Consumer advisor feedback – Women’s Health planning workshop, 21 October 2020

39 Appendices & Glossary

 APPENDIX 1

Consumer advisor feedback – Women’s Health planning workshop, 21 October 2020

What did you know about where to have your baby?

• Other women told me – ‘safer to go to

Middlemore’ • Don’t know about home birth • Hospitals – go to • Homebirth – no • Primary birth option is subsequent births only • Perception birthing units are for postnatal care • Followed midwife –

TRUST

What’s needed?

• Street appeal needed for primary birthing units • Nice facilities • Restful environment • Bigger beds • Birthing pools • Swiss balls • Partners to stay • protection of partner • partners feel excluded • Home-cooked meals • Car seat access • Antenatal classes at units • Approachable staff at reception • helpful • show you around • Ownership by the woman: my place to birth – familiar • Opportunity to view the hospital, and familiar with and understand emergency transferring. • Family pressure to birth in a hospital setting • Important to meet midwife at birth unit, invite whaanau to view the unit – tell whaanau why its important

What is choice?

• Women can choose where to birth, but

Middlemore caters for complex pregnancies • Series of education throughout pregnancy; choices are made from information • Teach women their rights – increase their knowledge • Vulnerable staff • relies on one person • persuaded • Midwifery shortage • unable to find midwife to support birth place Why not choose midwifery as a career? • doesn’t pay • three to four years’ study • Do not share pregnancy news with people until 12 weeks or more, so unable to get recommendations • Not all women have a trusting relationship with their midwife so creates an inequity

• Need own toilet and shower facilities wherever we give birth • More childbirth educators, more classes, more facilities at birth units • Stop the first caesarean section – empower women to own physiological birth

• Social media forms to ask for recommendations • December to January estimated delivery dates, very difficult to get midwife

Solutions?

• QR codes; 0800 numbers • Facebook pages – mums’ groups • Contact points – reception given to women seeking midwifery care • Women’s family health hub –

Whaanau Ora/Ola home model

New Women’s Health building

• Areas for uplift • Need dedicated space • Process – staff know what to do • To feel safe and supported • Away from other women and whaanau • Expectation to have a support person • Caters for support person • Felt safe with analgesia postcaesarean section • Single rooms • Couches • En-suite facilities

• Option for natural remedies • Enjoyed communal eating areas • Multifunctional birthing and stay rooms • Workforce – work around the woman and baby • Lighting – ambience • dim and bright • music equipment • Baby’s cot • your choice • peepi pod • wahakura • Not judgmental

Being handed over too soon

• 4-6 weeks can be very early to have midwife care stop • Not always first-time mothers; subsequent babies’ births important too and can be different • Breastfeeding support needs to be strengthened • More information on breastfeeding home support • Comfort needed • Woman wanted information about formula • Overworked breastfeeding support team • Welcome days • Ownership of local unit • Transport to a hub, needs shuttle from main areas • Midwife appointments • early morning • weekend • late night

• Enough postnatal beds • birth and stay birthing rooms • need skin-to-skin time • Car parking – plenty of

• new parents parking spots • free • No not send husband, partner away: not alone on first night • en-suites • maps for partners to ensure they don’t get lost • buzzer

• La Leche not accessible • East Auckland access to breastfeeding support services not the same as Mangere,

Manukau • Cluster feeding not known about why and this is normal

• meals prepared on site • on-site access to food of good quality and nutritious • Birthing floor • ground floor • access to outside areas • courtyard • away from hustle and bustle of rest of hospital • Settling babies • education • extended care • support with breastfeeding • drop-in support

• Shared record • not having to repeat my story every time • being able to self refer