Maternity Services Information

Southern Health is Victoria's largest maternity service provider with 8,281 babies born across the Southern Health sites in 2008.

Maternity services are provided at three of our hospitals - Monash Medical Centre Clayton, Dandenong Hospital and Casey Hospital.

The location for your care and birth will be determined by a health risk assessment and where we think we can provide you and your baby with the best possible care.

The following pages of our web site will help explain the process.

As early as possible in your pregnancy, we encourage you to print out the publication, "A guide to tests and investigations for uncomplicated pregnancies" so you can read about the kinds of test which will be conducted throughout the pregnancy and what they are for. This will help answer many of your questions.

• Levels of maternity care in line with DHS Future Directions
   
• Maternity Options at Southern Health
   

  • Casey Hospital
     

  • Dandenong Hospital
     

  • Monash Medical Centre
     

• A guide to tests and investigations for uncomplicated pregnancies

Making a Southern Health Maternity Booking

• Email maternity_bookings@southernhealth.org.au Please use your name as the title of the email. In the body of the email please include: your name, phone contact details during business hours, your weight and height and estimated due date.
   
• Telephone number 9594 2229 (9594 BABY)
   
• Southern Health’s central maternity telephone booking service manages all maternity bookings enquiries for Casey Hospital, Dandenong Hospital and Monash Medical Centre Clayton.
   
• You will be asked about your health and maternity history and your preferences for model of care /carer
   
• You will then be offered a maternity booking at one of our Hospitals which best meets your needs and according to site and model of care booking criteria and capacity for the given month. Early booking may increase your chance of receiving your first preference for model of care at the offered site.

First maternity visit with a midwife confirms your maternity booking.

• Your first hospital visit will be with a midwife & an opportunity to confirm you are in the most appropriate model of care / site for your maternity booking.
   
• At the booking visit you will receive a package of pregnancy care information and informed of education & supports available at the site i.e. optional childbirth & parenting classes

Ongoing maternity care

• Will be with your chosen maternity provider or clinic
  • NOTE: Southern Health does not provide routine ultrasounds during pregnancy. We recommend you talk to your GP to arrange an ultrasound at around the 18 week point of your pregnancy.
     
• All women receiving medical care will have at least 2 pregnancy visits with a hospital midwife (booking & then again around 32-34 weeks pregnancy) If you are low risk -primary level care - this may substitute a routine pregnancy check up.
   
• If complications arise during pregnancy your ongoing care requirements will be transferred in consultation. (may be at a higher level at the same site or you may require transfer to another site to birth)