Maternity Antenatal Postnatal Service (MAPS)
In this model, care is provided by a known midwife who works in a small team. This known midwife with the support of the small team will provide continuity of care during your pregnancy and after the baby is born. The aim is to provide woman centred care, supporting the woman and her family on the early parenting journey.
The MAPS midwives are trained in normal pregnancy and postnatal care. For most women your team will be able to provide the majority of your care. However, if the need for a medical consultation or referral is needed the team can organise this and continue to see you, working with the doctors to maintain continuity for you. MAPS midwives do not provide care in birthing.
Information for Women
After hours contact
Emergency medical help less than 20 weeks:
Prince of Wales Emergency Department
URGENT concerns over 20 weeks: Birth Unit Triage:
0439 869 035
-33.918996068453, 151.23819084928
- Continuity of care with your named midwife before and after baby is born.
- Mobile phone contact for NON-URGENT e.g. appointment changes, informing you have had a blood test/ultrasound.
- Location may be more convenient e.g. hospital antenatal clinic.
It is recommended that several months before you are planning to become pregnant you see your GP to discuss optimising your health and other issues such as rubella immunity, folic acid intake. At this time it is good to research different options for your maternity care.
If you are already pregnant see your GP as soon as possible.
You will have your pregnancy care with your known midwife (and doctors if needed) at the hospital.
You would give birth to your baby in the hospital birth unit. A birth unit midwife will look after you during your labour and birth. If for any reason during your labour you need a doctor they are always available.
You usually spend 2-4 hours in the birth unit before being transferred up to the postnatal ward. Some women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth may go home 4 hours after the birth with MAPS midwifery support.
When you go home, the MAPS midwife will visit you in your home until baby is about 10-14 days old.
If you require emergency medical help and you are less than 20 weeks pregnant please attend or contact the Prince of Wales Emergency department. If it is a non-urgent problem contact your GP (some GPs provide an afterhours service) who will assess your condition and may refer you to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) at the hospital the following day.
For any labour related issues and URGENT concerns over 20 weeks contact the birthing unit triage on 0439 869 035 24 hours a day.
You can call your midwife between 8:00am and 4:30pm (some may only work certain days, so if you urgently need an answer please call triage underlined above). Otherwise the midwives will assist you as soon as they can with:
- Answering any concerns/questions you may have about the program.
- Explaining various services at the hospital.
- Providing you with information on pregnancy, birth and after the baby is born.
Despite The Royal Hospital for Women providing a large number of MAPS midwives and teams occasionally there may be limited availability. If you live outside of the hospital area we are not be able to provide postnatal visits in the home.
Perinatal and Women's Mental Health Service
Pregnancy and the year after giving birth represent a unique period in a woman's life. Becoming a mother entails psychological, sociocultural, spiritual and physical transitions. Some women struggle with these transitions because of their own history, their life circumstances, or because there are too many transitions all at once. Building a relationship with an infant, or negotiating the care needs of multiple children, invariably generates intense emotions which can manifest as anxiety, love, joy, obsessional worry, sadness, paradoxical loneliness, or an unsettling feeling of not feeling as much as you should. Some women experience psychosis or other extreme states for the first time during this period, or they may have a relapse of an already diagnosed mental illness. Such episodes are all the more distressing because of cultural and personal expectations that becoming a mother be a happy, peaceful time of life.
-33.91902444995, 151.23824180394
https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/royal-hospital-for-women/services-clinics/directory/mothersafeRoyal Hospital for Women's perinatal mental health team, comprised of psychiatrists, trainee psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health midwives, provides support during pregnancy and the first year post-birth. Eligibility includes all women delivering at RHW, with those in the local area able to access services for a year post-birth. During the booking visit, mental health is assessed, and referrals are made as needed. If interested in our services and not yet referred, please discuss with your midwife or doctor to arrange a referral.
Psychology
- The Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Service supports women who are receiving antenatal care at the Royal, who have birthed at the Royal within the last year and live within the SESLHD, and parents whose babies are in the NICU.
- For more information, see the Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Psychology Service page.
Psychiatry
- Women can be referred by their general practitioner, obstetrician, social worker or the perinatal mental health midwife to see one of the psychiatry doctors. They will have a detailed assessment of their mental health and treatment recommendations will be made in collaboration with the women. Possible recommendations include monitoring, psychological therapy, and consideration of medication.
CMC PNMH
- The Clinical Midwifery Consultant (CMC) in Perinatal Mental Health at RHW coordinates care for women booked into RHW for their baby who have mental health concerns such as anxiety or low mood, these include preexisting Mental Health conditions or ones that emerge during the perinatal period. The CMC Perinatal Mental Health provides clinical advice to patients, carers, and other health professionals within a defined specialty. The CMC PNMH develops Psychosocial Support Plans for women when needed for their Birth & Postnatal admission.
- Referrals to the CMC Perinatal Mental Health are through the Multidisciplinary Case Discussion after the completion of the psychosocial questionnaire at booking. Referrals are made by the booking midwife and allocated to Perinatal Mental Health when appropriate. Referrals can also be made by your midwife, obstetrician, RMO or GP anytime during pregnancy.
- Referrals are also received up to the first year postpartum from GP’s, Child & Family Health Nurses, Karitane and/or Tresillian for women who live in the Eastern sector of SESLHD.
POMHS service
- The Perinatal Outreach Mental Health Service (POMHS) clinician is a psychologist or Mental Health Midwife/Nurse who provides care for families during pregnancy & up to 12 months postpartum who are faced with mental health challenges before or during pregnancy or in the transition to parenthood.
- The SESLHD Mental Health Service caters to a local population of over 930,000 residents in Sydney's eastern and south eastern suburbs, operates through networked services in the north (Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service) and south (St George and Sutherland Mental Health Service), encompassing both hospital and community settings. The service is committed to inclusivity and responsiveness, tailoring initiatives for consumers with complex needs. Providing age-specific and specialised services, the SESLHD Mental Health Service empowers stakeholders to influence system change. The service supports community understanding of mental health and effective treatment access.
- Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that provides support, information, and resources related to mental health and emotional well-being during the perinatal period (from pregnancy to the early postnatal period). COPE offers a range of services, including online resources, helplines, and educational materials, to support individuals and families dealing with perinatal mental health issues.
- This Way Up offers online treatment programs for perinatal mental health designed to teach practical skills to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
- MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. The MotherSafe service provides a comprehensive counselling service for women and their healthcare providers concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Childbirth and Parenting Sessions
The Sutherland Hospital Parent Education sessions are a great way to prepare you and your family for childbirth and parenting. Education, knowledge, and support are key to positive experience, empowering families to make informed decisions about their journeys.
Please feel free to view our pregnancy and parenting information videos. Click here to view.
Please continue to check this website for further updates and information.
To book into any of the following sessions please click here.
If you have any enquiries please email: SESLHD-TSHparenteducation@health.nsw.gov.au
Disclaimer: Unfortunately if any of our sessions don't reach minimum numbers we will need to cancel them. We will offer you an alternate session or a full refund.
The Kingways and Kareena Rd
Caringbah NSW 2229
Lunch and refreshments can be purchased from The Street Canteen located within Sutherland Hospital. For details click here
-34.0371135, 151.1148321
Babies bring much joy, love and wonder, but becoming a parent also means some big life changes and new challenges for couples to navigate.
This session includes:
- Realistic expectations of parenthood.
- Planting seeds that support coping and growing as individuals and as a couple.
- Equipping participants with knowledge and skills that support parents’ and babies’ mental, emotional and relationship wellbeing and whole family bonding.
- Providing awareness for both parents to external support resources.
This session is facilitated by an experienced midwife and/or social worker and is a 2 hour session run across two evenings from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This session is offered either as a face to face or virtually interactive session.
This session is ideally attended by all couples who are expecting a baby.
If this is your first baby this session is best attended from 28 weeks gestation. If you already have children you can attend this session anytime.
The Having Your Baby sessions are comprehensive labour, birth and parenting sessions that are run by a midwife and a physiotherapist and include a tour of the Maternity unit. The Becoming Us sessions complement this session by focusing on the transition into parenthood. Babies bring much joy, love and wonder, but becoming a parent also means some big life changes and new challenges for couples to navigate. This session helps give couples the tools to manage the challenges that come with parenthood.
This session is available as an evening session over seven weeks from 6:30pm to 8:30pm with a mixture of virtual and face to face sessions.
Or, as a weekend session over two Saturdays 9:30am to 3:30pm face to face and two Thursdays 6:30pm to 8:30pm via a virtual platform.
The Having your Baby sessions include information on:
- Physiotherapy session
- Labour and birth
- Self help measures in labour
- Pain relief in labour
- Preparations for other journeys in birth
- Postnatal changes
- Early newborn care
- Breastfeeding
- Sleep and settling
- Postnatal depression
- Community resources
- Tour of Maternity Unit
The Becoming Us sessions include information on:
- Realistic expectations of parenthood.
- Planting seeds that support coping and growing as individuals and as a couple.
- Equipping participants with knowledge and skills that support parents’ and babies’ mental, emotional and relationship wellbeing and whole family bonding.
- Providing awareness for both parents to external support resources.
Ideally this session should be commenced between 26-30 weeks gestation.
Active birth is a session run to support and help empower women achieve a normal birth using active birth techniques. This is a 3 hour session run by an experienced midwife in the evening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.
This session includes:
- The normal process of labour and birth
- Self help measures to cope with labour and birth
- Ways in which your birthing partner can support you
- Good positions and handy hints for various stages of labour
- Recognising the role of hormones in labour
- Techniques to stay calm and relaxed
Ideally this session should be attended from 28-34 weeks gestation.
The breastfeeding session is held to encourage and support mothers who wish to breastfeed their baby. This session can also be of great use to women who have had previous difficulties breastfeeding. This is a two and a half hour session run by a lactation consultant in the evening from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. This session is offered either as a face to face or virtually interactive session.
This session includes :
- The first breastfeed after birth
- Breast changes during the first few weeks
- The role of rooming in and baby-led feeding assisting in the establishment of breastfeeding
- How partners can support breastfeeding
- How to position you and your baby
- How to tell if your baby is getting enough milk
- How to overcome challenges
Ideally this session should be attended after 28 weeks gestation.
Calmbirth® is a highly acclaimed childbirth education program which embodies the connection between the mind-body and family.
Learn how to embrace and work with the wonders and challenges of birth. Calmbirth® gives couples the knowledge, confidence and tools to work with life as it unfolds. The Calmbirth® program is suitable for first time or subsequent births.
This session run by a highly trained facilitator and is available as a two day program on weekends from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Morning tea and refreshments will be provided.
This session includes:
- The Psychology of Birth
- The Physiology of Birth
- Tool Boxes for Birth
- Connection: to Body, Birth, Baby & Each other
Ideally this session should be commenced between 24-34 weeks gestation.
The cost for two people to attend is $550.00.
When you first bring your newborn baby home from hospital, it is both an exciting and daunting time. Being prepared and confident in your ability to provide first aid for your child is an important skill to learn. This first aid information session is for families with newborns to children 8 years of age and is run by an experienced facilitator.
This session includes:
- CPR (hands on practice)
- Choking
- Burns
- Poisons
- Head Injury
- Common childhood illnesses including but not limited to fevers and febrile convulsions
- Breathing illnesses and allergies
This is a one-off 3 hour information session from 9:30am to 12:30pm.
A virtual interactive stand alone online session 'Just for Dads' running on one Thursday evening from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This session is facilitated by an experienced Midwife.
This is your opportunity to ask questions and gain information in a safe environment with other expectant dads.
This session includes:
- What it means to be dad
- Dad's role in labour and birth
- Infant communication, bonding, caring for your baby
- Dad's role in supporting breastfeeding
- Changing relationships and roles
This one day session focuses on meeting your new baby and the first few days with your newborn running on the weekend 9:30am to 3:30pm. This session is facilitated by an experienced Midwife.
This session includes:
- Breastfeeding
- Early days with newborn baby
- Sleep and settling
- Newborn behaviour
This session is ideally attended by those who are doing 'Active Birth' or 'Calmbirth®'.
Ideally this session is best attended from 28 - 36 weeks gestation.
Antenatal Clinic
Provision of antenatal care to women considered to be low risk during pregnancy occurs through midwifery clinics at The Sutherland Hospital. Midwifery based clinics operate between Monday and Friday, with times varying depending on the day.
There are midwifery antenatal clinics specifically designed to meet the needs of young expectant mothers, as well as Centering groups. Centering groups allow women, and their partners, of similar gestations to participate in group sessions for education and discussion lead by a midwife.
The Sutherland Hospital Antenatal Clinic strives to provide women with continuity during their pregnancy, by allocating her to a specific midwife for each visit. Any woman who develops a risk during pregnancy is referred to an obstetric medical officer clinic. These risks may include the development of diabetes in pregnancy, or a low lying placenta.
If further complications arise during the pregnancy, referral to St George Hospital is available through the existing Maternity Services Network.
Models of Care
The Sutherland Hospital offers a variety of models of care for your pregnancy, birth and postnatal follow up. Please click on the link to read about these services before completing the online booking form https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/sutherland-hospital/services-clini…
Antenatal Preparation for Parenthood Classes
Antenatal Preparation for Parenthood classes, as well as lactation and breastfeeding classes are also available through the Antenatal Clinic. https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/sutherland-hospital/services-clini…
Online Booking Form
If you would like to book into Sutherland Hospital for your birth please complete the below booking form. Once completed please allow 10 working days for a reply and appointment.