Postnatal Home Care

At SWH we provide Postnatal home (PNHC) visits to mothers who birth with us and to mothers returning from tertiary hospitals and/or special care nursery’s.

• What we do

  A midwife / International Breastfeeding Lactation Consultants (IBLCE) will visit you at your home in the first few days after your discharge from hospital, providing ongoing postnatal education, baby care and feeding support.

  During the postnatal visits your midwife will cover the follow topics:

  • Baby will be weighed
  • Newborn screen test will be attended if not done during hospital stay
  • Breastfeeding/Formula feeding support will be given
  • Normal newborn behaviour and baby care education
  • Safe sleeping advice (SIDS recommendations reinforced)
  • Emotional support and psychological wellbeing care
  • Hygiene and perineal care
  • Breast health of the Lactating woman
  • Contraception information
  • Identification of relevant community support services

• Who we care for

  We provide visits to women who birth at SWH and live within a 50km radius from the hospital.

  Women who live in more rural areas or women who birth with us from other major towns will be referred back to the midwifery service closest to them for ongoing postnatal care at home.

  We will provide home visits to women returning from Tertiary Hospitals in Melbourne/ Geelong or elsewhere to assist in your transition to home life as a family.

• What to expect

  An appointment will be made for you before you discharge to home.

  The appointments are arranged either in the morning between 9-12 or afternoon between 1-4pm. Actual times are not delegated to allow staff to navigate travel times, we just ask that you can be available between those given times on your appointment day.

  Most women will get two visits.

  Postnatal home care service operates: Monday – Saturday weekly including public holidays.
  Phone Number for Postnatal Home care service: 0409 946 301