Mother and Baby
Welcome to the Maternity Services provided by the Women's and Children's Health Institute of The Townsville Hospital. This web site contains information about services, facilities and programs available to help you during your pregnancy, birth and parenting.
Also included is some general information about your health care, tests and procedures.
Please feel free to ask your midwife or doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
We want to assist in making your pregnancy and birth as special as possible. We wish you well as you begin the journey to parenthood.
Now that you are pregnant you have some choices to make regarding your antenatal care. We provide 6 types of care, depending on whether your pregnancy is considered normal or high risk. Women, who are considered to be normal risk are women who have no current medical problems and if they have had previous births, they had no complications. All pregnant women are allocated to a team of doctors and midwives under the direction of a specialist obstetrician. Antenatal care may then be provided according to the following options as suitable for each individual case.
At your Antenatal Booking-in visit, you will be seen by both a Midwife and a Doctor. A Midwife will discuss your history with you and advise you about options for antenatal care available at this hospital. The Midwife will also give you information about the Maternity Ward, Birth Suite, Antenatal Classes and any other topics you would like to discuss. You will then see a medical officer for a physical assessment. Care options available include:
1. Shared Care
This option includes attending most of your antenatal care with your own GP or Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service Mums and Babies Clinic (Hospital liaison midwife available Thursday morning at TAIHS to discuss any enquiries or concerns) and some hospital clinic visits at booking-in, 36 and 41 weeks and other times as necessary.
2. Medical Care
You may come to the hospital clinics for all your visits and be seen by the hospital doctors. You will be allocated to a Consultant Obstetric Clinic and that team will provide your antenatal care. You may not be cared for by the same team during your actual labour, but there is a medical team on duty in Birth Suite every day. The teams consists of a Specialist Obstetrician, Registrar and Resident.
3. Specialist Antenatal Clinics
These clinics are for women who have problems due to medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, heart disease or obstetric problems. They often involve other members of the health care team such as endocrinologists, special educators or dieticians.
4. Midwives Clinic
Women may also be seen at the Midwives Clinic if they have a normal pregnancy, which will be categorised by the Medical Staff. Women attending this clinic will be seen in the afternoons, by the midwives, who are dedicated to the antenatal clinics.
5. Wombatt Team Midwives
The Wombatt team is a group of ten midwives who provide care for women who are healthy and have no complications in pregnancy. The midwives work in Clinics, Birth Suite, Maternity, Parent Education classes and the Home Visiting service. You will meet the midwives during your antenatal visits. You will have met the midwife who facilitate the birth of your baby prior to going into labour. A member of the same team will look after you in the Maternity Ward and visit you at your home. Care is given according to established guidelines and if your condition changes you will be referred to the appropriate medical staff.
6. Community Midwife Clinics
This Midwife Clinic is a service for healthy pregnant women in the Kelso, Rasmussen and Condon areas. These antenatal clinics are held behind the Community Centre at 1143 Upper Ross River Road, Rasmussen.
Other members of the team
All of these antenatal clinics are supported by, and have access to, an allied health worker who is part of the team involved in Women's and Children's Health. These include social workers, dietician, physiotherapists and specialist educators. If you would like to discuss specific issues with any of these people your midwife or doctor can arrange a referral.
Evening Sessions:
| These are a series of five consecutive classes, run over five weeks. |
| Pregnant women and their partner/support person are invited to attend. |
| Classes can be started from 24 weeks onwards. |
The physiotherapist runs the first session in the Allied Health Department on the ground floor. The remaining four sessions are run by the hospital midwife.
| Examples of topics covered by the physiotherapist include: |
| • Changes to your body during pregnancy |
| • Caring for yourself - comfort measures, back care, pelvic floor care and general exercise |
| • Relaxation techniques for labour |
| Examples of topics covered by the midwife include: |
| • What happens in hospital, when to come and what to bring |
| • Focusing on the normal - the stages of labour and what is happening to your body |
| • Exploring positions for labour and birth |
| • Coping skills for all labours including practical tips for support people |
| • Drug options and their side effects |
| • Breastfeeding - how it works, positioning baby, where to go for support |
| • Early parenting - preparing for baby, dealing with lifestyle and emotional changes, settling baby, community support |
| When: |
Tuesday 7.00pm - 9.00pm |
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Wednesday 6.30 - 8.30pm |
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| Venue: | Maternity Ward Day Room, Ground Floor, The Townsville Hospital |
| Bookings: | Taken at Primary Reception Area, Women's and Children's Clinic or Phone (07) 4796 1450 |
Please book early as number limits apply to the classes.
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A condensed course suited to women between 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy. During the day information and practical tips/skills are discussed and explored to help prepare the pregnant woman and her partner/support person for labour, birth and early parenting. It is recommended women attending compliment this by booking into a breastfeeding session (see below for more details). |
| When: | 8.30am - 4.30pm |
| Venue: | Women's and Children's Clinic, Ground Floor, The Townsville Hospital |
| Bookings: | Taken at Primary Reception Area, Women's and Children's Clinic, The Townsville Hospital or Phone (07) 4796 1450 |
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This seven week program is run by a Child Health Nurse and a Midwife from The Townsville Hospital. The program is specially designed for young women under 23 years of age and their partner/support people. The sessions are held in a relaxed, friendly setting. |
| The program can be started from 20 weeks onwards. |
Examples of topics covered include:
• Staying healthy during pregnancy
• Dealing with lifestyle changes, emotions and support available to you
• Opportunity to talk with other members of the group - morning tea provided
• Relaxation techniques and practical tips/skills for coping with labour and birth
• When to come to hospital, what to bring, what to expect
• Drugs in labour and their side effects
• How to breastfeed and where to find support
• Early parenting - realistic expectations
• Settling baby
• Session specific to Dads/Grandads
• Talking to new Mums and Dads - previous group members are invited to the final session to share their experiences
• Invited guest speakers - Dental Team, Munchkins, Relationships Australia, Centracare, Early Years, Lifeline
| When: | Mondays 9.30am - 12.30pm |
| Venue: |
Six sessions are held at Kirwan Campus, Thuringowa Drive . During this session there is a tour of the birth suite and maternity ward. |
| Bookings: | Phone Child Youth and Family Health (07) 4799 9000 |
These evening sessions are specially designed for women who are between 22 to 30 weeks pregnant and have had a previous caesarean birth. They are run by a midwife with a specialist obstetrician providing some medical advice.
The session provides the opportunity to:
| When: | One Monday a month |
| Venue: |
The Maternity Ward Day Room |
| Time: | 6.00pm - 8.30pm |
These two hour sessions are run by a Midwife/Lactation Consultant. The session can be attended from 24 weeks onwards. Partners and a support person (friend, mum, sister, aunt…) are encouraged to attend. Sessions are held in a friendly, relaxed environment. The session provides the opportunity to explore thoughts and feelings surrounding breastfeeding.
Examples of topics covered include:
| Venue: |
The Maternity Ward Day Room |
| Time: |
Monday 6.30pm - 8.30pm, once a month |
| Bookings: | The Women and Children's Reception Area Phone 07 4796 1450 |
Having another baby - This session is for women having their second or subsequent baby.
Grandparents’ session - This session provides information for grandparents who would like to offer support for the up-coming birth and parenting of their grandchild.
To make a Booking:
Unless otherwise stated telephone the Primary Reception Area, Women's and Children's Clinic, The Townsville Hospital (07) 4796 1450. Number limits apply to all sessions. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Women can be referred by their midwife or doctor or self refer.
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