Delivering change - Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies

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Newsletter Vol 1 June 2010
Delivering Change
Contents:
Welcome
The “Having a Baby in Queensland – Your Story” Survey
Have your say on our 2010 Road Show...
The Having a Baby in Queensland Website
The Maternity Care Collaboration Project : How do Midwives and Doctors work together
Your Top Tips
Today‟s Top Tip
Naming your baby
Upcoming Events
Thanks a bunch!
Useful Contacts:
Follow us
Welcome
Welcome to the first newsletter from the Queensland Centre for Mothers and Babies. We are delighted to get
this to you! The work of the Centre focuses on improving maternity care for all women in Queensland. We
want to hear how you feel about maternity care and provide you with the information and support so you will
know what to expect before, during, and after birth and can make decisions that are best for you.
We‟re eager to fill you in on what we‟ve been up to and we‟d love to hear your feedback.
To let us know what you would like to see in future editions, just email us at info@havingababy.org.au and tell
us what you think! You will see that we occassionally feature photos of Queensland babies in our Newsletter.
If you have a beautiful photo of your baby that you would like to share and are happy to have published,

please e-mail us a copy with your details.
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The “Having a Baby in Queensland – Your Story” Survey
We‟re conducting a survey of all women having a baby in Queensland (public
or private, rural or urban) in February, March, April and May 2010 (about
25,000 women). We want to find out about women‟s satisfaction and
experiences with pregnancy, birth, and post-birth care. The findings from the
survey will be available on our website (www.havingababy.org.au) to help
women choose the birthing facility that best suits their needs. We will also use
the information to give feedback to Queensland Health and to each birthing
facility about what‟s working well for women and what needs improvement.
Women who had their baby between February and May this year will get the
survey in the post when their baby is a few months old. If you had your baby in Queensland at another time,
you can still have your say by heading to our website and completing the survey online (we‟ll notify you when
it‟s available).
Last November we sent out our first survey, to 2,000 women who had a baby earlier in the year. Here are
some of the key findings:
• On average, women were very satisfied with the maternity care that they received during pregnancy, labour
and birth, and after their birth
• Overall, 79% of women wanted a vaginal birth, and there were no differences in preferred type of birth
between women who birthed in public and private facilities
• Women who said they wanted a vaginal birth were more likely to have a caesarean birth instead if they gave
birth in a private hospital (33%) than in a public hospital (18%)
• Women who gave birth in private facilities said they felt they had more choices about various aspects of
labour and after birth care. These included choices about the type of birth they could have and the pain relief
options available to them
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Have your say on our 2010 Road Show...
Are you planning, expecting, or recently had a baby If so, we‟d love to talk
with you in our face-to-face discussions!
In 2010, we‟ve been taking the Queensland Centre for Mothers and Babies on the road. Being „on the road‟
and „off the beaten track‟ gives us the chance to hear from women and care providers throughout
Queensland. You have the opportunity to share your thoughts, suggestions, and experiences of having a
baby, and we get the opportunity to share with you the work that we do. In each town we are holding informal
group discussions and information sessions with women and their families, as well as with maternity care
professionals.
Our first series of road shows focussed on regional, rural and remote Queensland. In March we headed to
North Queensland where we visited Innisfail, Tully, Atherton, Mareeba, Cairns, Croydon, Charters Towers,

Hughenden, Richmond, and Townsville. In April we headed to the State‟s Central West of Mt Isa, Cloncurry,
Winton, Longreach, Blackall, Emerald, Woorabinda, Biloela, and Rockhampton. We have also held
consultations in Mackay and Proserpine.
The women we spoke to said these were the issues that mattered most to them:
• To have the chance to receive care from the same people throughout pregnancy, labour, birth, and the post
birth period
• To get more support and consistent information from maternity care providers during pregnancy and post
birth
• For birth facilities to be family-friendly and offer personalised care
• To have more local pregnancy and post birth services and programs
• To address the difficulties with accommodation and travel costs for women who need to travel to have their
baby
Are these the issues that matter to you If not, please let us know by emailing info@havingababy.org.au.
We will be heading back out on the road to talk with women and care providers shortly.
Our group discussions are open to all women who are interested in maternity care, so why not come along
and have your say! For more information on dates and locations, you can email us at
info@havingababy.org.au or drop us a line on 1800 704 539.
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The Having a Baby in Queensland Website
Women in Queensland have told us that they lack a place to go for reliable, trustworthy, and unbiased
information about being pregnant and having a baby in Queensland. Based on this feedback, the Queensland
Centre for Mothers and Babies is developing the Having a Baby in Queensland website
(www.havingababy.org.au) to provide information and decision-making support for women (and their families)
before, during, and after birth.
One of the main features of the website is a tool called Birthplace: Your Guide to Birthing Facilities in
Queensland. Birthplace is an online, interactive guide that will provide information about all 61 hospitals
(public and private) and birth centres in Queensland where you can have a baby. Birthplace will include
information from the facilities about the kind of care and services they provide, and reports from other women
about what it was like to have a baby there. The aim of Birthplace is to support women in Queensland to
prepare for having their baby, and to make decisions that are right for them.
To make Birthplace as useful as possible, we would like to know what information women in Queensland
would like to know about each hospital and birth centre.
• What information is most important for you to know about the available birthing facilities when thinking about
where you have your baby
• What information would help you to feel better prepared for birthing at a certain facility
You can voice your thoughts by completing a brief online survey. The survey is currently open to women in
Queensland who are pregnant or have recently had a baby. To find out more and start the survey, go to:
http://psy.uq.edu.au/mbs. We hope to hear from you!
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The Maternity Care Collaboration Project: How do Midwives and Doctors work
together
One of the goals of the Queensland Centre for Mothers and Babies is to work with health services to ensure
doctors and midwives are able to work together. This includes learning how they can communicate well with
each other and with the women they are caring for.
To help us meet this goal, we are conducting a survey on how doctors and midwives currently work together,
their beliefs about other maternity care providers, and how these affect working together in the future. At the
moment, we have just under 500 responses and hope to receive a few more before preparing a report. Stay
tuned for the results in future issues!
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Your Top Tips
Here in the Centre, we believe that women have valuable knowledge and expertise that deserves to be
shared! In this section we will regularly feature your top tips for pregnancy, birth, and caring for yourself and
your new baby after birth. The tips we include might be something you want to try, or you might have
something that works better for you. If you have a top tip that you would like to share, drop us an email at
info@havingababy.org.au so we can include it in our next newsletter!
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Today’s Top Tip
“Like many first time mums, one of the things that I found most challenging
was getting my baby to sleep. Perhaps the best bit of advice I was given was
to learn to look for my baby‟s tired signs. These usually include fussing and
whimpering, frowning, jerky movements, and pulling ears. I think what was
really key for me was not confusing these signs with boredom! So instead of
giving my baby more toys, I could recognise she was tired and put her in her
cot. That way, I could avoid her getting overtired and upset - much better for
her and for me!” – Claire from Mt Gravatt
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Naming your baby
If you are having trouble thinking of name for your baby, you might be interested in our survey results. One of
the questions we asked women was what name they had picked for their baby. These were the most popular:
The top 5 boys names:
Samuel
Jack
Lachlan
William
Alexander
The top 5 girls names:
Ruby
Caitlin
Lily
Emily
Olivia
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Upcoming Events
Event: Brisbane Pregnancy, Babies & Children’s Expo, 2010
www.pbcexpo.com.au/brisbane
What is it: An exhibition where you can get information and parenting tips
and check out the latest products related to pregnancy, babies, and children
Where: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank
When: Friday 18 - Sunday 20 June 2010
Event: Having a Baby in Queensland Survey
What is it: A survey of all women in Queensland who have had a baby from February –May 2010. We want
to find out about women‟s experiences and satisfaction with their pregnancy, birth, and post birth care.
Where: In the post for women who have had a baby during this period.
When: Later this year – check your mail box!
Event: South West Queensland Road Show - Dalby
What is it: An informal, child friendly discussion with staff from the Queensland Centre for Mothers and
Babies. All women who are planning, expecting or recently had a baby are invited to talk about birthing in
their town, and share their needs, suggestions and experiences of Maternity Care. Maternity Care providers
(providing antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care) are also invited to share their stories.
Where: Myall Youth and Community Network Centre, 169 Cunningham Street, Dalby
When: Monday 7th June, 9am -11am - Food and drink supplied
Event: South West Queensland Road Show - Miles
What is it: An informal, child friendly discussion with staff from the Queensland Centre for Mothers and
Babies. All women who are planning, expecting or recently had a baby are invited to talk about birthing in
their town, and share their needs, suggestions and experiences of Maternity Care. Maternity Care providers
(providing antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care) are also invited to share their stories.
Where: Miles Community Centre
When: Tuesday 8th June, 9am - 11am - Food and drinks supplied
Event: South West Queensland Road Show - Roma
Where: TBA
When: TBA
Event: South West Queensland Road Show - St George
Where: TBA
When: TBA
Event: South West Queensland Road Show - Goondiwindi
Where: TBA
When: TBA

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Thanks a bunch!
The Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies would like to thank everyone in
the community, particularly Elizabeth Oei from ABA (Australian breastfeeding
Association) and Bec Jenkinson from Maternity Coalition, who have been so helpful in putting us in touch with
“Local Champions” in regional, rural and remote Queensland towns. We really appreciate it!
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Useful Contacts:
13 Health Line - An information and advice line that is staffed by registered nurses. 13 43 25 84 (13
HEALTH) 7days, 24hrs a day www.health.qld.gov.au/
Women’s Health Queensland Wide - A health information and referral service for women in Queensland
staffed by nurses and midwives 3839 9988, 1800 017 676 (or ask a question online) www.womhealth.org.au
Australian Breastfeeding Association - Provides counselling and breastfeeding information by other
mothers who are trained to answer your questions 1800 686 2 686 (1800 mum to mum) 7 days - with
counsellors taking calls in their own homes www.breastfeeding.asn.au
Child Care Access Hotline - Helps you find a child care service that meets your needs 1800 670 305 8am-
9pm Monday-Friday www.australia.gov.au/service/child-care-access-hotline
Parentline Confidential - telephone counselling for parents and carers of children 1300 301 300 7 days,
8am-10pm www.parentline.com.au
Poisons Information Centre - Prompt information and advice for poisonings and suspected poisonings 131
126 www.health.qld.gov.au/poisonsinformationcentre
Playgroup Queensland - Helps you to join or start a playgroup 1800 171 882 9am-5pm Monday-Friday
(9am-3pm during school holidays) www.playgroupaustralia.com.au/qld
SANDS (Stillbirth and neonatal death support including miscarriage support) - Provides a range of
support services to parents and families 3254 3422 or Free Call 1800 228 655 (for those in remote and rural
areas) www.sandsqld.com
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Follow us...
You can now follow the Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies on the web. In addition to our Website, our
facebook and twitter pages will keep you up to date with everything that we are doing, all around Queensland!
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Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies | 1800 704 539 | info@havingababy.org.au | www.havingababy.org.au