BOPDHB History Tauranga Hospital Centennial Book | Page 25

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In 1914 most women gave birth
at home with help from family,
neighbours and untrained midwives.
Today, women have a choice of where
and how they give birth: at home, at
the hospital or in a birthing unit and a
trained midwife assists.

Did You Know?
In 1921 New Zealand had the second highest maternal
mortality rate in the western world. In 2011, a report,
published by 29 leading world health agencies described
New Zealand’s midwifery-led maternity model of care as
the best care in the world for mothers and newborn babies.

Maternity
Recollection of Anon Patient, 1950’s
You stayed in for two weeks. You were swabbed three
times a day while we were on bed rest for the first
baby. You were looked after by doctors and midwives
or nurses at the birth. Hospital food was like home
cooking and we loved it.
You relied on your family back then. Your mother came
to stay or neighbours helped. Breast feeding was
normal but you added Karilac milk powder if needed.
I had five children and they were all overdue. I needed
a Pitocin drip to push labour along and they listened
in with a Funundascope. There was always a doctor
at the birth but if he didn’t make it in time the midwife
delivered the baby for you. Plunket came afterwards
and were wonderful.

Maternity Annexe
The old Maternity Annexe at Tauranga Hospital was originally
built in 1943. It was designed for 13 patients and first used
as general hospital accommodation for 30 military patients
from WW2 as a condition of it being built. In August 1943 the
Board was notified by the Secretary of Defence that, “it is not
expected that this hospital will now be required for military
patients”. Alterations were made and the Maternity Annexe
was officially opened on 21 February 1944.
Further refurbishments were made in 1994 with education
and clinical rooms added. In 2009 the old Maternity Annexe
was closed and demolished and replaced with a modern
Maternity Unit and Special Care Baby Unit in the main
hospital allowing easy access to other services and the main
theatre, should women require a Caesarean Section.

David Joblin, resident, born 1941.

Recollection of Gwen Collard, New Mum, 1958
In February 1958 I gave birth to my daughter Wendy
in the Tauranga Maternity Annexe. I was new to
Tauranga and had my family doctor to look after me
during the pregnancy. At the birth I really only remember
the midwife telling me to push harder, and then the
obstetrician who was a GP said “we’ll help you out”.
Another GP put me to sleep and I had a forceps delivery.
Fathers were not allowed at the birth but the kind doctor
left a rose on the step to indicate we had a baby girl. I
stayed two weeks in the annexe with my baby resting in
bed most of the time.

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