Redland Hospital has seven birthing suites with individual ensuites. Three of the birthing suites also have a birthing pool for you to use during labour.  We have 24/7 obstetric support and a Special Care Nursery.

A small lounge area with tea and coffee making facilities is available for support people to have a short break during a labour. Food is available at the cafe on the ground floor of the hospital or at the shops across the road from the hospital, during business hours.

When to come to hospital

Phone the Maternity Assessment Unit on 3488 4169 if you may be in labour or have any other worries about your pregnancy.

If you are less than 20 weeks pregnant and experiencing problems, please contact your own GP or phone the hospital 3488 3111 and ask for the emergency department.

Please phone prior to coming into the Birthing Suite to allow the midwife to assess your progress and prepare for your arrival. Some of the other reasons you may need to come to hospital include if:

• your waters break
• contractions become too painful to cope with at home
• vaginal bleeding occurs
• your baby is not moving as much as normal
• you are worried about yourself or your baby.

For admission information and what to pack in your hospital bag, read about coming to hospital.

Birthing rooms and equipment

Being active during the birth can assist in shortening the length of your labour. Feeling comfortable and relaxed is also important and the birthing rooms are designed with this in mind:

• Music (iPod connectivity for your own choice of music).
• Heat packs—supplied by the hospital.
• Shower and bath. We know that these can work very well for pain relief so they are readily available and recommended.
• Birthing ball—gym style ball or peanut shape that is comfortable to sit on, encouraging pelvic rocking and positioning to help in labour, and allow for your support people to massage your back at the same time. Bean bags are also provided.
• Floor mats to kneel on the floor.
• A bar fridge for you to store drinks and food for the support people (items will need to be labelled). It is a good idea to bring some lollies such as barley sugar to keep your energy levels up.
• We also support TENS and hypnobirthing which you will need to arrange prior to coming into birth your baby.
• You can arrange for the support of a Doula as one of your support people.
• Our beds are specially designed electronically controlled beds for your comfort.
• Baby resuscitation equipment is available if it is needed and our staffs are trained in neonatal resuscitation.

Photographs and video

In the Birthing Suite, photographing birth is permissible at the request of the labouring mother, provided that this does not conflict with the primary role of the support person. Members of the hospital staff should not be photographed or filmed without their individual consent.

Videoing of births requires the permission of all staff present and must not prevent staff from immediately attending to mother and baby. Please make your request in writing, well before your baby is due by completing the required form. You can discuss this with the midwife at your antenatal appointments. For safety reasons, photographs of births in the Operating Theatre may be taken by staff only.