Newsroom

Today is International Day of the Midwife! With over 5,000 babies born at the RBWH last year, our Midwives certainly know a thing or two about pregnancy and newborns.

Clinical Midwife Consultant Lisa has shared some of the most common myths that her team hears, and recommends all expectant parents take the time to educate themselves on pregnancy, labour and birth through reputable classes, books, podcasts and research.

1. You can`t exercise whilst pregnant 🏃‍♀️
For most women, it is perfectly safe and healthy to continue exercising in pregnancy.

2. Heartburn means the baby will be born with lots of hair ❤️‍🔥
Statistically most babies are born with hair, so unfortunately heartburn is not a reliable indicator.

3. Babies arrive on their due date 👩‍🍼
Babies are fully grown and ready to be born from 37 weeks onwards, with most coming on their own before 42 weeks pregnant. It’s really more of a `due month` rather than a `due date`.

4. In a water birth, won’t the baby swallow water? 💦
A baby coping well in labour has a dive reflex when they are born which protects them from breathing until they reach the surface of the water.

5. Natural methods like raspberry leaf tea, dates or spicy food will bring on labour 🍵
There is no strong evidence that raspberry leaf tea, dates, spicy food, sex or hand expressing breastmilk will bring on labour, so it`s best to chat to your healthcare provider before starting a natural method to make sure it’s safe. ...

"I’ve been married to my husband for 60 years this year. We are going on a cruise up to Airlie Beach to celebrate. We have been on a few cruises, including in Alaska and a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. We have 3 children and 7 grandchildren as well as 2 great granddaughters. I had rheumatic fever as a child, and later in life it seems to be catching up with me. I came here from Maryborough through the Flying Doctor Service who were excellent, very compassionate although I miss my cavoodle, Willow, at home very much."

💭 Monday Mantra, Carolyn, TPCH Cardiac Ward ...

RBWH`s newborn care extends far beyond the walls of the hospital, with the NeoRESQ team covering an area of over 300,000 square kilometres.

From Grafton up to Rockhampton and out to Longreach, NeoRESQ retrieves and transports vulnerable babies via road ambulance, helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft to a hospital in South East Queensland that has a neonatal unit where they can receive specialist care.

NeoRESQ Admin Officer, Ange is one crucial piece of the large puzzle that helps over 500 babies each year.

"I prepare the charts for retrievals, registering all the patients into our system and ensuring the accuracy of our data. This helps with reporting as well as ordering top ups of our supplies and facilitating surveys for our consumers."

"The people that work here are amazing; the doctors and nurses can intubate and support a 400-gram baby in a helicopter until they reach the hospital.

"Over the eight years I’ve been here, I`ve seen NeoRESQ expand from purely a retrieval service to a return service with an education arm, and we are always looking at plans for the future."

👏#ShoutoutSaturday to Ange and the NeoRESQ team for the incredible work they do across Queensland. ...