Women and Newborn Health Service
Health Professionals
King Edward Memorial Hospital
Referral to the Family Birth Centre
The Family Birth Centre offers midwifery-led care in a home like maternity unit co-located with King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH).
All midwives working in the Birth Centre are highly skilled and experienced and provide all care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal continuum.
The Birth Centre model provides continuity of care for all women by a small team of midwives. Midwives will refer women for consultant opinion within KEMH if there is a deviation from normal, as well as other allied health professionals, including social work, clinical psychology and physiotherapy, should the need arise.
Differences between the Family Birth Centre and KEMH include:
- No restriction on visiting times and numbers of visitors
- Partners can stay overnight (if applicable)
- Continuity of care with a small group of midwives
- Epidural is not available, however, we offer most of the other pain relief options
- Early discharge, length of postnatal stay 4-24 hours
- Waterbirth is available
- More than two support people can be present during labour and birth
Who can attend?
Attendance is restricted to 60 women due in any given calendar month; therefore, referring women early in pregnancy is preferred to avoid disappointment.
Once the referral is received, an orientation tour must be attended by appointment. A woman's first visit to the Family Birth Centre is usually at 15 - 20 weeks.
We accept public and private patients.
Women are required to be considered 'low risk' at booking. The Birth Centre is unable to accept women who have had a previous caesarean section or a BMI of 30 or more at the time of booking. Please refer to exclusion criteria for further details.
Antenatal Screening tests to be arranged by GP
- Routine antenatal investigations at the first antenatal visit:
- FBP and Iron Studies
- Blood Group and Antibody Screening
- Syphilis serology
- Rubella Titre (even if previously immune)
- Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV serology
- Chlamydia screening
- Vitamin D screening
- Midstream Urine
- Additional investigations if indicated/at risk:
- Haemoglobinopathy screening including sickle cell anaemia and Thalassaemia
- Pap smear
- All women should be counselled and offered First Trimester Screening at 11-13 weeks or Maternal Serum Screening at 15-17 weeks for fetal chromosomal abnormalities
- Fetal anatomy ultrasound at 19 weeks
To ensure a prompt service please fax referral with blood results and any scan reports directly to the Family Birth Centre: (08) 9340 1806, it is not necessary to fax to KEMH East Wing Clinic for Birth Centre patients.
For any further queries regarding the Family Birth Centre, please contact (08) 9340 1800 8.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday.
Resources
Website - Family Birth Centre
Family Birth Centre - A Special Beginning brochure
