Our Childbirth and Parenting Education Sessions are provided for pregnant women and their partner/support person. The sessions are held at Mackay Base Hospital. Various options are available depending on individual needs. Our sessions are free of charge to most women (valid Medicare Card needed).
Summary of session details
Bookings are essential for all sessions as there are limited spaces. Online sessions available.
| Options Available | When |
| Face to face preparing for birth and parenting sessions | Every second Saturday. Morning class from 9am to 12pm. Afternoon class from 1pm to 4pm. |
| Face to face breastfeeding workshop | Every second Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm. |
| Lactation Support Clinic | Appointments available on Tuesdays. |
| Birth Suite/Maternity Unit tour | Virtual tours, which you can watch here. |
Face to face preparing for birth and parenting sessions
This class runs fortnightly on Saturdays and is best suited to those wanting general birthing preparation or information. Our midwives will cover all aspects of the late stage of pregnancy expectations including:
- signs and symptoms that you might need to call the hospital for
- stages of labour
- pain relief options
- normal birth and unexpected outcomes (instrumental births and emergency caesarean section), induction of labour
- your newborn, breastfeeding, your postnatal hospital stay and bringing your baby home.
Face to face breastfeeding workshop
The Mackay Base Hospital is accredited as ‘baby friendly’. This initiative is a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
This workshop is run over two hours and is designed to provide advice and support with breastfeeding. Women are invited to attend from 26 weeks. The information discussed during this session helps with making an informed choice about feeding baby. It will increase knowledge and confidence with breastfeeding, how to avoid/deal with common challenges and dispel myths. Sessions are held in a friendly, relaxed environment and run by a midwife/lactation consultant (LC).
Lactation Support Clinic
This is a 30-minute appointment that can be a standalone session or booked to complement a breastfeeding workshop. This ‘one-on-one’ session is for women with concerns or special needs (for example: diabetes, multiple pregnancy, thyroid issues, previous breast surgery). The clinic is run by a midwife/lactation consultant.