News

Cairns Private mums stay connected thanks to Ramsay’s virtual classes

May 07, 2020

Expectant mums from the Cairns region whose maternity classes had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic will now have the chance to complete their antenatal sessions with an experienced midwife, virtually.

In a first for Cairns Private Hospital, antenatal classes are being delivered online with an expert midwife beaming directly into the homes of expectant mums and their partners.

Cairns Private Hospital Nurse Unit Manager Jayne Dennett said after 11 years as a nurse/midwife, she was excited for the unit to deliver antenatal classes and postnatal consultations via Ramsay Health Care’s virtual care platform.

“Most of these women are first-time mums and are in the final stages of their pregnancy so it’s a really important time,” Ms Dennett said.

“Many of them are extremely anxious, not just about their upcoming birth but also about the risks of COVID-19, and we want to be there for them so they can feel confident about having their babies.

“It’s great that, despite COVID-19 restrictions, these mums-to-be can still ask all of their questions about the birth and what it’s like to have a newborn baby rather than relying on Dr Google.”

Cairns Private Hospital Obstetrician, Dr Natalie Kiesey-Calding said Ramsay Health Care had transformed its antenatal program in direct response to the social distancing measures required for the coronavirus pandemic.

“Cairns Private Hospital identified they could no longer have the group antenatal classes the way we traditionally would, but didn’t want mums to miss out,” Dr Kiesey-Calding said.

“A lot of women in pregnancy already feel vulnerable and with this comes anxiety. Access to reliable information to improve knowledge and thus improve anxiety and allow empowerment is what antenatal classes are all about. Add in a pandemic, and this just magnifies everything, so it was vital that we found a new way to connect with expectant families to continue this educational support.”

Dr Kiesey-Calding said COVID-19 was forcing health providers to find innovative ways to continue delivering patient care.