Congratulations, you’re pregnant! It’s an exciting time but also overwhelming. Need information about Newcastle obstetricians and local hospitals? Where to birth? How about maternity clothes, baby clothes and baby goods? And don’t forget about looking after yourself with pregnancy yoga and exercise, pregnancy massage as well as pregnancy photographers.
Newy with Kids wants to help you with your pregnancy and child birth by sharing information about local resources in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
We hope you’ll find the Newy with Kids Pregnancy, Childbirth & New Parent Guide to be a valuable resource during your pregnancy.
Do you have an addition to the list that you would like to share with local expecting parents? Email reena@newywithkids.com.au.
Please note: Any reference made here to local businesses, products, organisations, services, classes, etc. is for informational purposes only. We understand that there are many choices when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth and parenting and inclusion in this guide does not imply Newy with Kids endorsement. We STRONGLY encourage you to do your own research before engaging with a medical practitioner, business or organization.
Hospitals & Birthing | Obstetricians | Antenatal & Birth Classes | Doulas | Pregnancy Support & Helplines | Fitness, Pilates & Yoga | Pregnancy Massage | Breastfeeding & Lactation Support | Sleep Consultants | Baby & Nursery Stores | New Parent Support| Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
Hospitals & Birthing
If you’re having a baby in the Newcastle region, these are the hospitals in which you can birth.
John Hunter Hospital (New Lambton Heights)
Models of care:
- Birth Suite – Supports all risk profiles. Monitoring and interventions available, including epidural analgesia if required.
- Birth Centre – Midwifery‑led care for low‑risk pregnancies. Focus on physiological birth with non‑pharmacological pain relief (including water immersion). Easy escalation to Birth Suite if needed.
- Hunter Midwifery Group Practice (HMGP) – Continuity of midwifery care for low‑risk pregnancies (antenatal, labour, postnatal). Births generally in the Birth Centre. Typical early discharge around 4 hours post‑birth when appropriate.
- Belmont Midwifery Group Practice (BMGP) – Continuity of midwifery care for low‑risk pregnancies. Antenatal, labour and postnatal care. Birth at Belmont Birthing Service or home within a defined area. Seamless transfer to JHH if higher‑level care is needed.
- M3 Team (Mother‑Midwifery‑Medical) – Continuity program for known complex pregnancies; eligibility assessed at booking.
- Birra Li Aboriginal Birthing Service – Continuity of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and women whose baby will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Includes Indigenous support workers and medical care as needed.
- Family Care Team – Supports priority cohorts including young mothers and women from migrant backgrounds.
- Private Obstetric Care at JHH – Some obstetricians offer private care with birth at John Hunter (public hospital setting).
- Shared Care with your GP – Many GPs offer shared antenatal care with JHH; most antenatal visits with your regular GP, birth in Birth Suite or Birth Centre.
Maitland Hospital (Metford)
Models of care:
- Birth Suite – Birth in a supported hospital setting.
- Midwifery Group Practice & Birth Centre – For healthy, low‑risk pregnancies; midwifery‑led with quick access to additional care if required.
- Private obstetrician birth at Maitland Hospital – Some local obstetricians support birth at Maitland.
- Naae Waani Aboriginal Birthing Service – Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families.
- Specialist Obstetric Care – care for complicated pregnancies
- Shared Care with your GP – GP‑shared antenatal care with birth in Birth Suite or Birth Centre.
Belmont Midwifery Group Practice (BMGP)
For normal, healthy pregnancies. Continuity with a known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatal period.
Models of care:
- Birth at the Belmont Birthing Centre
- A public health funded homebirth service (within area). Some women who book to have their babies under the care of BMGP choose to have a planned homebirth with the care and support of Belmont midwives.
As indicated above Hunter New England Local Health District offers a range of pregnancy, birth and after birth care in both the hospital and at home. Visit the HNELHD website for more information.
Newcastle Private Hospital
If you want private maternity service in Newcastle, your only choice is Newcastle Private Hospital (located next door to John Hunter Hospital). It offers private birthing suites, a 38 bed maternity ward and eight-bed Level 2 nursery. Visit the Newcastle Private Hospital website for more information.
Obstetricians
Alphabetical by surname; suburbs in brackets.
- Dr John Bailey (Charlestown)
- Dr Oliver Brown (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Malcolm Godfrey (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Lyndal Harborne (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Matthew Holland (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Seshu Mandapati (New Lambton)
- Dr Ljiljana Miljkovic‑Petkovic (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Mary Norris (Warners Bay)
- Dr Felicity Park (New Lambton Heights)
- Dr Nandini Somanathan (Broadmeadow)
- Dr Penelope Thomas (Charlestown)
Help us keep this current: If any details have changed, please email info@newywithkids.com.au
Childbirth & Parenting Courses
Public Hospitals
John Hunter Hospital & Belmont Hospital – John Hunter Hospital conducts classes at the Newcastle Community Health Building on Hunter Street, at John Hunter Hospital or at Belmont Hospital. They also offer online sessions. Their online programs are available to any expecting parent in the Hunter New England LHD.
Programs include:
- Birth and parenting
- Breastfeeding
- Calmbirth
- Nuts and Bolts of Fatherhood
- Multiple Miracles (for those with multiple birth)
- Next Birth after Caesarean
- Planned Caesarean
- Pregnancy Wise
- Young Parents Birth and Parenting
Maitland Hospital – Maitland Hospital provides parent education for expecting parents.
Programs include:
- Birth and parenting
- Breastfeeding
- Next Birth after Caesarean
- Young Parents Birth and Parenting
There’s also Birth and Parenting classes at Muswellbrook Hospital, Scone Hospital and Singleton Hospital.
For more information about parenting education services in public hospitals, visit the HNELHD website.
Private / Community providers
- Embracing Birth Classes with Karen Scanlen at Embracing Birth. 0407 269 920
- Lamaze Childbirth and Parenting Class with Kate Drew at Collective Wisdom. Lamaze training 0435 123 185
- Nichola Kinnane at She Births. Weekend courses, online courses and workshops. 1300 101 743
Doulas
- Kate Drew, Collective Wisdom, 0435 123 185
- Karen Scanlen, Embracing Birth, 0407 269 920
Pregnancy Support & Helplines
GP Access
1300 130 147
Monday to Friday: 6pm to 8am on the following day
Saturday 1pm to 8am on the next business bay
Public Holidays: from 6pm the previous business day to 8am on the next business day.
GP Access After Hours provides comprehensive after hours primary medical care for Hunter residents. Nurses will advise you regarding your medical queries.
Mothersafe
1800 647 848
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. They provide advice about prescription and over the counter medications that can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They also provide comprehensive counselling service for women concerned about exposures to street drugs, infections, radiation and occupational exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Newcastle Multiple Birth Club (NMBC)
Newcastle Multiple Birth Club (NMBC) offers friendship, advice, support and fun to families raising twins, triplets, quads and more. A multiple pregnancy and subsequent raising of children the same age can be a daunting experience, to say the least! As Australia’s longest-running multiple birth club, NMBC provides shoulders to lean on and open ears from those who know. The club provides its 100+ member families with many benefits, including club social events and age-based catch ups, private Facebook group, monthly e-newsletter, expectancy program, education programs, product discounts, equipment hire and support officers.
Pregnancy, Birth & Baby
1800 882 436
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is a phone and online service for all Australians, providing information, advice and counselling about pregnancy, childbirth and your baby’s first year. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is an initiative of the Federal Government and offers free and confidential information and counselling to women and their partners. They also provide help with postnatal depression.
PANDA (Post and Antenatal Depression Association)
1300 726 306 (Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm AEST)
PANDA provides a helpline in Australia for anyone affected by depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after childbirth, including partners, family members and friends. The telephone information, support and referral service is staffed by trained volunteers, professional counsellors and supervising staff. Most of the volunteers on the helpline have experienced perinatal depression and anxiety.
Maternity Wear
Kmart
Maternity selection.
Stores at Waratah, Glendale, Maitland and Salamander Bay.
Target
Maternity selection.
Stores at Charlestown Square, Westfield Kotara and Glendale.
Pregnancy Fitness, Pilates & Yoga
Verve for Life, Warners Bay (02) 4954 4191
WellFit Personal Training, Broadmeadow (02) 4968 8478
WellFit Personal Training, Warners Bay (02) 4954 776
YogaBodyWorks, Newcastle (02) 4929 6791
Pregnancy Massage
Angela Mackintosh at Your Pregnancy Massage (mobile service), 0414 404 031
Blossoming Bellies Pregnancy Massage, 0423 845 161
Chiropractic Plus, New Lambton (02) 4058 2621
Chiropractic Plus, Warners Bay (02) 4058 2816
Riina Kosonen at Peak Physio, Newcastle (02) 4929 3898
Breastfeeding Support
In Newcastle, the John Hunter Hospital provides free breastfeeding classes.
They provide:
- Breastfeeding classes for expecting mums
- Breastfeeding session for expecting diabetic women.
- JHH Breastfeeding Clinic – for women with a baby less than 4 weeks old. (For appointments phone 4016 4595).
Maitland Hospital provides parent education for expecting parents.
They provide
- Breastfeeding classes for expecting mums
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Newcastle
The Newcastle group covers the Newcastle and Port Stephens council areas. With the current restrictions on in-person gatherings, many local groups across Australia are running virtual and online get-togethers.
They provide:
- Breastfeeding Classes
- Breast pump hire
- Local support groups
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Lake Macquarie
The Lake Macquarie group covers the Lake Macquarie council areas. Local areas to the north including Cameron Park, east to Cardiff Heights, Garden Suburb and over to Whitebridge, Charlestown, Dudley and Redhead. They cover both the eastern and western sides of Lake Macquarie from Swansea, Belmont, Gateshead and Valentine via Warners Bay and Toronto to Morisset.
They provide:
- Breastfeeding Education Live sessions (online classes)
- Breast pump hire
- Local support groups
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Lower Hunter
The Lower Hunter group covers a wide area including the following suburbs (and their surronding suburbs): Maitland, Cessnock, East Maitland, Rutherford and Kurri Kurri. However people from the greater Newcastle and Hunter regions are always welcome. With the current restrictions on in-person gatherings, many local groups across Australia are running virtual and online get-togethers.
They provide:
- Breastfeeding Classes
- Breast pump hire (through Newcastle ABA)
- Local support groups
Australian Breastfeeding Association – Upper Hunter
The Upper Hunter Group of ABA covers the local government areas of Singleton, Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter (Merriwa, Scone, Murrundi, Aberdeen). Meeting are currently only held in Scone, however meetings may be arranged if there is an interested group of mums in another town. With the current restrictions on in-person gatherings, many local groups across Australia are running virtual and online get-togethers
They provide:
- Breast pump hire
- Local support groups
Australian Breastfeeding Helpline
1800 686 268
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) runs the National Breastfeeding Helpline. It’s staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors who answer calls on a roster system in their own homes. As breastfeeding mothers, ABA counsellors know that breastfeeding may not always seem easy. They can provide reassurance and give you knowledge about how breastfeeding works and help in overcoming common hurdles. Telephone counselling is available free to all callers.
Medical supply store Ansteys located at Broadmeadow also have breasts pumps for hire.
Private Lactation Consultants
Sally Richards, Lorn, (02) 4933 2622
Baby Sleep Consultants
Natalie Ebrill, Sleep and Settle, 0434 953 953
Nursery & Baby Stores
Babyshop
276 Brunker Road
Adamstown, NSW 2289
(02) 4952 7827
Baby Bunting
Shop 1, 335 Hillsborough Road
Warners Bay, NSW 2282
(02) 4954 0322
Baby Bunting
Shop 13, 343 New England Hwy
Rutherford, NSW
(02) 4932 7560
Hire for Baby
Newcastle & Newcastle Airport
(02) 4017 0102
Kids Carousel
340 Pacific Highway
Belmont NSW
(02) 4947 7000
Mod Bodz
Shop 3, 427 High Street
Maitland, NSW
(02) 4934 2959
Princess Scallywag
Shop 3/116 High Street
East Maitland, NSW
0448 467 846
New Parent Support
Australian Breastfeeding Helpline
1800 686 268
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) runs the National Breastfeeding Helpline. It’s staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors who answer calls on a roster system in their own homes. As breastfeeding mothers, ABA counsellors know that breastfeeding may not always seem easy. They can provide reassurance and give you knowledge about how breastfeeding works and help in overcoming common hurdles. Telephone counselling is available free to all callers.
GP Access
1300 130 147
Monday to Friday: 6pm to 8am on the following day
Saturday 1pm to 8am on the next business bay
Public Holidays: from 6pm the previous business day to 8am on the next business day.
GP Access After Hours provides comprehensive after hours primary medical care for Hunter residents. Nurses will advise you regarding your medical queries.
Karitane Careline
1300 CARING (1300 227 464) or (02) 9794 2350
Monday – Thursday 12:30 – 9pm & 11pm – 6am and Friday – Saturday 9am – 3.30pm
Do you have a parenting question about your 0 – 5 year old child? When you call Karitane Careline a friendly and experienced Child and Family Health Nurse will support you with guidance and encouragement on your parenting journey. Our professional team are here to support you with topics that include:
- Sleep and settling
- Feeding
- Playing and connecting with your baby
- Your feelings and adjustment to parenting
The free Careline is a call back service. A Child and Family Health Nurses will call you back within 24 hours between the hours of Monday – Thursday 12:30 – 9pm & 11pm – 6am and Friday – Saturday 9am – 3.30pm.
There’s also lots of resources on the Karitane website including videos on the unique challenges of parenting to mums and dads with children from birth to 5 years of age.
Mothersafe
1800 647 848
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. They provide advice about prescription and over the counter medications that can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They also provide comprehensive counselling service for women concerned about exposures to street drugs, infections, radiation and occupational exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Newcastle Multiple Birth Club (NMBC)
Newcastle Multiple Birth Club (NMBC) offers friendship, advice, support and fun to families raising twins, triplets, quads and more. A multiple pregnancy and subsequent raising of children the same age can be a daunting experience, to say the least! As Australia’s longest-running multiple birth club, NMBC provides shoulders to lean on and open ears from those who know. The club provides its 100+ member families with many benefits, including club social events and age-based catch ups, private Facebook group, monthly e-newsletter, expectancy program, Taronga and Western Plains Zoos family pass, education programs, product discounts, equipment hire and support officers.
Pregnancy, Birth & Baby
1800 882 436
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is a phone and online service for all Australians, providing information, advice and counselling about pregnancy, childbirth and your baby’s first year. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is an initiative of the Federal Government and offers free and confidential information and counselling to women and their partners. They also provide help with postnatal depression.
PANDA (Post and Antenatal Depression Association)
1300 726 306 (Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm AEST)
PANDA provides a helpline in Australia for anyone affected by depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after childbirth, including partners, family members and friends. The telephone information, support and referral service is staffed by trained volunteers, professional counsellors and supervising staff. Most of the volunteers on the helpline have experienced perinatal depression and anxiety
Thrive Parenting
Have you found your tribe? Life changes in many big ways when we welcome a baby into our family. Figuring out what works for us amidst a sea of information and differing opinions can often leave us overwhelmed and unsure. Thrive Parenting is about bringing together small groups of Newcastle parents to connect while sharing quality information to help you parent in a way that feels right for you. A collaboration between Newcastle Mums and Bubs, Collective Wisdom and mother/me, They are four local parents with 12 kids between them, bringing heartfelt experience and professional training to a range of topics including baby sleep, play, adjusting to parenting and starting solids to help you thrive.
Tresillian Parent’s Help Line
(02) 9787 0855 or 1800 637 357 Freecall outside Sydney and within NSW
24 hours a day, 7 days
Tresillian offers a Parent’s Help Line where you can ring up and speak to one of their qualified Child and Family Health nurses on any aspect of parenting children aged up to five years. They are best known for their assistance with sleep issues and offer residential programs for parents and children.
Pregnancy/ Infant Loss & Support
Bears of Hope
1300 11 HOPE (Grief Services)
Bears Of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support provides leading support and care for families who experience the loss of their baby. They provide crucial information and assistance to families through their time of loss, and beyond. Families receive a gift of a Bear of Hope donated by another bereaved family as well as information to help them make decisions and memories in hospital and beyond.
Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids) Hunter Region
1 300 308 307
Red Nose Grief and Loss provides 24 hour bereavement support are available to anyone who has experienced the sudden and unexpected death of their baby or child during pregnancy, birth, infancy and early childhood.
You might also like:
Newy with Kids Baby Guide with information on information on baby-friendly places, local playgroups, baby book sessions, baby sleep advice and more.
Child Care Guide: 100 + Centres for child care in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & the Hunter