Healthpoint (Home)

skip to content

Print this page

Quick Links

This page was last updated at 2:18PM on March 30, 2012

Scroll down for more information

Public Service

Auckland DHB Women's Health - Maternity/ Pregnancy Care

Description

Welcome to National Women’s Health. National Women's inpatient, newborn and  High risk maternity outpatient services are located on the 9th floor of the Support Building at Auckland City Hospital in Grafton.

National Women's Walk-In Centre, Community outpatient services, Fertility and Gynaecology outpatient services continue to be provided on the Greenlane site on the 6th floor of the Greenlane Clinical Centre.

Please visit the National Women's Health website for more information www.nwhealthinfo.co.nz

The Women's Health Information Unit is located in the Atrium area on level 9 at Auckland City Hospital.

Open: Monday 8am - 4pm, Tuesday 8am - 12noon, Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Contact: Ph: (09) 307 8978  or email:  hiws@adhb.govt.nz.

 

What is Maternity?
Maternity is the area of medicine concerned with the treatment of women during pregnancy (antenatal), labour and delivery, and the time after childbirth (postnatal). Once pregnancy has been confirmed, regular antenatal checks should be performed by a midwife, GP or obstetrician (doctor who is specialised in obstetrics). In the first 28 weeks, these checks will be done every month but will increase as the pregnancy progresses.

 

Click on the following links to access:

Referral Expectations

If you have an urgent problem requiring immediate assessment you are referred acutely  to the Women's Assessment Unit where you will initially be seen by the junior medical staff who will decide whether you need to be admitted to hospital. Investigations will be performed as required, and the more senior members of the team involved where necessary.
 
If the problem is not urgent, your GP will write a letter to Women's Health Services requesting an appointment in the outpatient clinic. One of the consultant surgeons working in the Department reviews these letters to determine who should be seen first, based on the information provided by the GP. Very urgent cases are usually seen within a couple of weeks, but other cases may have to wait a much longer time.
 
When you come to the Gynaecology/Maternity Outpatient Department, you will be seen by a member of the team who will ask questions about your illness and examine you to try to determine or confirm the diagnosis. This process may also require a number of tests (e.g. blood tests, x-rays, scans etc). Sometimes this can all be done during one clinic visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments. Occasionally some tests are arranged even before you are seen at the hospital to try to speed up the process.
 
Once a diagnosis has been made, the medical staff will discuss treatment with you. In some instances this will mean surgery, while other cases can be managed with medication and advice. If surgery is advised you will be put on the elective surgical waiting list. Again these waiting lists are ordered according to the urgency and severity of the condition. The steps involved in the surgical process and the likely outcome are usually discussed with you at this time.
 
In order to minimise the amount of time that you have to spend in hospital, Women's Health run a preadmission process. This is usually done through a clinic where you are seen just prior to hospital admission. The aim of this clinic is to confirm that you still need to have the planned surgery and that you are currently fit and well enough to undergo the operation. This process usually involves the junior medical staff working in consultation with the anaesthetists, pharmacists, physiotherapists etc. Often the consultant will also take this opportunity to review your condition.

Common Conditions / Procedures / Treatments

  • Amniocentesis

    This is a procedure used to evaluate the health of your unborn baby and identify any problems that may exist... More

  • Antenatal blood tests

    Having blood tests early on in your pregnancy can help protect you and those close to you... More PDF

  • Caesarean Section

    A caesarean section is the name of the operation done to deliver a baby through a cut in your stomach and uterus (womb)... More

  • Chorionic Villus Sampling

    Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is used to test for genetic disorders, such as Down’s syndrome, and involves taking a small sample of the chorionic villi, which are the tiny units that make up the placenta... More

  • Epidural

    An epidural is a type of anaesthetic (medication that stops pain and feeling) that makes your lower body numb without putting you to sleep... More

  • Fibroids


    Fibroids are noncancerous growths or tumours on the muscular part of the uterus (womb); sometimes they are also called myomas... More PDF

  • Foetal Distress

    A foetus is the name given to an unborn baby after the eighth week of pregnancy until birth... More

  • Diabetes in Pregnancy

    Gestation is the length of a pregnancy from conception to birth (usually 40 weeks in humans)... More

  • HIV Screening in Pregnancy

    Recommended routine screening for HIV testing in pregnancy for women.  ... More PDF

  • Induction of Labour

    Induction of labour is the process of starting labour artificially... More

  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

    In a very small number of pregnancies, the baby may not grow as well as in a normal pregnancy... More

  • Miscarriage Support Group

    You can contact Miscarriage Support Auckland
    by phone: (09) 360 4034... More PDF

  • Obstetric Ultrasound

    Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning, is a method of obtaining pictures from inside the human body through the use of high frequency sound waves... More

  • Postpartum Depression

    The postpartum (also called postnatal) period is the time after the birth of a baby... More

  • Premature Baby

    A premature baby is one that is born before 37 weeks’ gestation (the length of a pregnancy from conception to birth)... More

  • Smoking Cessation Support in Pregnancy

    Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself and the health of your baby... More

  • Toxaemia of Pregnancy (pre-eclampsia)

    Toxaemia of pregnancy or pre-eclampsia is a condition that occurs in some women during the second half of pregnancy... More

Charges

There are no charges for services to public patients if you are a NZ resident. Some medicines will require a small fee. Patients requiring Mirena may in some cases be expected to fund this if they do not meet national guidelines for their free provision.

If you are not a NZ resident you will be required to pay for your care.
To check if you will need to pay visit the Ministry of Health website www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility

For charges, please phone the Finance Department on (09) 630 9943.

Document Downloads

Note: PDF downloads require the free Adobe Reader application to view.

Consultants

Dr Tony Baird
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Eileen Bass
Obstetric & General Physician
Dr Lynda Batcheler
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Philip Beattie
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Sue Belgrave
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Renuka Bhat
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialty
Dr Carolyn Bilbrough
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a special interest in Urogynaecology
Dr Astrid Budden
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Marian Carter
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Denys Court
Clinical Leader, Women's Health
Dr Elizabeth Curr
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Tim Dawson
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Urogynaecology subspecialty
Dr Maha George-Haddad
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Gillian Gibson
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Patrick Henley
Physician, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Melinda Hll
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Valeria Ivanova
Obstetrician
Professor Ron Jones
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Padmaja Koya
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Paul Macpherson
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Professor Lesley McCowan
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialty
Dr Jennifer McDougall
Acting Clinical Director, Obstetrics
Dr Katherine McKenzie
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Claire McLintock
Physician Haematologist
Dr Lisa Meyer
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with Colposcopy & Ultrasound subspecialties
Dr Ray Naden
Specialist Physician in Maternal Medicine
Dr Emma Parry
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialty
Dr Sunil Pillay
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Shelley Reilly
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Paul Robinson
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Janet Rowan
Physician
Dr Lynn Sadler
Epidemiologist
Dr Dereck Souter
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Martin Sowter
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a subspecialty in Fertility
Dr Fiona Stewart
Physician & Cardiologist
Dr Mairi Wallace
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, subspecialties: Urogynaecology & Diabetes in Pregnancy
Professor Peter Stone
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a Maternal Medicine subspecialty
Dr Lucille Wilkinson
Physician & Clinical Director of the Admission & Planning Unit (APU)

Website

www.nwhealthinfo.co.nz

Other

PARENTING HELP

SKIP:  Strategies with Kids / Information for Parents

  • How to cope with a crying baby
  • Shaken Baby
  • Child Safety
  • Family Violence

 

YOUR RIGHTS DURING PREGNANCY AND BIRTH:
 
You have the right:
 
  • To be treated with dignity, cultural sensitivity and respect at all times 
  • To choose your place of birth 
  • To choose your caregiver/s and to change your caregiver/s at any time 
  • To choose who will be present at your birth and to ask others to leave 
  • Before agreeing to any procedures, or being given any drug, medication or test, to ask about any side effects or risks to yourself or your baby. You can accept or refuse any treatments 
  • To choose how you will give birth and to feel free to follow your feelings and instincts during birth 
  • To have the placenta/whenua handled with cultural sensitivity 
  • If transferred to a large maternity hospital, to be accompanied by your primary caregiver and support people of your choice 
  • To refuse to allow your baby to be fed infant milk formula if you choose to breastfeed (NOTE: occasionally there is a medical need for formula)
  • Not to be separated from your baby 
  • To make a complaint and receive satisfactory explanations from your caregiver/s and others involved with your care 
  • To read, or have a copy of your medical records and your baby’s medical records 
  • To have a trained interpreter if English is not your first language 
  • To refuse to take part in any research project or to withdraw from a research project at any time 
  • To refuse to allow student health professionals to provide care for you or your baby.

 

Location Information

Contact Details

Phone (09) 307 4949
Fax (09) 375 4344
Email NWHweb@adhb.govt.nz

Street Address

2 Park Road
Grafton
Auckland 1023

Postal Address

National Women’s Health
Private Bag 92 024
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand

Map & more information

Click here for a map and more information about this location.