What are my Lithgow based Hospital and Maternity Care Options?
Lithgow Hospital and Maternity Care Options – what exactly is available? We are fortunate in Lithgow to have a local hospital providing maternity care to our community. When you fall pregnant it is natural to seek out a maternity care option close to your home! The less travelling, the better, given travelling in labour can be really difficult. So, what are all of our options in Lithgow?
Lithgow Hospital based Maternity Care
Our closest hospital is the Lithgow Hospital in Lithgow which offers pregnancy, birth and postnatal maternity care services. Lithgow hospital has an Obstetric led care model, where women see an pre-chosen Obstetrician during their pregnancy. While this Obstetrician oversees the woman’s care, the midwives at Lithgow hospital provide much of the pregnancy support. During your birth, midwives care for you until the Obstetrician is called in, typically towards the end of the labour (pushing).
Unfortunately, Lithgow Hospital doesn’t have a Midwifery Group Practice or Continuity of Care Model. However, doulas will continually support you and Lithgow Hospital accepts doulas in most instances. If you’d like doula support, have a look at my services page. While Lithgow Hospital does have Obstetricians on site and can provide care for ‘high-risk’ pregnancies, they do not have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For very high risk situations, women are transferred to either Nepean or Bathurst Hospitals. It’s worth considering all birth options for you and your family, as the likelihood of particular birth outcomes is very influenced by place of birth.
Lithgow Home based Maternity Care
The other option is home birth!! We have some INCREDIBLE privately practising midwives in the Lithgow area, and some great ones seeking endorsement too! These midwives are able to provide antenatal, birth and postnatal care to the women they support. They provide medical care, do baby and mum checks, check the heart rate and are able to prescribe and administer medications. Additionally, they carry the necessary gear for an emergency situation at birth including Syntocinon for post-partum haemmorhage and Oxygen for baby if needed. If home birth is an option I encourage you to look into it! Meet with a private midwife and see how you feel – it could change your life!
If you’d like to read about my own birth experiences with home birth near Lithgow, check them out here! I speak about Willow’s home birth caesarean, Hamish’s Blissful Home Birth After Caesarean and Evalie’s HBAC here! If you’re concerned about safety you can read more about the research on home birth here. But in essence, continuity of care with a midwife improves safety for mums and babies!
And that’s it! If you have any questions please get in touch, I’d love to chat pregnancy, birth and postpartum with you!
Lithgow Birth Doula Support
If you would like support during your birth, why not consider a birth doula? Birth Doulas are an incredible asset to any birth team! They improve outcomes for mums and babies, and can provide you the support you need throughout your pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
If you’re looking for a birth doula, check out my doula services page!
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Who am I?
Hello, I’m Aimee! I support women and their families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding. I am a qualified and experienced Doula and breastfeeding counsellor, providing support in the Blue Mountains and surrounds. I’d love to meet you for an obligation free catch up! Contact me here.
