How does your local hospital compare?

Choosing your care provider is one of the most important decisions you will need to make in your labour and birth preparation. The first step is thinking about what is important to you and investigating where you are most likely to receive those things.

A good rule of thumb to getting your wishes is choosing a care provider or model of care in which 'your ideal is their normal'.

The data below was collected by NSW Ministry of Health. When interpreting this data, it is worth considering that sometimes the pure statistics don't tell the whole story. The hospital may accept low risk women only and transfer high-risk patients which would keep their normal birth rates higher, some may be popular amongst women choosing elective caesarean for social reasons, and others may be catchment hospitals for high-risk or emergency transfers which increases their intervention rates and makes their normal birth rate appear lower than it actually would be in comparison to others.

 

ILLAWARRA & SHOALHAVEN

 
 

Wollongong Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 2,525

  • Normal vaginal - 56.7%

  • Forceps - 4.2%

  • Vacuum extraction - 5%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.3% (8 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 20.5%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 13.3%

 

Wollongong Private Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 932

  • Normal vaginal - 44.4%

  • Forceps - 1.6%

  • Vacuum extraction - 11.7%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.1% (1 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 29.4%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 12.8%

Considerations: Private hospital

 

Shoalhaven and District Memorial Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 853

  • Normal vaginal - 61.1%

  • Forceps - 4.7%

  • Vacuum extraction - 6.6%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.5% (4 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 16.5%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 10.7%

Considerations: Low risk hospital

 

SOUTH EASTERN SYDNEY

 

Royal Hospital for Women

Number of births in 2018 - 3,736

  • Normal vaginal - 50.2%

  • Forceps - 10.7%

  • Vacuum extraction - 6.3%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.8% (29 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 17.4%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 14.6%

Considerations: Level 6 Maternity Service, Tertiary hospital

 

Prince of Wales Private Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 2,156

  • Normal vaginal - 30.1%

  • Forceps - 2.6%

  • Vacuum extraction - 10.7%

  • Vaginal breech - <0.1% (1 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 43.6%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 13%

Considerations: Private hospital

 

Hurstville Private

Number of births in 2018 - 620

  • Normal vaginal - 40.3%

  • Forceps - 3.5%

  • Vacuum extraction - 12.3%

  • Vaginal breech - 0% (0 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 27.3%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 16.6%

Considerations: Private hospital

 

St George Hospital (Public)

Number of births in 2018 - 2,306

  • Normal vaginal - 49.7%

  • Forceps - 7.5%

  • Vacuum extraction - 11%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.3% (6 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 16.1%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 15.4%

Considerations: Level 5 Maternity Service

 

St George Private Hospital and Medical Centre

Number of births in 2018 - 1,382

  • Normal vaginal - 49.7%

  • Forceps - 7.5%

  • Vacuum extraction - 11%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.3% (6 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 16.1%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 15.4%

Considerations: Private hospital

 

 Sutherland Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 1,328

  • Normal vaginal - 61.1%

  • Forceps - 5.7%

  • Vacuum extraction - 6%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.3% (4 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 15.6%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 11.2%

Considerations: Low risk only,  Level 4 Maternity Service

 

INNER WESTERN SYDNEY

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 4,884

  • Normal vaginal - 46.7%

  • Forceps - 7.5%

  • Vacuum extraction - 9.9%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.4% (20 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 20.9%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 14.6%

Considerations: Level 6 Maternity Service

 

INNER NORTHERN SYDNEY

 

Royal North Shore Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 2,734

  • Normal vaginal - 50.3%

  • Forceps - 9.4%

  • Vacuum extraction - 5.6%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.2% (6 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 22.8%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 11.7%

Considerations: Level 6 Maternity Service

 

North Shore Private Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 2,287

  • Normal vaginal - 35%

  • Forceps - 4.4%

  • Vacuum extraction - 7.3%

  • Vaginal breech - 0.1% (2 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 39.3%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 14%

  • Not stated - 0%

Considerations: Private hospital

 

 Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital

Number of births in 2018 - 2,112

  • Normal vaginal - 33.1%

  • Forceps - 3.2%

  • Vacuum extraction - 9.2%

  • Vaginal breech - 0% (0 births)

  • Elective caesarean section - 42.1%

  • Emergency caesarean section - 12.4%

Considerations: Private hospital

Note: Emergency caesarean section includes caesarean sections where the onset of labour was not stated. Multiple births are counted once. Hospitals with more than 200 births in a given year are identified individually. Total NSW (or All LHDs) includes births at home assisted by independent midwives. Totals include Other and not stated category. Data include all mothers who gave birth (stillbirth or live birth) in NSW regardless of place of permanent residence. This work is copyright NSW Ministry of Health. It may be reproduced in whole or in part. Source: NSW Perinatal Data Collection (SAPHaRI). Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.