I primarily support whānau who choose to have their births at Te Papaioea Birthing Centre, but I do have an access agreement with Palmerston North Hospital in case things change during pregnancy and you need to birth there, or if you do decide to birth there.
Home
Birthing at home in your own environment is a safe choice for people with a low risk pregnancy. It allows you to feel safe and comfortable, which aids in allowing the hormonal cascades of birth to work well. People who birth at home do not often have to transfer in labour or after the birth, but if that is needed then it will be carried out in a timely and safe manner.
I do not offer home birth at this time, but if you would like to birth at home, I can speak to my colleagues who do support home birth.
For more resources about home birth, have a look at Home Birth Aotearoa.
Te Papaioea Birthing Centre
Te Papaioea is a beautiful facility for people wanting to birth at a ‘home away from home’. As a primary facility, it has Entonox and baths available for pain relief, and is very close to the hospital in case we need to transfer for any reason. At Te Papaioea, you birth in the same room that you will stay in postnatally. Each room has a large height-adjustable double bed and a bath large enough to birth in, as well as your own ensuite.
There is a staff midwife available 24/7 so you can get support with breastfeeding if you need it once I have gone home!
Click here for more information about Te Papaioea.
Palmerston North Hospital
Palmerston North Hospital is the local secondary care unit. It has various pain relief options, including baths in some rooms, Entonox, and epidurals. If you need a Caesarean birth for any reason, it will usually be at Palmerston North, although people with some complications may birth in Wellington or Auckland if clinically indicated.
The hospital has a neonatal unit that cares for pēpi from 28 weeks’ gestation. Any pēpi born earlier than this or with certain complications will be cared for in one of the main centres, usually Wellington or Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.
I am epidural certified, so if you choose an epidural I am qualified to remain with you for this.