Reasons for transfer
Intensive care nurseries for babies
Transferring from the place you originally planned to give birth can be an unsettling and unexpected outcome. When most people think about 'transfer to hospital' for having a baby, they usually believe it only relates to women who plan a homebirth, or if they are having their baby in a birth centre. What is not as well known is that women booked into the delivery suite of a private hospital, a smaller public hospital or a smaller rural hospital may also need to transfer, usually if complications arise for the woman (or her baby soon after birth).
In Australia in 2003, 3% of women needed to transfer to another hospital and 4.3% of babies transferred to another hospital from their place of birth. Therefore, although it is not all that common, it is important to know it is possible and something you may need to consider when planning where you will have your baby. If you become unwell or your baby (or babies) are born prematurely (or are unwell after birth), then you may need to prepare yourself for the small, possible chance of giving birth in a major public hospital delivery suite (if you have not already planned to), or having your baby transported to a hospital with intensive care facilities for very sick babies.
Updated May 2006
Laws P J, Sullivan, E A. 2005. Australia's mothers and babies 2003, AIHW Cat. No. PER 29. Sydney National Perinatal Statistics Unit (Perinatal Statistics Series No. 16).