Maternity — Wellington, Hutt and Kapiti

Wellington Regional Hospital has 12 self-contained, fully equipped labour and birthing suites. Each birthing suite has its own pool or bath. All birthing suites have ensuite bathrooms and our neonatal intensive care unit is located nearby.

There is a parent lounge available for use with tea and coffee making facilities. There are no cooking facilities. Meals are provided for mothers. There are cafés for visitors to purchase meals throughout the hospital or nearby.

Wellington Regional Hospital campus map

If you have an emergency your whānau are requested to move into the waiting area.

Do not leave children under the age of 14 years unattended. It is also important to arrange childcare in case of an emergency.

Do not bring valuables to the birthing suite.

Accessing the birthing suite

Enter through the emergency gate on Riddiford Street and turn left for the after hours and birthing suite entrance. The emergency gate is past the main entrance to the hospital if you are coming from the city. If you are coming from the south it is before the main entrance.

The after hours and birthing suite entrance can be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Orderlies will be available at the entrance to provide assistance as required.

There will be 2 emergency car parks available for women in labour outside the after hours and birthing suite entrance. These parks have a time limit of 2 hours so you will need to shift your car.

If you park in the main hospital underground car park:

• from 7am to 9pm take the red lift to level 4 and follow the signs to the birthing suite
• from 9pm to 7am the red lift will stop at level 2 — the phone in the foyer will call the orderlies to take you to the birthing suite.

View a map of how to get to Delivery Suite

Virtual tour of the Wellington Regional Hospital birthing suite

Wellington Delivery Suite — YouTube

Hutt Hospital maternity unit is the first choice for most of the Hutt community to give birth. We provide maternity facilities for all — whether you are under the care of an lead maternity carer or midwife or receiving specialist services for a complex pregnancy by a doctor.

The maternity unit has 8 self-contained, fully equipped labour and birthing suites. Each birthing suite has a bath. All birthing suites have their own bathrooms and our special care baby unit is located nearby.

The maternity ward has a mixture of single and twin rooms with shared bathrooms. Some rooms have access to lazyboy chairs or pull-out beds for support people.

There is a parent lounge available, which has tea and coffee making facilities. There are no cooking facilities. Meals are provided for the mother. Support people can access the hospital café and local food services.

If you are looking for a quieter location to have your baby or stay at after birth, there are primary maternity units at Kenepuru Community Hospital and Paraparaumu Maternity Unit at Kāpiti Health Centre.

Our midwifery and medical teams work closely with Wellington Regional Hospital, who provide specialist care for you and your pēpi if they require more complex care.

We encourage you to bring along your support people during your birth.

After your pēpi is born

Your hospital stay is a time for you to recover from your labour and birth and bond with your pēpi. One support person may stay with you overnight to assist with care. They will be provided with a chair at your bedside.

During your stay a midwife or nurse will provide care, day and night. Your lead maternity carer will remain your primary caregiver and will be called if review or consultation is required.

The maternity ward at Hutt Hospital has a mixture of single and shared rooms. People who are clinically unwell will be prioritised to a single room.

Your hospital stay will be short. You can return home as soon as you are comfortable and well enough. Some people choose to go home directly from the birthing suite. If you have a caesarean section, you will usually need to stay 2 or 3 days. The decision about when to leave will be agreed between you, your lead maternity carer and hospital staff.

Accessing Hutt Hospital maternity unit

The Hutt Hospital maternity unit on level 2 of the Heretaunga Block. Enter through the main entrance to the hospital.

You can use any gate to enter the hospital campus. We recommend using the High Street entrance (Gate 2) or Pilmuir Street entrance (Gate 5). There is a parking building next to the Heretaunga Block.

The Heretaunga Block is open:

• 6am to 6:30pm weekdays
• 8am to 4:30pm weekends.

After hours, you must enter through the emergency department entrance. All other entrances will be closed.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours are 8am to 8pm. Hutt Hospital is closed to all visitors 12:30pm to 2:30pm to allow patients to rest.

Virtual tour of the Hutt Hospital maternity unit

Hutt Maternity Video Tour — YouTube

The Kenepuru Community Hospital maternity unit is a primary birthing facility. This means that while you are at the unit you are under the care of your midwife.

If you are booked to give birth at the unit it is assumed that you:

• are healthy and well
• have no underlying health issues
• will remain well throughout your pregnancy.

Evidence shows that if you have had good antenatal care and are assessed as low risk for complications, you will:

• give birth to a healthy pēpi
• need fewer interventions if you are supported to give birth in a primary maternity unit.

As long as you and your pēpi remain well and stable though the labour, your midwife has all the skills and resources necessary to support you to birth at the unit. If at any time this were to change, your midwife will discuss with you and your whānau how best to manage these changes safely. Your postnatal care is provided by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora midwives in partnership with your lead maternity carer and guided by a detailed plan of care.

There may be other women and families at the unit needing a quiet and restful space.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours are 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 8pm. Partners may visit anytime between 7am and 8pm.

Virtual tour of the Kenepuru Community Hospital birthing suite

Kenepuru Community Hospital maternity unit — YouTube

Paraparaumu Maternity Unit is in a wing of the Kāpiti Health Centre. Paraparaumu Maternity Unit is a part of the Wellington Regional Hospital's women's health service.

Paraparaumu Maternity Unit is a primary birthing facility. This means that while you are at the unit you are under the care of your midwife.

If you are booked to give birth at the unit it is assumed that you:

• are healthy and well
• have no underlying health issues
• will remain well throughout your pregnancy.

Evidence shows that if you have had good antenatal care and are assessed as low risk for complications, you will:

• give birth to a healthy pēpi
• need fewer interventions if you are supported to give birth in a primary maternity unit.

As long as you and your pēpi remain well and stable though the labour, your midwife has all the skills and resources necessary to support you to birth at the unit. If at any time this were to change, your midwife will discuss with you and your whānau how best to manage these changes safely.

We are a small unit with limited space and amenities. You may wish to have a plan about who will be there to support you.

There may be other women and families at the unit needing a quiet and restful space.

Occasionally the unit is fully occupied. When you notify your midwife that you have gone into labour she will call the unit to make sure that the birthing room is free. If all the rooms are occupied she will make arrangements for you to give birth elsewhere.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours are 11am to 6:30pm and 3pm to 8pm. Partners and whānau may visit outside these hours. There are no facilities for support people to stay overnight.

Virtual tour of the Paraparaumu Maternity Unit birthing suite

Paraparaumu Maternity Unit — YouTube