Please click on the following links for information pamphlets written or selected by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau maternity staff: Amniocentesis and CVS (PDF, 255.9 KB) Aug 2019 Routine Antenatal Anti-D Prophylaxis (PDF, 485.5 KB) Information for pregnant women who are Rh(D) negative. Provided by nzblood.co.nz 2020 Antenatal Classes (PDF, 562.5 KB) Find out where to get FREE classes when you're expecting a baby. 2021 Antenatal Steroids for Preterm Babies (PDF, 133.4 KB) Find out when and why corticosteroids are used during pregnancy. 2017 Breastfeeding Support in South Auckland (PDF, 386.8 KB) October 2022 Breech baby - External Cephalic Version (PDF, 175.1 KB) May 2017 Caesarean Section (PDF, 437.2 KB) March 2015 Chickenpox in Pregnancy (PDF, 139 KB) Dec 2018 Community Birth Unit (PDF, 3.8 MB) Information on the community based (primary) birthing units in Counties Manukau Cord Care and Belly Button Pito Care (PDF, 159.4 KB) Oct 2018 Diabetes During Pregnancy (PDF, 131.7 KB) Oct 2015 Coping with the early stages of labour (PDF, 158.9 KB) Dec 2016 Epilepsy and Pregnancy (PDF, 152.5 KB) March 2020 Group B Streptococcus (PDF, 143.4 KB) Mar 2019 Immunisations During Pregnancy (PDF, 788.8 KB) Find out about getting Whooping Cough, Influenza and COVID-19 immunisations while you are pregnant. April 2023 Induction of Labour (PDF, 670 KB) Learn why and how labour may be induced at Middlemore Hospital. August 2022 Iron and Anaemia in Pregnancy (PDF, 120.4 KB) 2019 Jaundice in the Newborn Baby (PDF, 164.7 KB) Jan 2020 Morning Sickness in Pregnancy (PDF, 117.7 KB) July 2019 Newborn Car Seat Safety & Rental Schemes (PDF, 257.5 KB) Mar 2019 Nipple Shields (PDF, 146.8 KB) June 2016 Options for Family Planning (PDF, 1.2 MB) Oct 2023 Women can opt to have a long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) inserted free of charge after the birth of their baby. Ask your Midwife or GP before baby is 3 months old. Vasectomy Service Funded vasectomy is available to the partners of women who have had a baby in Counties Manukau during the previous six months and are certain their family is complete. Referral is from your Midwife or GP. Pain Relief Choices in Labour (PDF, 253.7 KB) June 2019 Pelvic Floor Exercises (PDF, 297 KB) IUGA 2011 Placenta Praevia (PDF, 137.8 KB) Dec 2016 Post Dates Pregnancy (PDF, 148.8 KB) March 2016 Pre-eclampsia (PDF, 120.1 KB) Jan 2020 Premature Labour What to do? Signs and Prevention (PDF, 207.3 KB) Jan 2020 Thyroid Disorders and Pregnancy Hyper (overactive) thyroid (PDF, 149 KB) Jan 2017 Thyroid Disorders and Pregnancy Hypo (underactive) thyroid (PDF, 147.7 KB) March 2017 Toxoplasmosis - food related illness (PDF, 153.7 KB) Oct 2018 Twins - Identical (PDF, 499.1 KB) A guide to twin pregnancy. March 2020 Twins - Non Identical/fraternal (PDF, 253.5 KB) A guide to twin pregnancy March 2020 Vitamin K in Newborn Babies (PDF, 113.1 KB) Sept 2019 Water for Labour and Birth (PDF, 205.9 KB) July 2019 When your Waters Break Early - Membrane Rupture at Term (PDF, 107.6 KB) May 2017

Routine Antenatal Anti-D prophylaxis is available to pregnant women who have a rhesus negative blood group at 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy. Anti-D immunoglobulin is a blood product administered in two doses at a Pharmacy after a consent process is undertaken with your midwife. You will need to get a blood test to check for any unusual antibodies prior to attending one of 12 pharmacies on the same day as your blood test. Your midwife or LMC will talk you through the process. To find out more download the Routine Antenatal Anti-D Phrophylaxis pamphlet from the New Zealand Blood Service The pharmacies below are able to administer Antenatal Anti-D. Please ring before attending to ensure staff are available to provide the service. Pharmacy Name Address Phone number Botany Superclinic Pharmacy 260 Botany Road, Golflands, Auckland (09) 277 1510 Jak's Pharmacy 35 Cavendish Drive, Manukau (09) 262 1815 Liddells Pharmacy 48 King Street, Pukekohe (09) 238 7166 Life Pharmacy Howick Village 75 Picton Street, Howick (09) 534 6811 Life Pharmacy Papakura Roselands Shopping Centre, 96 Great South Road, Papakura (09) 298 5615 Ormiston Kiwi Chemist 211 Ormiston Road, Flat Bush (09) 869 5520 Pohutukawa Coast Pharmacy 129a Beachlands Rd, Beachlands (09) 536 6747 Unichem Leabank Pharmacy 104 Weymouth Road, Manurewa (09) 266 9455 Unichem Mangere Pharmacy 12 Waddon Place, Mangere (09) 265 4929 Unichem Pakuranga 11-13 Cortina Place, Pakuranga (09) 577 1237 Unichem Papatoetoe Pharmacy 63 St George St, Papatoetoe (09) 278 7613 Unichem Takanini Village Pharmacy 2b, Building 2, 30 Walters Road, Takanini (09) 222 0303

Breastfeeding Naturally is a DVD that follows 9 women on their breastfeeding journey. It includes tips for successful breastfeeding and shows the realities of breastfeeding for women and their families. Click here to view the videos. They are shown in 7 individual chapters.

The whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix) is available free for pregnant women living in the Counties Manukau region from 16 weeks of pregnancy until 38 weeks. It can protect your baby against whooping cough for up to six weeks after they are born. The Pregnancy Pack (available from your Midwife or GP) contains a Boostrix voucher for you to take to your GP before 38 weeks of pregnancy. It is recommended that you have a Boostrix vaccination during each pregnancy from 16 weeks. For more information about immunisations during pregnancy and the Boostrix vaccine please visit www.immunise.health.nz Download our leaflet to find out about getting Covid-19, Influenza and Boostrix vaccinations while you are pregnant. Boostrix and flu immunisations are available free of charge at: Whare Tapu Botany Downs Birthing Unit 292 Botany Road, Golflands. On Fridays, by appointment. Please call 09 259 5032. Your midwife can refer you and the vaccinating nurse will call to arrange a date and time. Other providers of pregnancy vaccinations in South Auckland

For information on HIV testing in pregnancy, please contact your maternity care provider or visit HIV testing in pregnancy (info.health.nz)

The Maternity wards are on the 4th floor of the Galbraith Building, two floors above the birthing unit. It is a busy ward area which has a receptionist and a small waiting area. Care is provided by midwives and nurses. There is a daily specialist ward round for the antenatal women and for any women after birth who need a doctor review. Visiting Visiting hours are between 2pm and 8pm with no more than two people (including children) in addition to the key support person are permitted per patient at one time. A key support person can visit between 8am and 8pm or at all times by arrangement for compassionate reasons - please check with the midwife in charge on the ward your family member or friend is on. Children under the age of 16 may visit between 2pm and 8pm for compassionate reasons – again, please check with the midwife in charge on the ward your family member or friend is on. Will I have to share a room? Most of the rooms are a twin share so that means you will share with one other person only. Because it is a ward only for maternity, you will only share with another woman! We do have some single rooms and they are usually given to women who have: infections which mean they cannot be beside others multiples such as twins or triplets caesarean sections (if possible) a very sick baby to stay for a long time in pregnancy. There are no private rooms and single rooms are not able to be reserved. The Maternity Floor is divided into North and South areas. This allows the staff to be organised and is nothing to do with where you live! South - Antenatal Care Some women need to be in hospital during their pregnancy and this is where they will stay. Most will only stay a few days but others have to stay for longer. Why would I need to be in hospital before my baby is born? There are a number of reasons and most of them are described in the Birthing and Assessment page as almost all women will go there first before being admitted. These reasons include: bleeding diabetes needs more control baby not growing well high blood pressure possibility of premature birth rupture of membranes before 37 weeks. North - Postnatal Care You may need hospital care after the birth of your baby if you have: problems at the birth problems in your pregnancy which means you need extra care at first a caesarean section birth pamphlet after a caesarean a baby who needs extra care by specialist doctors either in or out of neonatal intensive care unit. Many women can transfer to one of the birthing units a day or two later. When you transfer to a unit or when you are ready to go home you will need a car seat suitable for your newborn baby. Have a practice at home before baby arrives so you know how to use it. pamphlet rental schemes How long will I need to stay? While this depends on what has happened, a rough average would be: Vaginal birth - around 48 hours Caesarean Section birth - around 72 to 96 hours but often only 24-36 of this is in Maternity Floor with the rest in a birthing unit. Your postnatal stay is a time to learn how to give basic care to your baby and begin feeding while you have support at every feed. We will cover: all things about feeding such as position, feeding cues and common problems hand expressing of milk hygiene for baby cord care pamphlet blood loss recovery from the birth support in the community breastfeeding support in community resuscitation of baby postnatal and pelvic floor exercises pamphlets contraception pamphlet Jaundice Lots of babies become jaundiced a couple of days after birth as their blood system changes from what they needed inside of you to what they need now they are air breathing. Your baby will have a yellow colouring. This gradually goes away over several days. Sometimes the amount of jaundice is high and the baby cannot get rid of the chemical causing the yellow colour without help. Although the colour of your baby's skin shows us the jaundice, it is a blood test which tells us how high it is and if he/she needs treatment. Using ultraviolet lights and making sure that baby feeds lots is usually what is needed. Sometimes a mother and baby have gone home and because of jaundice need to come back in. Sometimes jaundice can be managed in one of the Primary Birthing Units. pamphlet jaundice Why would I transfer to a birthing unit? Transferring to Botany Downs, Papakura or Pukekohe Primary Birthing Unit is a great move for most women because they: have free parking are quieter at night and not as busy in the day are in places where your other children can have a run around outside have opening windows and doors so you can get some fresh air have better food! have a better number of staff to women so staff are more available to help you.

After the birth of their baby many women feel sad or anxious; this is called the “baby blues”. The baby blues happen in the days just after the birth and usually only last for about a day or up to a week. Most women who feel this way have had no problems and have a healthy baby so it is not caused by a bad experience. For a smaller number of women these feelings become depression. Postpartum depression can start days or months after the baby’s birth and the feelings of sadness are worse than with the blues. This may only get better with treatment so it best to talk to your GP or midwife. In some women depression and anxiety starts before the birth and it is important to tell someone if you are feeling this way. Your family doctor and midwife will ask you some questions every now and again about how you are feeling. There is a service called Maternal Mental Health which specialises in helping women around pregnancy. Some women are taking or need to take medication while pregnant and/or breastfeeding. There are a number of medicines which are known to be safe to use at this time. It is important to never just stop anti-depressant medicines and to take advice from your doctor before you do.

Information and support for parents coping with the grief of losing a baby: Miscarriage Support Auckland Inc Twin Loss NZ Sands New Zealand Trauma and Birth Stress Bereavement Support Services Maternal Mental Health Service

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide general practitioners (GPs) and midwives working in the community with a reference of recommendation to prescribe medicines for women and babies under their care. Guidelines do not replace clinical judgement. These guidelines contain two parts which are colour coded as in the brochure below. They are intended to be a brief reference source to cover antenatal and postnatal care in the community. No consideration is given to intrapartum care. The guidelines are intended for use in the community setting, therefore only medicines which are commonly used in the community are included (for example, IV antibiotics are not included in this booklet); this list is not exhaustive. Part 1: Clinical Monographs. This includes diagnosis, patient advice, treatment rationale and drugs of choice. The drug chosen for treatment is primarily based on the most effective treatment that may be used safely in pregnancy and lactation. The medicine monographs in part 2 should be referred to in conjunction with this advice. Part 2: Medicine Monographs. This includes preparations available, indication, dosage, contraindications, cautions, adverse effects, interactions, patient information and data regarding safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding. This information has been adapted from the common reference resources which are referenced at the end of each monograph. The disclaimer at the beginning of this section should be read before using the monographs. Consideration is also given to subsidy of pharmaceuticals in the community. Community Prescribing Guide for Maternity Care (PDF, 4.6 MB) The purpose of these guidelines is to provide general practitioners (GPs) and midwives working in the community with a reference of recommendation to prescribe medicines for women and babies under their care. Guidelines do not replace clinical judgement.