Maitland Hospital maternity guide

Maitland Hospital is a public hospital at 51 Metford Road, Metford, run by Hunter New England Local Health District. The new hospital was officially opened in March 2022, and its Birthing Unit has six birthing rooms, each with a birthing bath. If you think you are in labour, call the Birthing Unit on (02) 4087 1702 before you come in. For pregnancy appointments, call the antenatal clinic on (02) 4087 2899.

Maitland Hospital maternity at a glance

• Hospital type: Public hospital
• Run by: Hunter New England Local Health District
• In labour: Call the Birthing Unit on (02) 4087 1702
• Pregnancy care options: Midwifery group practice, midwife clinics, GP shared care, obstetrician care
• Birthing Unit: Six birthing rooms with baths, on Level 1
• Maternity ward: Ward 4A, on Level 4
• Nursery: Neonatal special care nursery
• Typical stay: Home from 4 to 6 hours after birth, or within a couple of days

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

• Address: Maitland Hospital, 51 Metford Road, Metford NSW 2323
• Birthing Unit: (02) 4087 1702, Level 1
• Antenatal clinic: (02) 4087 2899
• Maternity unit (Ward 4A): (02) 4087 2850, Level 4
• Lactation midwife: 0427 248 858
• Hospital switchboard: (02) 4087 1000
• In labour: call first. Use the main entrance and take the lifts on your right to Level 1, then go to the birth suite reception, where a midwife will meet you.
• Parking: the P1 short stay car park is free for 2 hours. Visitors can use P3 for all-day parking.

How do I book in to have my baby at Maitland Hospital?

Public pregnancy care starts with your GP. Make the appointment soon after a positive test.

1. See your GP. At about 4 to 11 weeks, your GP confirms the pregnancy, orders blood tests and an ultrasound, and sends a referral to the hospital. You can also contact the maternity unit yourself.
2. Meet a hospital midwife. Your first visit with a midwife at the maternity unit is at 11 to 14 weeks.
3. Get your care plan. You then receive a pregnancy plan and a referral to your model of care.
4. See your ongoing provider. At 16 to 22 weeks, you meet the midwife or doctor who will look after you, and get a request form for your morphology scan at about 20 weeks.

What pregnancy care options does Maitland Hospital offer?

• Maitland Midwifery Group Practice (MGP). A known midwife through pregnancy, birth and after the birth, for healthy women with normal risk. The team has 7 midwives.
• Public home birth pilot. In May 2026, Maitland Hospital launched a public home birth pilot, run by the Maitland MGP, for eligible low-risk women in the Maitland and Hunter Valley region. Ask your GP or the hospital whether you are eligible.
• Midwifery Antenatal and Postnatal Service (MAPS). Continuity of midwife care before and after the birth, with an outreach clinic at Cessnock Hospital.
• Community antenatal clinics. Midwife care for healthy women with normal risk.
• Shared care with your GP. Your GP cares for you with the hospital team. You visit the hospital at the start, and at 28 and 36 weeks.
• Specialist obstetric care. Obstetric clinics at Maitland for pregnancies with complications.
• Naae-Wanni Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service. Culturally safe care for women having Aboriginal babies, until your baby is 8 weeks old. Call (02) 4087 1167, ideally before 16 weeks.
• Private obstetrician or private midwife. You can see a private obstetrician and give birth at Maitland. With a private midwife, a first hospital visit at 11 to 14 weeks is recommended. GP obstetric care is not offered at Maitland.

NSW Health explains each option on its Pregnancy care options in NSW page.

Where is the Maitland Hospital antenatal clinic?

The hospital's clinics are on the ground floor. Call the antenatal clinic on (02) 4087 2899 about appointments. If you live near Cessnock, the MAPS team runs an outreach clinic at Cessnock Hospital for women who plan to give birth at Maitland. To book antenatal classes at Maitland, call (02) 4087 1100, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, or email HNELHD-MaitlandParentEd@health.nsw.gov.au.

What is the Maitland Hospital Birthing Unit like?

The Birthing Unit is on Level 1 and has six individual birthing rooms, each with its own birthing bath. Midwives care for you in labour, and you can have up to 2 support people with you at any one time. Call the Birthing Unit on (02) 4087 1702 straight away if you have bleeding, your waters break, you have contractions before 37 weeks, labour has started and you feel it is time to come in, or you have a booked caesarean and labour starts. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

Does Maitland Hospital have a special care nursery?

Yes. Maitland Hospital has a neonatal special care nursery on a floor set aside for critical care. In Hunter New England, the NICU at John Hunter Children's Hospital in Newcastle is the main treatment centre for premature and sick newborns. If your baby is cared for there, staff arrange a transfer back to your referring hospital when your baby is well enough.

How long will I stay at Maitland Hospital after giving birth?

If you and your baby are well, you can choose to go home 4 to 6 hours after the birth, or within a couple of days, with support from the home midwifery service. After the birth you stay in Ward 4A, the maternity ward on Level 4. Discharge from the postnatal ward is usually between 9am and 10am. Visiting hours are 8am to 8pm, with a rest period from 1pm to 3pm, when staff help patients back to bed and keep the ward quiet.

What support is there after I take my baby home?

• Midwife home visits: a midwife visits between 9.30am and 4pm to help with feeding, weighing, blood tests and your own check.
• Lactation midwife: breastfeeding support on 0427 248 858.
• Child and family health nurse: a free home visit soon after you leave hospital.
• Your GP: see your GP with your baby within 2 weeks of the birth.
• Parent help lines: Karitane Careline 1300 227 464 and Tresillian Parents Help Line 1300 272 736.
• healthdirect: 24 hour health advice on 1800 022 222. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

From the first night home, follow the Red Nose safe sleep recommendations for your baby.

Other maternity hospitals near Maitland

• John Hunter Hospital Public
• Newcastle Private Hospital Private
• Gosford Hospital Public
• Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Public
• Sydney Adventist Hospital Private
• Port Macquarie Base Hospital Public
• Tamworth Hospital Public

See all New South Wales birthing hospitals.

Maitland Hospital maternity FAQs

Hospital details checked against Hunter New England Local Health District on 21 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.