.

Midwifery-led antenatal care is provided at Redbank Plains Community Centre and Goodna Community Health Centre, with obstetric and multi-disciplinary consultation as required.

The clinical midwives provide expert midwifery support and service-integration for Refugee and Pacific Islander women to ensure appropriate linkages to/from community and hospital services. The clinical midwives work in partnership with community-based and hospital clinicians as well as community groups to ensure the integration of planning, coordination and implementation of culturally safe maternity services across the perinatal continuum.

Contact for more information

Refugee / Multicultural Liaison

Clinical Midwife
Phone: 0436 926 053

Pasifika Liaison

Clinical Midwife
Phone: 0436 917 386

Bereavement Care Liaison Clinical Midwife

Bereavement Care The Bereavement Care Liaison Clinical Midwife offers individualised care for families who are experiencing a pregnancy loss over 20 weeks gestation, a neonatal death, or have had a diagnosis of foetal abnormality at any gestation. The Bereavement Midwife coordinates your emotional and physical care, as well as offering specialised emotional support and practical guidance during this difficult time of grief and loss. The service also continues once the family has returned home to assist with the return to the community.

Additionally, this service is responsible for the Midwifery-Care After Loss Clinic (M-CAL) which offers increased continuity of care for women and families who are experiencing their first pregnancy after a previous pregnancy loss over 20 weeks gestation, a neonatal death or a previous diagnosis of foetal abnormality. The Clinic is embedded within the High Risk Clinic –an Obstetrician and the Bereavement Care Liaison Clinical Midwife are present at the same appointment. The service can also provide support during your clinical presentations. If you are eligible and interested in M-CAL clinic for your care, please do not hesitate to speak to the midwife at your next appointment for a referral to this service.

The service is available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 8.00 am – 4.30 pm.

To reach the Bereavement Care Liaison Clinical Midwife, please call 0436 925 668 or email BereavementMW@health.qld.gov.au.  

Midwifery Group Practice

Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) at Ipswich Hospital offers individualised, woman-centred care with your own midwife throughout the continuum of your pregnancy. Your midwife or their partner midwife will be on call for your labour and birth and will provide postnatal support for you and your baby for up to six weeks.

This model of care is called continuity of care. Women who receive maternity care from a known midwife are more likely to report a positive birth experience and greater overall satisfaction with their care. They are more likely to have a normal birth of a healthy baby at term, and successfully breastfeed.

MGP at Ipswich Hospital consists of a group of midwives who work in two smaller teams, Ripley and Goodna which are defined by geographical borders.  The majority of your antenatal appointments will be conducted in a group antenatal education format which will also include your routine pregnancy check up. You will also have an opportunity to meet the other midwives in the team.

How do I access Midwifery Group Practice at Ipswich Hospital?

In the first instance you should ask you GP to request Midwifery Group Practice when submitting your referral to Ipswich Hospital for pregnancy care. Alternatively you can ask the midwife at your booking in appointment to refer you to MGP. Numbers are limited so early referral (first trimester) from your GP is advisable.  Please note that referral from you GP does not guarantee acceptance into the Midwifery Group Practice.

Once your referral is received, your eligibility for MGP will be assessed. Due to the distance required for postnatal home visits, MGP care also has geographical boundaries (within 35 km of Ipswich Hospital) MGP care will be offered after consideration of each woman’s pregnancy history, general health and individual needs. If you are eligible but there are no places available, you will be placed on a waiting list. In the meantime, your care will be provided by the care provider of your choice.

What else do I need to know about MGP?

Ripley MGP antenatal clinic is held on Mondays at Ripley Valley State Secondary School, Goodna MGP antenatal clinic is held on Thursdays at the Goodna Community Health Centre. You must be willing and able to attend your appointments at the relevant community clinic.

If you require additional care from an obstetric doctor, these appointments will be conducted at the Ipswich Hospital Antenatal Clinic. Where ever possible your midwife will attend this appointment with you.

You will birth your baby at Ipswich Hospital. Your MGP midwife will be on call to attend or call a back-up MGP midwife, to care for you in labour. Your MGP midwife will also be in attendance if a planned induction or caesarean birth is needed.

If you have had an uncomplicated labour and birth, your baby is healthy and you have no pre existing medical conditions that require monitoring post birth, you are encouraged to go home four-to-six hours after birth. Your midwife will follow up with you at home for up to six weeks.

Midwifery clinics

Community clinics

The hospital currently runs five midwives clinics in the community for women with a low-risk pregnancy. The clinics are generally run by the same midwife.

Location When
Ripley Valley State Secondary College
18 Parkway Avenue, South Ripley
8.30 am-3.15 pm Tuesday
Laidley Hospital
75 William Street, Laidley
8.20 am-4 pm Wednesday
Redbank Plains Community Centre
180 School Road, Redbank Plains
9.10 am-3 pm Thursday
Goodna Community Clinic
81 Queen Street, Goodna
8.50 am-3 pm Friday
Springfield State High School Sports and Community Hall
134A Parkland Drive, Springfield Central
8.40 am-3.40 pm Friday

Hospital clinics

Clinic Location When Details
High-risk midwives clinic Ipswich Hospital 9 am-4 pm Wednesday Same midwife each week
Women with gestational diabetes clinic Ipswich Hospital 8.30 am-12 pm Thursday Same midwife each week
Low-risk midwives clinic Ipswich Hospital 12.40-4 pm Thursday Same midwife each week
Other models of care

Once your pregnancy has been booked in (after referral by your GP) you will placed into a model of care that is determined by your risk in pregnancy and sometimes medical history.

Clinic When
Low-risk doctors clinic 9 am-4 pm Monday
High-risk doctors clinic 9 am-4 pm Wednesday
Women with diabetes doctors clinic 9 am-4 pm Thursday