Giving Birth in the Temporary Birth Unit at Wollongong Hospital?
We’ve got some tips for you!
As you may be aware Wollongong Hospital is undertaking a refurbishment of the existing birth unit. The renovations are so disruptive, noisy and messy that the decision was made by the health service to relocate birth services to a temporary unit within the hospital while the work is being done. The work is due to be finished by late June 2020. The temp unit has been in use since the 22nd January and we have heard feedback from both women who have used the space and the midwives and so far all the feedback has been positive 🤞 it stays that way.
Amelia and Alyssa have both recently attended births in the temp unit (we are birth doulas) as well as touring the space a few times. We know there is some understandable concerns about birthing there so we wanted to share a couple of insider tips to help make your birth there more positive.
Water Birth Options in Wollongong Temporary Birth Unit
One of the biggest concerns from the community when the temporary unit was announced was access to water for pain relief. There are no baths in the temp space so water immersion isn’t an option :-( However there are three showers available and women can use them to labour in and even give birth in. (See map below)
Given that there are only three showers and 7 delivery rooms there were questions about would a shower be available for every woman when she wants. Totally valid concern! We have spoken to several birth unit midwives and asked women who have birthed there already and thus far there hasn’t been a time with a woman wanting to use a shower and none being available. Women all tend to be at different stages in labour or post birth so the likelihood of all the showers all wanting to be used by women for pain relief simultaneously is low. So whilst its not guaranteed there is a very good chance that a shower will be free for you to use in labour or after you birth. If you are wanting to use natural pain relief options then we highly suggest using the shower.
Bring a light dressing gown
Unless you are in birth suite 1, using the toilets and showers will mean stepping out of the room so we suggest bringing something that you can quickly throw on eg. Dressing gown, sarong, nightie etc.
Stay at home for as long as possible
If your plan is to avoid interventions or medical pain relief then stay at home for as long as you feel comfortable. This is good advice for all women but even more so when the temporary birth unit is less than ideal. If you aren’t sure when its time to go then call birth unit and have a chat with one of the midwives, they can give you some suggestions about whether its time to come in yet.
Make the space your own
Like most hospital rooms the rooms look fairly clinical. To encourage oxytocin (the hormone needed for contractions) women need to feel comfortable, safe and relaxed. To help you feel more comfortable we suggest bringing in some familiar things like a special pillow or blanket, birth affirmation flags or posters. The hospital has added some battery operated candles to each room so use them and close the blinds to make it a dark and private space. Things like a diffuser can be useful as well if you want to use aromatherapy. Bring your bluetooth speakers and listen to a playlist. Anything that you can bring in to make the environment more personal will help so much.
Edited to add: we have received feedback from a woman who gave birth there two weeks ago saying that she felt really warm in the delivery room so we also suggest taking a face cloth (can wipe down foreheads with cool water) and maybe a hand held paper fan
Use the props available
The equipment in this photo is all still available in the temp space. The rooms are smaller than the usual birth unit but you can do things like move the bed up against the wall to allow for more floor space. If you aren’t sure how to release the brake on the bed to move it just ask one of the staff. There are also still heat packs available (and the worlds best ice chips). We found that because the rooms are small none of the props were stored in the rooms, we had to ask a midwife to bring it in. So it’s a good idea to let your partner know what they look like and remind them to ask for them when you get into your birth room. The mats and the ball can be taken into the shower as well.
Consider hiring a doula
A doula is a trained support person for birth and postpartum, they can be immensely helpful for every birthing woman but even more so if she is feeling anxious about her birth location. We have a few local doulas that you can contact to check about availability. (see list here)
Consider different birth location
If you really don’t feel comfortable with the idea of birthing in the temp unit or you would really like a water birth then we would suggest looking at other birth locations.
Home birth is a popular option for women in the area who are wanting to have a natural birth, we have some private midwives (list here) and there is a local home birth facebook group if you want to explore the idea more (click here). The MGP can also facilitate home births for women having a low risk pregnancy so if you are in the program ask your midwife if its an option for you.
There are also other hospitals nearby that offer water births: Shoalhaven in Nowra (one hour south of Wollongong), Sutherland or St George hospitals (approx one hour north of Wollongong) and Campbelltown . If you are interested in changing your birth location contact the maternity services at the new hospital and find out about booking in there.
We hope that your found the above tips useful! However your baby’s birth unfolds we hope it is a positive empowering experience :-)
Please feel free to email us at info@illawarrabirthclasses.com.au if you have any other questions
Some pics and map of the temporary unit
The Illawarra Shoalhaven Health Service have an information page here that has some more information about the temp unit as well