Phone (09) 534 6063
Fax (09) 537 2632

Botany Downs "Whare Tapu" is the natural place to have your baby. The name gifted to Botany Downs Primary Birthing 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)
• Postnatal accommodation for 15 women
• Approximately 400 women birth in this Unit per year
• Approximately 1200 women transfer from a base hospital for their postnatal stay
• Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation achieved in 2004, 2007 and 2011. The Unit prides itself in supporting women who choose to breastfeed with a high exclusive breastfeeding rate on discharge 
• Consultant obstetric clinic every Tuesday morning at the nearby Botany Downs SuperClinic for women who require secondary care (higher risk pregnancies). Referral from your LMC/named midwife is required.
• Antenatal clinics by community midwives 5 days per week 
• Caseloading midwives clinics 

Visiting times are between 2.00pm and 8.00pm.
Rest, recovery and learning how to care for baby are the aims of the postnatal hospital stay. To ensure this happens, visiting times and the number of people allowed to visit are limited.

Fathers of the newborn babies are welcome to visit any time during daytime hours.
Children are also welcome but we ask that they are supervised by an adult and do 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 Primary Birthing Unit is located next to Botany SuperClinic.

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

Te Irirangi Drive intersection at Botany Town Centre; straight ahead for Botany Rd.

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 (Te Irirangi intersection).

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.

The unit has the following room layout:

• 6 single
• 3 x two bedded
• 1 x three bedded

A pharmacy is located next door at Botany SuperClinic. 

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

A locked door and buzzer system are in place to keep mothers and babies safe.

Charges

All maternity care is free if you are lawfully in New Zealand and meet one of the Eligibility Directions 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. A breakdown of costs is available from Maternity Administration at Middlemore Hospital.

To check whether you meet the specified eligibility criteria, visit the Ministry of Health website.

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