The latest information about COVID-19 or Coronavirus in maternity care. Local updates including restrictions at the local hospitals and guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can be found in the links below. The Illawarra Local Health District website has the latest updates regarding Covid-19 and information is shared on their Facebook page BBI encourages pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and their families to discuss their concerns with their maternity caregiver be that your Midwife, OB, GP or other health professional.
If you are unsure of or disagree with the advice please get in touch with us via email and we may be able to provide you with support to gain clarity and the right options that work for you and your baby.
LATEST NEWS:
8th January 2022: BBI have worked persistently for a woman to have a chosen birth partner whether Covid positive or negative after after stories of women being denied this. We didn’t get what we think families deserve and we will continue to advocate for women’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing to be centered in NSW Health decisions. Taken from the ISHLD Media Release dated 8th January 2022. Please attribute the following to Margot Mains, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Chief Executive.
Wollongong Hospital recognises the importance of women having a partner or support person with them during birth. Given the significantly high levels of COVID-19 transmission within the community, stringent measures are in place throughout all hospitals, including birthing units, for the safety of all.
Women can be supported by one person who will be screened via Rapid Antigen Test by staff before entering the birthing unit. If the support person returns a positive test, they will not be permitted to enter the birthing unit as they will need to self-isolate under current public health orders.
Women due to have their baby are being asked to have additional support people on standby, should their initial partner/support people test positive. Only COVID negative support people will be permitted to enter the Birthing Unit.
If the birthing woman is COVID positive, she can still have a COVID negative support person. However, that support person will then be deemed a close contact and subsequently need to commence a 7 day isolation period after leaving the birthing unit.
We acknowledge these are challenging circumstances for everyone, but maintain the safety of all of our patients and staff remains our biggest priority right now.
5th January 2022: Tours of the Wollongong and Shoalhaven birth units are NOT currently being offered. This change is attributed to increased positive cases in the community.
5th November 2021: Visitor restrictions will ease from 6th November for Birth and Maternity at Wollongong and Shoalhaven hospitals. Two support people are permitted in the birth suites and postnatal ward. One support person can accompany a woman in antenatal appointments. See latest advice and updates at
28th October 2021: BBI met with a senior executive from the ISHLD to discuss details on the exclusion of Birth and Maternity from the easing of visitor restrictions as at 12th October for families birthing at Wollongong and Shoalhaven hospitals. No changes wer made however we were provided with information that women are welcome to ask for and take a tour of the birthing suites, a social worker and extra support from maternity staff. We encourage women to use this invitation to empower themselves during this difficult circumstance.
12th October 2021: ISLHD Media Release stating: “The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has now reinstated general visiting at its hospitals, following the decision by NSW Health to ease visitor restrictions in line with the NSW roadmap. The community is also being advised that while an easing of visitor restrictions has commenced, there are a still a number of COVID-19 measures in place to ensure patient safety. At this stage, existing restrictions remain unchanged in Intensive Care, COVID-19 Wards, Maternity and Birthing, Paedatrics and outpatient face-to-face appointments.”
8th January 2021 Good news! From the ISLHD website: ‘*At a District COVID meeting on 7 January 2021, the decision was made to ease the restriction on birthing women to enable two support people from Monday, 11 January 2021.
Monday, 11 January will mark two weeks since the last COVID case was detected in the Illawarra, with no new COVID cases since. This means that we've had no community transmission in that time and there is little risk to our community, so we're able to ease some restrictions.’
January 2021 New visitor restrictions are in place for Illawarra Shoalhaven hospitals. During labour and birth, mothers can only be supported by one person with no time restriction. More details can be found on the ISLHD website here. BBI will be following this decision up with our local health district this week.
22nd December 2020 BBI are continuing to communicate with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District about changes to allowing children to antenatal appointments and changes to antenatal midwife appointments. Currently they are being conducted via phone unless you are classified as “high risk”. We recently conducted a poll asking women what they would prefer: continuing to have phone appointments, a return to face to face appointments or to have the option of face to face appointments or phone appointments. 56% want to have the option, 44% want face to face and 0% want to stick with phone appointments. We will update this page when any changes are made.
13th August, 2020 Some hospitals in COVID-19 hotspots are banning water immersion for ALL WOMEN meaning women cannot access the shower or birth pools during labour or birth. The Australian College of Midwives have made a statement rejecting this ‘nonsensical’ move and has laid out the evidence on why water immersion poses no risk to women and their babies. Water immersion is a COVID Safe practise and reduces the likelihood of medical interventions during labour. Read their statement here.
21st July, 2020 Confirmation from Wollongong Hospital executive staff that NO changes have been made to Maternity Services despite tighter restrictions for the rest of the hospital.
12th June, 2020 As of Monday June 15, women are to be supported by up to 2 people during labour and birth. This is for all hospitals in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District. During the postnatal period, the partner is able to visit for unrestricted periods between 8am-8pm.
Additionally up to 2 visitors at any one time are able to be present during the general hospital visiting hours from 10am-1pm and 3-7pm. This includes children and young people aged under 6 years if they are accompanied by an adult and are part of the 2 support people. The hospital will continue to screen and temperature take at the hospital and all visitors will be required to provide their name and contact number due to Infection Management requirement.
21st May, 2020 Homebirth rates have trebled during the pandemic as a surge in women opting for homebirths continue. Homebirth during COVID19 News feature by Nine News Melbourne.
6th May, 2020 QLD Health have eased restrictions on number of support people for women birthing in hospitals from one to two support people. See the details here. Let’s hope NSW Health follows their lead as soon as possible.
1st May, 2020. We did it! We are happy to share that the restriction to visiting hours during COVID-19 at Wollongong public hospital in the maternity ward have been eased. Your chosen support person can visit you and baby 10am-12pm AND 3pm-5pm daily. BBI advocated on behalf of families who were negatively impacted by the one hour restriction to visiting hours in the maternity ward post birth. We will continue to advocate for visiting hours to return to normal.
1st May, 2020 Dr Nick and Alison McMillan (Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer) from the Australian Government Department of Health with the Top 3 questions: 1) What happens if I get symptoms of COVID-19 while I am pregnant? 2) Can I pass on COVID-19 to my baby while I am pregnant? 3) Should I make any changes to my labour and delivery plans? Would it be safer to have a home birth?
April 16th at 1:03pm Wollongong Hospital Facebook Video outlining “some” of the changes in maternity care at Wollongong Hospital. We are yet to hear information on:
Attendance of support person at antenatal appointments
What will be replacing Breatfeeding drop-in centers
Information about the one hour limit by birth support person in the maternity ward post-birth.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has important locally relevant advice, information and contact numbers to hospitals and services.
World Health Organisation or WHO is responding to the complex and ever changing situation during COVID-19 and are release guidelines as new research and information is available.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) Iis communicating the most up-to-date information and their statements provide guidance on a broad range of relevant matters. Ranzcog have curated the best information available from Australia, New Zealand and around the world, and put it in one place.
Queensland Health has published COVID-19 guidance for maternity services. NSW Health recommends that this guidance is used by maternity and neonatal services in NSW.
The Department of Health also has a section for support for parents including a Q and A and useful links for support on their Pregnancy, Birth, Baby website
Australian Breastfeeding Association - Whilst COVD-19 is a new virus with unknown affects, many women are asking about breastfeeding their baby.