Maternity overview

Our multidisciplinary teams include obstetricians (with maternal fetal medicine sub-specialists), midwives, medical specialists, GPs and psychiatrists. Patients also benefit from allied health support with social workers, diabetes educators, dietitians, physiotherapists, pharmacists, radiologists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander liaison officers.

Inclusion criteria

Any of the following:

• The Women’s is the patient’s closest maternity service.
• Maternal medical or fetal complexity and the Women’s is the patient’s closest tertiary maternity service. Other Victorian Level 6 maternity services: Mercy Hospital for Women, Monash Health and Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

We accept referrals for the following patients even if the Women’s is not their closest service (please indicate in referral):

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patients
• women with a disability
• patients experiencing homelessness
• patients with complex needs and/or co-morbidities (determined by clinical triage upon receipt of a referral).

More information about how to refer: Maternity referrals

Models of care

The Women’s offers a range of maternity models of care and birthing options, depending on patient suitability and availability.

These include:

• Shared Maternity Care with credentialed GPs, obstetricians and midwives
• Team Maternity (low and high-risk pregnancy, including satellite clinic locations)
• Midwives in Small Teams (MIST)
• Caseload midwives (including homebirth and Baggarrook Caseload)
• Private care with obstetricians.

If your patient has a preference, you can indicate this in their referral. However, allocations depend on eligibility and availability.

Patients are not allocated to a model of care until after their booking appointment (around 16 weeks). Earlier referral does not impact the model of care.

More information for patients: Pregnancy care options

Specialist maternity clinics

We have a range of specialist clinics to look after women with more complex pregnancies, or conditions that may impact on their baby or pregnancy.

• Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • pre-pregnancy management for medically complex patients
  • recurrent miscarriage
  • maternal medicine including diabetes management
  • fetal medicine
  • high-risk multiple pregnancies
  • preterm labour
• Women with Individual Needs Clinic (WIN)
• Women’s Alcohol and Drug Service (WADS)

Appointments

Antenatal clinics run six days per week from our Parkville and satellite clinic locations in Strathmore, Footscray and Fawkner.

Parkville

Clinics	Days
Pregnancy care (provided by the maternity teams)	Monday Tuesday evening Wednesday Friday Saturday (booking clinic for low-risk pregnancy and no interpreter needed)
Maternal Fetal Medicine	Tuesday and Thursday

Satellite locations

Clinics	Days
Strathmore - 25 Woodland Street, Essendon	Tuesday and Wednesday
Footscray - 42A Byron St, Footscray	Thursday
Fawkner - 79 Jukes Road, Fawkner	Friday

Postnatal length of stay and support

• Following an uncomplicated vaginal birth, women will usually be home with their baby the day after birth.
• After a caesarean birth, women will usually be home with their baby two days after birth.

Most inpatient rooms have two beds in them. Limited single rooms are allocated based on clinical need, as determined by senior clinicians. There is no ability to request a single room.

After returning home, women receive postnatal support in their home from hospital midwives. The schedule of visits is individualised according to each patient’s needs.

Women who have experienced a third or fourth degree perineal tear will be reviewed in our Perineal Clinic.

A Breastfeeding Service is also available and GPs can refer patients up to 6 weeks postpartum.

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