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"Ward 3"

About: King Edward Memorial Hospital / Community Midwifery Program King Edward Memorial Hospital / Maternal Fetal Assessment Unit King Edward Memorial Hospital / Maternity

(as the patient),

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the midwives, the MGP team, and the Breastfeeding Centre for the kindness, emotional support, and continuity of care we received throughout my baby's birth and postpartum journey. As a first-time mum far from my home country and support network, the compassion and dedication shown by many members of the team made a very meaningful difference during an overwhelming time.

I would also like to extend my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all the midwives in Ward 3. Their care, patience, kindness, and support during some of the most emotional and exhausting days of our lives will never be forgotten. Many of them went above and beyond to provide reassurance, comfort, and encouragement when we needed it most, and their warmth truly made a difference to our experience as new parents.

At the same time, I would like to provide honest feedback regarding some aspects of our hospital experience that caused significant stress and confusion. The situation surrounding my baby's bilirubin levels and the decision to place them under phototherapy lights was very distressing, particularly as we later understood there had been a mistake or misunderstanding regarding the bilirubin results. This experience created unnecessary anxiety during an already vulnerable period.

I also found the handling of the blood sugar monitoring and formula supplementation recommendations difficult emotionally and, at times, inconsistent. While I completely understand that the priority was my baby's safety, I felt there was limited support and reassurance regarding the potential impact that early formula introduction could have on establishing breastfeeding, especially for a first-time mother already struggling with confidence and milk supply. More balanced communication and breastfeeding-focused guidance alongside the medical recommendations would have helped us feel more informed and supported in our decision-making.

Despite these concerns, I remain thankful for the care, warmth, and professionalism shown by many of the staff members who genuinely helped us through a challenging start to parenthood.

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Responses

Response from Delaney Gibbons, Director, Safety Quality and Performance, Safety, Quality and Performance, Women and Newborn Health Service 6 days ago
Delaney Gibbons
Director, Safety Quality and Performance, Safety, Quality and Performance,
Women and Newborn Health Service
Submitted on 5/06/2026 at 2:48 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 2:59 PM


picture of Delaney Gibbons

Dear wearingxg43,

Congratulations on the birth of your baby, and thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful and insightful feedback about your hospital experience.

I loved reading about how the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and Breastfeeding Centre WA teams were able to provide such care and support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and post-partum period. The kindness, warmth, and care provided by the Ward 3 midwives after your baby was born clearly meant so much to your family, and I will be so pleased to pass on your feedback to these teams.

You’ve outlined how you received inconsistent information during your admission about phototherapy, blood sugar monitoring, and formula supplementation for your baby. I’m so sorry to hear about the additional stress and confusion this caused for your family, and we want to learn from your experience so that other families don’t experience the same challenges. We would be grateful for the opportunity to speak to you to understand more about the concerns that arose during your admission. Should you feel comfortable to do so, I encourage you to reach out to our Consumer Liaison Team either by phone 64581444 or email WNHSCLS@health.wa.gov.au.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your story – I hope we’ll hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

Delaney

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