Pregnancy care - getting started

Southern Health has birthing services at three hospitals:

  • Casey Hospital - is suitable if you are in good health with an uncomplicated pregnancy.
  • Dandenong Hospital - may be more suitable for you if you have more complicated health problems.
  • Monash Medical Centre Clayton - is our only tertiary level hospital and we prioritise women with very high risk complicated pregnancies to book at this site.

A maternity booking is offered at one of our three sites according to:

  • level of care you or baby require (following a series of questions on your health and history)
  • where you live
  • your preferences
  • capacity at each site at the time. (For example Clayton is our only tertiary hospital in Southern health so we can only book limited numbers of low risk women as we need to keep spaces for women with complex pregnancies and  women who develop complications during pregnancy and need to be transferred to this higher level of care).

Making a maternity booking:

If you have not been to a doctor yet you can initiate your own maternity booking  request on line.

If you have been to a doctor with your pregancy, it is likely that your doctor will refer your details to our central maternity bookings service. If this occurs, one of our staff will contact you by telephone (within a week) to arrange an appointment at one of our hospitals to 'confirm' your Southern Health booking. 
Please do not do an on-line booking request if your doctor has already sent us your referral.

Do I need a doctor’s referral to book in?

If you are having public hospital clinic care you will need to bring a referral from your doctor to your first visit.

You should ask your doctor to write your referral to:  'Professor Euan Wallace, Southern Health maternity'.

Who will I see at the booking- in visit?

The initial hospital visit is with a midwife.  You will have the opportunity to discuss your health, history and any preferences or plans for ongoing pregnancy care. You will also receive lots of information to take home.

Childbirth education classes are also an optional extra to consider - a  fee applies.

Who will I see for ongoing pregnancy care?

Unfortunately it is not always possible to have your preferred pregnancy care option, as all our Hospitals and public clinics have a limit on the number of bookings they can accept each month. There are limited public medical clinics at both Dandenong and Casey Hospitals. The care options at each site include:

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 A  maternity booking request can be initiated on- line. Patients will be contacted by our central booking service within a week to arrange a booking confirmation appointment.

Do not complete the booking request on line if your doctor has already made a booking referral to Southern Health.

Southern Health primary maternity region

 

Requests for female only care?

Southern Health recognises that cultural or personal factors may lead to a request for female only carers during pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. It is not possible to comply with this request. We suggest that if having female-only care is important to you that other options be considered, such as private obstetric care.

A guide to tests and investigations for uncomplicated pregnancies.