Maternity care in Hawke's Bay
Our focus is to deliver safe and effective maternity and obstetric services in partnership with women, their whānau and primary maternity and well child providers.
Waioha birthing centre
Phone
06 878 8109 and dial extension 6045 when prompted.
Address
- Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital
- Gates 3 and 4 Canning Street
- Hastings
About
Waioha is designed as a home away from home environment for fit and healthy women to give birth without the need of specialist care. Each birthing and labour suite has:
- spacious, private and secure suites
- private bathrooms, individual birthing pools
- single bed for partner or support person.
Support available during labour includes:
- swiss balls
- slings
- TENS machines
- entenox (gas and air)
- massage
- music
- any alternative therapies you bring with you, such as aromatherapy, homeopathy and acupuncture.
Talk to your lead maternity carer about your options on where to give birth.
Visiting hours
Your partner or support person can visit all day, including overnight.
Whānau and other visitors can visit between 1pm and 8pm every day. The only children able to visit are your own to see their new sibling. We ask you respect these visiting hours to help new parents get sleep and rest during the day as they are often up during the night.
Ata Rangi maternity unit and Day assessment unit
Phone
- Maternity unit — 06 878 8109 and dial extension 6045 when prompted
- Day assessment unit — 06 878 8109 and dial extension 6030 when prompted.
Address
- Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital
- Gates 3 and 4 Canning Street
- Hastings
About
Ata Rangi is our hospital-based specialist care facility. Women needing specialist support will have their labour and birth care at Ata Rangi. Some women will stay in Ata Rangi during their pregnancy if there are health concerns for them and their pēpi.
The main reasons you would be transferred to Ata Rangi include:
- epidural for pain relief
- progress in labour is slow
- changes in your wellbeing
- pēpi is in distress
- your lead maternity carer is concerned and talks with the specialist on call.
If you live in Wairoa and have your pēpi in Ata Rangi, you will be discharged back to Wairoa maternity ward for your postnatal care once you are able to travel.
Visitors
Your partner or support person can visit all day. Overnight stay is available in Ata Rangi.
Whānau and other visitors can visit between 1pm and 8pm every day. We ask you respect these visiting hours to help new parents get sleep and rest during the day as they are often up during the night.
Te Kākano – Antenatal Clinic
Phone
06 878 8109 and dial extension 8200 when prompted.
Address
- 398 Omahu Road
- Hastings
About
This is where you come, if during your pregnancy your midwife advises you that you need to see an obstetric doctor. The doctor will discuss any concerns with you and make a plan of care with you and your lead maternity carer.
The clinics run from 8:30am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.
Call the team if you need to change your appointment time.
Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)
Phone
06 878 8109 and dial extension 2598 when prompted.
About
The Special care baby unit (SCBU) is for pēpi that are born early or are unwell at birth. The doctors and nurses will work with you to decide the best care for your pēpi. The role of whānau is very important, and staff will let you know the progress of your pēpi and help you stay in contact with them.
If your pēpi is small or very unwell we may talk to you about transferring them out of Hawke's Bay for their care.
Visitors
Visitors and visiting hours are limited in the SCBU to protect pēpi from infection and over-stimulation, and to allow them time to rest and recover. We recommend no more than 2 people at the cot at any time, including parents.
- All visitors must wash their hands when entering the unit to prevent the spread of infections. Hand sanitiser is also available on pēpi cots.
- We encourage parents to visit their pēpi as often as possible.
- Sisters and brothers of the pēpi can visit as long as they are with a parent and are actively supervised.
- Other visitors (over 14 years old) are allowed between 2pm and 7pm, every day.
Breastfeeding your pēpi
You can breastfeed your pēpi while they are in the SCBU. If they cannot breastfeed, we will help you express milk to give to your pēpi.
Parent rooms
Parent rooms are available when your pēpi is close to going home (being discharged). We aim for all parents to room in with their pēpi at least one night before they go home to build their confidence. Meals are provided for parents living in.
Social worker
A social worker is available on request to offer support and information on community and financial support. Ask the nurse of your pēpi to arrange an appointment for you.
Pregnancy and parenting education
Antenatal breastfeeding classes
Free antenatal breastfeeding classes are offered at Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldier's Memorial Hospital on the first Monday of every month. If that Monday is a public holiday the class will be on the following Monday.
The classes are held in the Education centre nearest the Emergency department entrance on Canning Road from 5:30pm to 7.30pm.
To register email Elizabeth at Elizabeth.Banks@hbdhb.govt.nz
Breastfeeding support
Breastfeeding services near me — SmartStart
Napier Maternity Resource Centre
Phone
06 843 9686, 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
Location
- 234 Kennedy Road
- Onekawa
- Napier
About
The Napier Maternity Resource Centre is a one-stop shop for pregnancy and early parenting needs, as well as a place to ask questions. They offer:
- pregnancy tests
- support to find a midwife
- midwifery assessments and clinics
- breastfeeding support
- pregnancy and parenting information.
Whanake Te Kura
Whanake te Kura — Nurturing healthy babies is a free, 6 week pregnancy and parenting education programme run through Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga. It is a fantastic kaupapa open to all hapū māmā and their partners, or support people who live in Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay.
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
Ata Rangi and Waioha are BFHI accredited. The BFHI is an international programme launched by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.