Botany Downs "Whare Tapu" is the natural place to have your baby. The name gifted to Botany Downs Maternity Unit in a special ceremony by the people of the local Tainui iwi is, Whare Tapu. This conceptual meaning alludes to the most sacred beginning of life - the birth of a child.

The Unit is a purpose-built facility located on Botany Rd, near the Botany Town Centre, that provides a quiet, pleasant environment in which you can have your baby in your way. It serves the  Howick, Pakuranga, Whitford, Botany, Dannemora, Flatbush, Otara, Manukau and  Redoubt Rd areas. However, low risk women from other areas are welcome to also use this facility.

Features of the Unit include:

• 4 birthing rooms (2 with labour pools)
• 6 single, 3 double and 1 x three bedded rooms
• approximately 400 women birth in this Unit per year
• approximately 1200 women transfer back from the base hospital for their postnatal stay
• Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation achieved in 2004 and 2007. The Unit prides itself in supporting women who choose to breastfeed with a high exclusive breastfeeding rate on discharge 
• consultant clinic every Tuesday morning at the nearby Botany Downs SuperClinic for women who require secondary care (higher risk pregnancies)
• antenatal clinics by community midwives 5 days per week 
• caseloading midwives clinics 

Visiting times are between 2.00pm and 8.00pm.

Women need to rest to recover duiring their hospital stay. Visiting times and the number of people allowed to visit are limited.

Fathers of newborn babies are welcome to visit any time during daytime hours.
Children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult and must not run around the ward.

Visitors are restricted to two at a time. If you wish to visit outside these hours, please discuss this with your Midwife beforehand. Please refrain from visiting if your children are unwell with illness, including flu or chickenpox. 

There are no facilities available on site to purchase refreshments. 

A cafe and takeaway shops are located within a short walking distance of the Maternity Unit. 

Botany Downs Maternity Unit is located next to Botany SuperClinic.

If you are traveling from the south (Papakura, Pukekohe etc) on the southern motorway take the  Manukau City exit, turn right and travel north up the Great South Rd then turn right into Te Irirangi Drive. 

If you are traveling from Auckland on the southern motorway take the Te Irirangi Drive exit and turn left onto Te Irirangi Drive.

Te Irirangi Drive turns into Botany Rd at Botany Town Centre.

If you are travelling from the eastern suburbs the main route to take is along Ti Rakau Drive.  Turn left into Botany Road just before the main shopping area of Botany Town Centre.

A sheltered bus stop is located just outside the Botany Downs Maternity Unit.

For further bus information, see Maxx Timetables, or phone 09-366 6400 or toll-free on 0800 10 30 80 if outside the local calling area.

There is plenty of free parking available to all patients and visitors.

Patients may be set down or picked up from outside the main entrance.  Please consider others and remove cars as soon as possible.

A pharmacy is located next door at Botany SuperClinic. 

SuperClinic Pharmacy is open daily (including public holidays) from 8.00am to 10.00pm.

Charges

There are no charges for services to public patients if you are lawfully in New Zealand and meet one of the Eligibility Direction specified criteria set by the Ministry of Health.

If you do not meet the criteria, you will be required to pay for the full costs of any medical treatment you receive during your stay.

To check whether you meet the specified eligibility criteria, visit the Ministry of Health website www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility

For applicable charges, please phone the Accounts Receivable Office on (09) 276 0060.