Better Births Illawarra

Since 2016, we have advocated for empowered births

Birth Trauma Inquiry

In March 2023, BBI spearheaded a very successful campaign as part of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma contributing to an unprecedented, more than 4,200 submissions.We provided testimony at one of the Public Hearings, supported women to speak at both Wollongong and Sydney hearings. We featured in extensive media, appeared on podcasts and have since, presented at Conferences to speak on the issue. The final Report with recommendations will be published in early June where we will understand the long-term impact of our work at a statewide level. Read more…

REFURBISHMENT OF BIRTH SUITE, WOLLONGONG HOSPITAL

Better Births Illawarra celebrated a huge success in July 2020. After extensive campaigning to the hospital, our team influenced the Wollongong Hospital to allocate state government funds of $2.2million to refurbish the birth suite. 

The refurbishment brought facilities at The Wollongong Hospital up to modern standards, with improvements that include two new ample birth pools, new flooring, concealment of medicalised equipment, a nature-inspired colour scheme, and more functional floor plans, removing unnecessary obstacles and anxieties for birthing mothers., parents and their support people.

Everyone who gives birth at Wollongong Hospital now benefits from the birth suite refurbishment – 2,800 women every year. Refurbishment work commenced in January 2020, and we represented the community throughout the process by attending over one hundred hours of design meetings, giving feedback and advocating for evidence-based care. This ensured the new design reflected community needs.

During construction, women birthed in the temporary birth suite. This was a less than ideal situation, a Community forum we facilitated with the hospital, enabled pregnant people and their partners demand a view of where they would be birthing. This was in December 2019 and January 2020.. Video walk throughs, images and details of the features can be seen on our social media channels.

 EXPANSION OF THE MIDWIFERY GROUP PRACTICE

We continue to call for the expansion of the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) at Wollongong Hospital. International studies have shown midwifery-led care from a known midwife is the gold standard in maternity care. We want more birthing mothers in the Illawarra to have access to this option when giving birth at Wollongong Public Hospital.

In May 2023 at a Maternity Circle - a community forum for our community to share their experiences and express their needs, the Executive Director of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISHLD) announced they had put in a business case to the Ministroy of Health NSW for $2.5 million. Part of this would be spent on expanding the MGP. We are waiting for an update on this progress.

“Our midwife took the time to understand us and empower us to have the kind of natural birth we wanted, and we built on this understanding at every visit. The level of care and support was outstanding, and the continuity of dealing with the same midwife/small team helped to build trust and reduce stress.” - Respondent to Better Births Illawarra Survey 2016.

We are campaigning to local health authorities, state and federal government, to increase access to this model of care for local parents.

BIRTH PROPS for active birth, WOLLONGONG HOSPITAL

When we first started BBI we were made aware that Wollongong Hospital did not offer any birth props for women. Affordable items such as birth balls, mats, stools and beanbags have been proven to be effective in assisting with normal physiological birth. After a meeting between the hospital executive and consumers, it was identified that the provision of these birth props would be a major improvement to the birth suite. 

After 18 months of ongoing pressure the health service purchased the props and implemented a staff training programme, to ensure these props are now offered and used correctly with labouring women.

A VOICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY

We represent the community voice in a number of forums, acting as consumer representatives on the Project 2020 initiative for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD), and instigated the Wollongong Hospital birth unit redesign project working group. we have monthly update meeting with senior executives of the Wollongong Hospital.

To ensure community needs are met, we contribute to workshops which community members participate in, such as a workshop for bereaved parents and forums for local parents to contribute to plans for the birth unit redesign. 

We also established a consumer reference group, which was appointed by the hospital to consult with the maternity change group, meeting monthly to allow community members to feed directly into plans for changes to the maternity services at Wollongong Hospital. We are currently coordinating a Maternity Steering Group since the Inquiry into Birth Trauma.