To understand why your baby could need transfer and in what circumstances, it is important to understand how the system of care in Australia is structured. Just about all maternity hospitals (private and public, small and large) will have some type of special 'nursery' for close observation of babies. The level of nursery and the facilities it has will determine how well your baby should be to avoid needing transfer to another hospital.
Each hospital will give their nursery a different name along the lines of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Special Care Nursery (SCN), and Newborn Care Unit (NCU) etc. The name will not necessarily reflect the level of care that can be given to your baby. You should ask your caregiver what 'level' nursery is available at your hospital (or the hospital you intend to transfer to, in the event of complications if you are planning a homebirth).
As a guide, Intensive Care Nurseries for newborn babies in Australia are structured into 3 Levels.
LEVEL 1
A level 1 nursery is for relatively well babies that may require observation or some special treatment such as:
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Phototherapy for Jaundice (although some hospitals will now do this in the mother's hospital room). |
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Encouragement to feed because they are a couple of weeks premature and don't have a strong suck reflex (i.e. around 35 to 36 weeks). |
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Where very premature babies born a few weeks' prior but are now 'growing up'. They are usually well on their way to recovery but not well enough to go home just yet. |
Just about all large public hospitals, private hospitals, and smaller public hospitals have a level 1 nursery.
LEVEL 2
A level 2 nursery is for babies who are unwell or who are requiring more involved medical treatment such as: