Take a tour of our maternity ward

No, you don’t need to have private health insurance to give birth in a private maternity hospital. Many mothers choose to be self-funded and pay the full out-of-pocket costs.

If you’re planning to be self-funded, your estimated hospital expenses must be paid on admission. Any additional costs incurred during your stay are payable on discharge.
 

In Australia, our public hospitals offer a safe and affordable option for pregnancy care and birth. If you choose a public hospital, midwives will look after you during pregnancy and birth. Doctors are on hand to help with any complications.

You may be lucky and get to stay in a private room but many rooms are shared. You’ll normally stay 1 or 2 days.

If you have a Medicare card, most of the costs will be covered.

In a private hospital you’ll have your choice of obstetrician for your pregnancy care and they will attend the birth, as long as they’re available.

Most private hospitals offer well-appointed private rooms with ensuites, room service and other services at no extra cost.

If you are a member of a health fund, it is important to check the following prior to your hospital admission:
1. Your health fund will cover the cost of your obstetric admission and accommodation.
2. How long you have been with your fund? If you have been a member of your health fund for less than 12 months, your fund may not accept liability for the costs of admission.
3. Pharmacy, pathology, imaging and x-rays may attract additional charges. Check if your fund covers any of these.
4. Medical and allied health practitioner fees may be billed separately by the practitioners. These are not included in the estimate from the hospital.

The time you can anticipate staying in hospital will vary according to your clinical condition. For an uncomplicated vaginal birth, you are able to go home any time after two nights following birth until 10am on day four, and from three nights stay until day five for a routine caesarean delivery. If there are clinical indications requiring a longer stay, you will be advised of this as soon as possible.

If your baby requires admission to the Special Care Nursery, and may need to stay longer than you, your own admission will be for the period that is relevant to your own clinical condition.

You may be ready for discharge before your baby and, should this be the case, you will be discharged as a patient at that time.

1. Check with your health fund to ensure that you are covered for your stay. Also check if your baby is covered by your health fund should your baby require admission to the Special Care Nursery.

2. Register your hospital admission online by clicking the Online Admissions button on the St Vincent's website. Following this, our Pre-Admissions team will call you to complete a private health fund check, book you in for your required midwife appointment, and give you information parenting classes. These are booked via Trybooking.

Please ensure you have the following information on hand before you complete your online admission:

• Medicare Card
• Private Health Insurance details which includes your table or level of cover
• Pension Card/Health Benefits Card
• Pharmacy Benefits Card/Safety Net Card
• Request for Admission Form (a blue form)

We understand that you might need to phone for advice or reassurance at some stage during your pregnancy or when you are in early labour. Our phone lines are always open and an experienced midwife is available to take your call. You can reach the Birth Suite on (07) 4690 4125.

For security reasons, the main entrance (Entrance 1 on Scott Street) to the hospital is not accessible after 8pm. After this time you will need to access the hospital via our Emergency Department at Entrance 6, off Herries Street. On arrival at the Emergency Department, please follow the signs to Patient Wards. You will need to take the elevator to Ground floor and follow the signs from there that say Patient Wards/Birth Suite.

St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Toowoomba respects your right to be involved in decisions regarding your care. It is natural and normal for parents to have expectations regarding their birth and it is very important that you discuss your wishes with your Obstetrician and Midwife. Our expert team will work with you to help you achieve the birthing experience of your choice.
 

Yes they are. Please advise either the Pre-Admissions team or your midwife at your hospital appointment if you would like your partner/support person to stay with you. A daily fee will be charged to cover their overnight accommodation. Please note that these fees are not refundable from your Health Insurer. 

Meals can also be supplied for an additional fee.

Only one partner/support person is permitted to stay per room for occupational health and safety reasons. Children may not stay over under any circumstance.

Partners/support persons are required to complete a registration form if they stay overnight. These should be completed at front reception at Entrance 1. The form ensures your partner/support person understands the conditions under which they are staying and also ensures that the hospital complies with our emergency evacuation procedures and can account for partners in an emergency. 

It is important your partner/support person remember they are staying in a hospital environment. Patients and babies wake, require care and feed often during the night and during these times staff may need to turn on lights to provide appropriate care. We ask that partners make every endeavour to ensure hospital routines are not interrupted.

Yes, you will be visited regularly by your Obstetrician during your stay in hospital. 

On weekends, the Obstetrician who is on call may see you and your baby if required.

Our Food Services department provide full room service for all meals including snacks. We have a large menu that caters to all special dietary requirements. 

Each meal is cooked fresh to order and delivered within 45 minutes. You are also able to pre-order your meal and have it delivered at a specific time. The kitchen service is available from 6.30am to 6.30pm each day. Partners may also order meals from room service for an additional charge, which will be added to your account.

To place a room service order please call Ext: 3663.

Our birthing suites provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the birth of your baby. The suites are spacious and feature ensuites, balconies, individual sitting areas and a television.

Your partner/support person is welcome in the birthing suite. Soft lighting and music are available at your convenience.

Numerous supports are available to facilitate birth. These include:

• TENS machines, beanbags, birthing mats, birth balls, birthing beds, showers and aromatherapy units.
• Pain relieving medication and inhaled gases, if required. A specialised anaesthetic service is available for epidural anaesthesia, should this be required.

Please note, in the interest of your privacy, staff cannot give out details about the progress of your labour or about your baby’s condition. Family and friends are therefore requested not to phone the birthing suite for information. Instead, it is best to arrange for your partner/support person to contact the persons you wish to keep informed.

We have 16 patient rooms on the Dorothea Devine Maternity Ward. All are private with their own ensuite, refrigerator, television, telephone and free WiFi.
 

Warm Water Immersion (WWI) in a bath during the first stage of labour has been shown to decrease the need for pain relieving drugs and make the experience more enjoyable for women. This is available for low-risk pregancies in one of our birth suites. 

Please talk to our midwives. They are very happy to answer all of your pregnancy and birth questions or concerns. We look forward to welcoming you to St Vincent's Private Hospital Toowoomba.