
|
Having or planning a baby
|
Having a baby can be a really special time in your life. If you
are thinking about getting pregnant, there are a few things that
you should know which you can find in our planning for pregnancy
section. If you are already pregnant, have a look at our pregnancy
section for helpful tips and advice.
Where to start
Pregnancy is a time to make decisions and choices. To start
with, you will need to make contact with a Lead Maternity Carer
(LMCs) of your own choice. LMC means a provider of primary
maternity services, can be a General practitioner with diploma in
obstetrics or a registered midwife, they must hold Access
Agreements with the DHB. It is the decision of the LMC to either
provide all your primary care or to share with other
practitioners. You can find a Midwife (LMC) in your area
here.
It is highly recommended that you register with an LMC within
the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. This will allow for proper
care of you and your developing baby.
Who to approach (appointment)
To confirm your pregnancy a midwife or GP can do the appropriate
tests. After the confirmation of your pregnancy, you will need to
engage a LMC to provide your antenatal care and plan for your
birth. Visit our Find a Midwife page to get in contact
with a midwife. This information is also available from the
maternity units at Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospitals and from your
GP. Alternatively, you can contact Mum2be (0800 Mum2be- 0800 686
223) helpline who can help you to find a LMC.
For more information - click here.
BoPDHB Services
Bay of Plenty District Health Board has achieved and
maintained Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative
(BFHI) status in the Tauranga, Whakatāne and Opotiki
facilities.
The BOPDHB has two secondary care maternity facilities at
Whakatāne and Tauranga Hospitals, with primary birthing units at
Murupara and Opotiki. Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospitals are also
equipped with Level Two Neonatal Services- Special Care Baby
Units.
At BoPDHB our experienced staff has a range of skills
and expertise:
Anaesthetist: Specialists in providing pain
relief in labour, and anaesthesia when surgical procedures are
required. For more information about this service click
here.
Obstetricians: specialists in the care of
complications during pregnancy (antenatal period), childbirth and
the postnatal period. Midwives can refer to obstetricians if the
need arise.
Paediatricians: doctors specialist in the
medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.
Midwives: offer care to childbearing women
during pregnancy, Labour and birth, and during the postpartum
(after birth) period.
Nurses: work with midwives in postnatal
areas of the maternity service to provide care to women and babies.
They also work in the special care baby units.
Lactation Consultants (LC's): staff
qualified in all aspects of breastfeeding support and education.
The LC usually sees those mothers and babies who are having
particular issues with breastfeeding. Phone support is also
available for any issues or questions regarding breast feeding.
Last updated:
March 27, 2018