Afterbirth

So the NSW government has decided to implement a Karitane Residential Family Care Unit at Camden Hospital. While this is no doubt undeniably good news for families in south-western Sydney battling PND and unsettled babies, it means that the post-natal ward has been moved to Campbelltown Hospital. For all ante-natal and post-natal services, women in Camden, Elderslie, Narellan, Picton and surrounding areas must now travel to Campbelltown.

I had my first child at Campbelltown in 1999. It was a far from pleasant experience - two hours waiting for ante-natal appointments (meaning I had to take an entire day away from work in the city), a different doctor or midwife every visit, a traumatic birth experience and general lack of continuity of care. The experience was so awful I travelled to Wollongong to have my second child. While the ante-natal care there was much more personable - and the birth closer to what I imagined childbirth should be - the post-natal care in such a busy hospital left much to be desired. I discharged myself after twenty-four hours simply so I could go home and get some sleep.

For my third child I was delighted to be accepted into the midwifery care program at Camden Hospital. I had all my visits with the same midwife at Camden and after a trouble-free midwife-led delivery at Campbelltown Hospital (the birthing unit at Camden was closed at the beginning of 2005 after operating for only two years), travelled to Camden for a restful post-natal three-night stay with wonderfully supportive staff.

My fourth child was delivered by the excellent midwifery care program at Campbelltown Hospital and the birth was smooth but as before with Wollongong, the post-natal ward was overcrowded and impersonal. Even the staff admitted to having 'forgotten I existed because I was so quiet'. Unfortunately the ward was not and again I was discharged after twenty-four hours.

Woman delivering baby

I understand that the closure of birthing units and maternity services in regional hospitals is mostly due to lack of being able to attract qualified personnel to relevant positions (such as anaesthetists). However, I can only imagine the increasing numbers of deliveries - due both to the closure of Camden services and new housing developments - is going to impact on post-natal care. Campbelltown Hospital is already over-stretched and under-staffed. Over-worked, tired, frustrated staff are little better than no staff at all.

It is my experience that the few days after birth are the most critical when it comes to establishing a bond with baby and avoiding post-natal depression. In an environment where nurses are rushed off their feet and encouraging new mothers to leave as quickly as possible in order to make way for new 'deliveries', how is a supportive, nurturing atmosphere possible?