Te Kotuku - Maternity services
Te Kotuku is both a primary and secondary facility.
Contact us
Contact the maternity service on:
Iona Cameron-Smith – Midwife Manager
Phone: 021 824 618
Email: Iona.Cameron-Smith@northlanddhb.org.nz
Sue Bree – Midwifery Director and Service Manager - Maternity Service
Email: sue.bree@northlanddhb.org.nz
Location and visiting hours
Visiting hours
Visiting hours are 11am to 8pm every day.
Visitor information
One support person can attend the assessment and during early induction.
Whānau can attend the labour and birth until the mother is transferred to the postnatal ward.
Postnatal
One Partner in Care can stay with the mother in the postnatal ward to assist.
Other whānau can visit during visiting hours (11am to 8pm).
Location
Te Kotuku Maternity unit is accessible from Hospital Road.
About Te Kotuku
Te Kotuku maternity unit includes:
- an antenatal clinic
- labour and birth care
- inpatient antenatal and postnatal care.
Some services, such as epidural for pain relief and caesarean sections, are only available at Te Kotuku.
About the maternity service
You will be cared for by your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) in labour with the hospital midwives supporting your LMC in the delivery suite. The hospital midwives will look after your if you are under secondary obstetric care due to a more complicated pregnancy. They will also care for you in the postnatal ward before you go home.
If you need more intensive care or go into labour under 32 weeks you will be flown to Auckland for specialist care and return when baby is stable.
The postnatal ward cares for you if you need to stay in hospital before birth as well after your have had your baby.
An average stay is usually about 2 to 3 days after a normal birth and 4 to 5 days following a caesarean-section.
A lactation consultant is available to help breastfeeding women.
The midwives work closely with you if you are under the care of other services such as Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Dependency.
Hospital midwives also provide childbirth education classes.
Maternity Services employs inpatient and outpatient maternity social workers to work alongside you and your LMC. They will visit you if you are referred or if you request their help and will work with you and your family.
Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFH)
All Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau maternity units have gained Baby-Friendly Hospital status. A Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFH) is a health care facility where the practitioners who provide care for women and babies adopt practices that aim to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding from birth. At the same time, Baby-Friendly facilities ensure that women who choose not to breastfeed are supported in their decision and provided with unbiased information and advice.