Our Maternity Services at Peninsula Health
Peninsula Health’s Frankston Hospital has a team of dedicated professionals ready to respectfully welcome you and your family to our Maternity Services. We look forward to partnering with you during your pregnancy and the birth of your baby, and to provide support and education for you and your family after your baby has been born. Please click on the links below to find out more information about your journey.
Congratulations, you are pregnant! What now?
Being pregnant can be very exciting, but it can also be a bit of a scary time. Not all pregnancies are planned, and there can be lots of stress around how you might be able to incorporate a baby into your life. Alternatively, this might be a very planned or even a long awaited pregnancy. Big changes are going to be happening, and even if you are looking forward to this, it is natural to have worries at times. This section is a practical guide to help you make the most of your health and wellbeing during pregnancy.
Having a baby can be a wonderful journey, and it is a journey that many people can share in, and have a positive impact. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it is great if you can gather those around who will guide and support you.
If you do not have a big social support network, consider joining pregnancy and breastfeeding support groups, or finding out about having a student midwife to share your journey.
If you speak a language other than English, Health Translations is a great Victorian Government website, which provides a host of information brochures in many different languages. Use the link below to find helpful pregnancy information.
The following steps will help assist you in starting your pregnancy journey:
- See your GP to confirm your pregnancy. The GP will need to order blood tests including Rubella, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, blood group and antibodies, iron levels, as well as a urine test. Sometimes, they may also check things like your thyroid function, Vitamin D levels, and other infectious illness like chicken pox or parvo virus.
- The GP may give you a referral for a dating scan, which should ideally be around 8 weeks of pregnancy.
- The GP will offer genetic screening tests, which may come as:
- An NIPT (non-invasive pregnancy testing), which is a blood test done from 10 weeks onwards; you will also need an 11-13 week ultrasound done.
- or a combined ultrasound at 11+1 weeks -13+6 weeks and blood test done between 9 weeks – 13+6 weeks (maternal serum screening).
Some people will choose to do both, and others may choose not to do any at all. It is important to discuss these options with your GP.
- The GP will refer you to the hospital for your booking appointment. This referral should be received by the hospital as early in your pregnancy as possible – ideally in the first trimester/less than 13 weeks. You will receive confirmation of this in the mail, along with a list of accredited GPs, information about childbirth classes, and a health survey, which assists us in your booking appointment.
- Please bring your survey, and any test or ultrasound results you have to your booking in appointment.
- Make sure you have a current ambulance subscription, particularly as your pregnancy progresses, in case of emergency.
Helpful links:
About the Women’s Health Unit, virtual ward tour and visiting hours
Frankston Hospital offers comprehensive and inclusive pregnancy care, with a number of antenatal and postnatal programs available. We have Rainbow Tick accreditation, a Koori focused KMS program, and offer translators for anyone whose primary language is not English. The Frankston maternity ward is called the Women’s Health Unit. It is comprised of a five-bed pregnancy assessment unit, a birth unit, and an antenatal/postnatal unit, with 36 beds in total.
Tours of the midwifery unit are now being replaced with a virtual tour of the unit.
Frankston Hospital has a Special Care Nursery which provides facilities for up to 13 babies from 32 weeks pregnancy onward, needing closer observation or specialised treatment.
Virtual Ward Tour
- Assessment Room
- Birth Room
- Postnatal or Antenatal Room
- Labour and Birthing Bath
Visiting Hours
Please refer to the Visitor Guidelines page or speak to a member of your healthcare team.
Breastfeeding and early parenting links
Australian Breastfeeding Association
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Breastfeeding Confidence
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Expressing and storing breastmilk 2
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Is my baby getting enough milk?
Better Health Channel – First days after birth
Better Health Channel – First weeks after birth
Better Health Channel – Hepatitis B immunization
Better Health Channel – Vitamin K injection at birth
Beyond Blue – Postnatal depression/anxiety and coping
Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) – Car seat safety
Peninsula Health – Tips for successful breastfeeding
Peninsula Health – Healthy eating for pregnancy
Raising Children – Baby-led attachment
Raising Children – Mother-led attachment
Raising Children – Breastfeeding positions
Raising Children – How partners can help with breastfeeding
Raising Children – Benefits of breastfeeding
Raising Children – Expressing and storing breastmilk
Raising Children – Blocked ducts and mastitis and breastfeeding
Raising Children – Safe bottle feeding and formula preparation
Red Nose – SIDS/SUDI and safe sleeping
The Royal Women’s Hospital – How to use nipple shields (if necessary)
The Royal Women’s Hospital – Tongue-tie and breastfeeding
Victorian Government, We Are Family – New baby and pets
World Health Organisation – Safe bottle feeding and formula preparation
Pregnancy, tests and investigations links
Australian Government, Department of Health – How to quit smoking
Better Health Channel – Having a baby in Victoria
Better Health Channel – Tests, Scans and Checks: Pregnancy and Labour
Better Health Channel – Pregnancy antenatal checks of your baby
Better Health Channel – Developing a birth plan
New South Wales Government, Food Authority – Pregnancy and food
Peninsula Health – Having your baby at Frankston Hospital
Labour and birth links
Covid-19 and Pregnancy
- Assessment Room
- Birth Room
- Postnatal or Antenatal Room
- Labour and Birthing Bath