Baby Theodore arrived abruptly at 36 weeks’ gestation, weighing only a fraction over two kilograms.
“Without warning, my placenta ruptured, and the next thing I knew little Theo arrived,” mother Karena Hull says.
“Even my husband Matthew was caught out. He had to scamper back from Perth because we didn’t anticipate the speed of everything that happened.”
Theo’s parents were prepared for a lengthy stay in the Werribee Mercy Hospital (WMH) Special Care Nursery. With an older child at home in Williams Landing, the thought of making daily visits to the hospital would have meant major “logistical challenges”.
Karena Hull with baby Theo
Fortunately, Theo was the perfect candidate for WMH’s new and innovative Neonatal Hospital in the Home (HITH) program. Under the program, babies in the Special Care Nursery can typically return home about a week earlier than they would have otherwise, with all of the medical and nursing support they need.
More than 150 babies have been through the program since it began in February 2022, with the average length of admission about 20 days.
WMH Neonatal HITH Nurse Unit Manager Lara Kayiwa says demand is escalating for the program, which frees up hospital beds while enabling families to return to the comfort of their own homes.
“Over the duration of this trial, we have provided support for weight monitoring, breastfeeding and specialist formula nutrition at home,” Lara says.
“We have also recently started to offer phototherapy at home for those babies with jaundice. Our nurses provide a light blanket to wrap baby in and continue to monitor blood levels and liaise with the medical team. Without this service, these babies would be readmitted to hospital.
“Just recently, due to babies meeting certain criteria, we have expanded the service to offer up to 15 ‘home’ beds with two nurses constantly on the road.”
“Even if babies are born a little unwell and premature, as long as they don’t have breathing problems, then we may be able to offer the Neonatal HITH program, where mothers and their babies are visited by experienced neonatal nurses.
“This was the case with Theo and our team was able to pass on the lovely news that the Hulls could go home.”
Theo sleepy soundly at home
The Hulls can’t speak more highly of the WMH Neonatal HITH program.
“Nurses came to our home every second day but also checked in with phone calls on the other days. They were professional and caring,” Karena says.
“Theo thrived. He continues to put on weight and his temperature is normal. I think, too, just being in our own home helps to relax us.”
Theo and the Hulls were discharged after 12 days in the Neonatal HITH program.
Breaking boundaries
When Mercy Maternity Hospital opened in East Melbourne in 1971, the Sisters of Mercy were focused on a very modern, cutting edge concept: care that encompassed both the needs of the patient and the needs of their loved ones and support network too.
In the early 1970s, partners were usually absent for childbirth and mothers and babies often stayed in hospital, away from their loved ones, for a week or more after birth.
From the outset, Mercy Maternity Hospital broke boundaries. Parents were encouraged to bring other children to the hospital during visiting hours, and by 1977, 75 per cent of partners were attending births at the Mercy.
The nature of care for mothers returning home after birth has changed dramatically in the past 50 years thanks to innovations like hospital in the home
Today, many mothers who give birth at Mercy Health hospitals prefer to return to the familiarity of their homes as soon as they safely can. Innovations such as our Neonatal HITH program, which provide clinical recovery and other supports once a mother has returned home, make this possible.
In the spirit of the visionary founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, Mercy Health continues to break boundaries in maternity and newborn care to meet the changing needs of the people we serve and advance our strong tradition of care for the whole person.
Mercy Day is celebrated annually on 24 September. The theme for Mercy Day 2022 was ‘Catherine McAuley: boundary breaker’.
Last reviewed October 26, 2022.