Nurse warns of depression risk in Lumsden closure
A nurse predicts more women will suffer from post-natal depression after the closure of a maternity centre in northern Southland.
Helena Morton, an enrolled nurse who spent 15 years working at the Lumsden Maternity Centre, said she had helped six women in the northern Southland community establish breastfeeding since the Lumsden Maternity Centre became a maternal and child hub in April 2019.
Since the downgrade, there was no post-natal available for new mums and babies in the northern Southland community, and they were suffering as a result, Morton said.
‘‘These women are leaving Southland Hospital a day or two after they’ve given birth and they’re not ready to go home. Not everyone can get breastfeeding down pat on their own. Sometimes it can take three or four days, sometimes even a bit longer.
‘‘I am really concerned about post-natal care and I don’t believe women are having bonding time with their babies.’’
Mothers used to be able to spend several days at the centre, either after giving birth there or after they left Southland Hospital, bonding with their babies and learning how to care for them.
Morton was concerned that there appeared to be no breastfeeding services at the hub.
If mums struggled to care for their babies when they went home it could lead to a sense of isolation, frustration, and possibly post-natal depression, she said.
‘‘At Lumsden we used to take the time to make sure that mums were either breastfeeding or bottle feeding and that everyone was happy before they left – mum, baby and dad.’’
But the Southern District Health Board said post-natal care was available from midwives and at the hub, and it would be working to ensure mothers knew about what services it offered.
Southern DHB primary care and population health general manager Mary Cleary Lyons said post-natal care was part of the core service provided by lead maternity carer midwives and included support with breastfeeding.
Care was for six weeks post-birth which included regular home visits initially, all of which supported establishment and maintenance of breastfeeding.
The hub co-ordinator, who was a fully qualified and registered midwife employed at Lumsden for two days a week, was available to provide additional support for local mothers with breastfeeding, Lyons said.
The local midwives could refer mothers who needed additional support to her.
There were also four post-natal beds available at the Winton Maternity Centre, and at Gore Hospital.
The Southern DHB could not provide statistics on the average length of a postnatal stay in Southland Hospital, but said women could stay in a maternity facility for up to 48 hours following a normal birth, or longer if they had additional needs.