Mackay Base Hospital maternity guide

Mackay Base Hospital is the main public hospital of Mackay Hospital and Health Service, on Bridge Road in Mackay. If you are in labour, contact your midwife first. If you can't reach them, call the birth suite on (07) 4885 6930 before you come to the hospital. For pregnancy appointments and questions, call the Women's and Children's Outpatient Department on (07) 4885 7200, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Mackay Base Hospital maternity at a glance

• Hospital type: Public, the major hospital in Mackay Hospital and Health Service
• Run by: Mackay Hospital and Health Service
• In labour: Contact your midwife, or call the birth suite on (07) 4885 6930
• Pregnancy care options: Hospital care, birth centre model, two MGPs, specialist obstetric care
• Antenatal clinic: Women's and Children's Outpatient Department, Ground Floor, A Block
• Birth suite: For low and high risk pregnancies, with water births available
• Nursery: Special care nursery for babies from 32 weeks
• Typical stay: 4 to 6 hours if well, or about 24 hours after a normal birth

Where is Mackay Base Hospital maternity, and how do I contact it?

• Antenatal clinic: Women's and Children's Outpatient Department, Ground Floor, A Block, Mackay Base Hospital, 475 Bridge Road, Mackay QLD 4740
• Clinic phone: (07) 4885 7200, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
• In labour: contact your midwife. If you can't, call the birth suite on (07) 4885 6930 before you come in.
• Birth centre team: (07) 4885 6933
• Hospital main line: (07) 4885 6000
• Emergencies: call Triple Zero (000). For health advice that is not urgent, call 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84.

How do I book in at Mackay Base Hospital for my pregnancy?

Public pregnancy care in Mackay starts with your GP or a private midwife. Start early, because some models of care have limited places.

1. See your GP or a private midwife. They see you for your first appointment and let the hospital know about your pregnancy.
2. Choose the type of care you want. Talk with them about the options below. If you would like midwifery group practice care, ask for the referral early, as spots are limited.
3. Follow up an MGP referral. If you asked for Maternally Yours midwifery group practice and have not heard anything within a few weeks, call the Women's and Children's Clinic on (07) 4885 7200.
4. Book your classes. Childbirth and parenting sessions need a booking, as spaces are limited.

What pregnancy care options are there at Mackay Base Hospital?

• Hospital care. Hospital doctors and midwives care for you. Most check-ups are at the hospital antenatal clinic, and a midwife visits you at home after the birth.
• Birth centre model of care. Midwife care that uses natural methods and as little intervention as possible, including water births with trained midwives. It includes childbirth and parenting education, breastfeeding support and follow-up care for 6 weeks, with home visits within 25 km of Mackay. Call the team on (07) 4885 6933.
• Maternally Yours midwifery group practice (MGP). You see the same midwife through your pregnancy, for both low and high risk pregnancies. Spots are limited, so ask your GP for a referral early. The MGP Team Leader is on 0418 500 022.
• KemKem Yanga midwifery group practice. For Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander women, for all types of pregnancy, with home visits for up to 6 weeks after the birth. See your GP in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy care is given in the community at 25 to 29 Evans Avenue, North Mackay.
• Specialist obstetric care. For women with a complex history, a past pregnancy that needed specialist care, a pregnancy that is not going as expected, or twins or more.

For more on choosing your care, see the Queensland Government maternity care options page.

Where is the Mackay Base Hospital antenatal clinic?

Hospital antenatal appointments are in the Women's and Children's Outpatient Department, Ground Floor, A Block, on (07) 4885 7200. Birth centre model appointments are at Carlyle Community Health Centre for now.

Does Mackay Base Hospital have a birth centre?

A new birth centre is being built. Until it opens, the birth centre model of care still runs: you have your check-ups at Carlyle Community Health Centre and give birth in the Mackay Base Hospital birthing suite with a midwife you know. The birth suite cares for both low and high risk pregnancies and offers birthing options such as water births.

Childbirth and parenting sessions are held at the hospital and are free for most women with a valid Medicare card. Bookings are essential. Preparing for birth and parenting runs every second Saturday (9am to 12pm or 1pm to 4pm), and a breastfeeding workshop runs every second Tuesday (6pm to 8pm). There are also online sessions and a virtual tour of the Birth Suite and Maternity Unit.

See inside: watch the maternity walkthrough video (video by Mackay Hospital and Health Service, 2021).

Does Mackay Base Hospital have a special care nursery?

Yes. The special care nursery cares for babies born from 32 weeks. Babies born before 32 weeks, or who are too unwell to be cared for in Mackay, are transferred to the Neonatal Unit at Townsville Hospital. They come back to Mackay when they are well enough.

How long will I stay in hospital after the birth?

If you and your baby are healthy, you may go home 4 to 6 hours after the birth. After a normal birth, you will probably stay about 24 hours. You may stay longer if there are complications or you have a caesarean. You need a car seat to take your baby home. If you choose to leave against medical advice, you will be asked to sign a form.

What are the visiting hours at Mackay Base Hospital?

You can visit every day between 8am and 8pm, with two visitors per patient at a time. If staff have approved a visit outside these hours, use the intercom at the external door on Bridge Road for the Women's Health Unit or the Special Care Unit.

What support is there after I take my baby home?

• Midwife home visits: the hospital's extended midwifery service (EMS) visits you at home if the hospital or your GP refers you. Private midwives and your GP can also care for you.
• Breastfeeding help: a lactation consultant can help with feeding, and the hospital runs a Lactation Support Clinic with appointments on Tuesdays.
• Child Youth and Family Health: appointments and information on (07) 4885 7750. Drop-in clinics run at Carlyle Community Health Centre on Monday and Friday, 8.15am to 11.30am. The service also offers a newborn and family drop-in clinic and postnatal breastfeeding support.
• Perinatal mental health: support from pregnancy until a year after the birth, for women over 18, with a referral from your GP, midwife or another health professional. Call (07) 4968 3893.
• Connecting2U: a text message support service from Children's Health Queensland.

For sleep, follow the Red Nose safe sleep recommendations from your first night at home.

Other maternity hospitals near Mackay

• Mater Mothers' Private Mackay Private
• Townsville University Hospital Public
• Rockhampton Hospital Public
• Gladstone Hospital Public

See all Queensland birthing hospitals.

Mackay Base Hospital maternity FAQs

Hospital details checked against Mackay Hospital and Health Service and Queensland Health on 20 October 2026. Services and contact details can change, so confirm with the hospital before you go. This page is general information and is not medical advice.