Newborn Care at Frances Perry House

Dr Jubal attends as a paediatrician at Frances Perry House, the private maternity hospital co-located with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Parkville.

Inpatient rounds

While you and your baby are in hospital, Dr Jubal (or a colleague from the Frances Perry paediatric panel when he is not on duty) rounds on most days of a postnatal-ward stay, every day if your baby is in the Special Care Nursery, with the midwives updating the team on progress between visits. A typical visit includes:

• A full newborn examination early in the stay, then reviews across the stay
• A discussion of feeding, weight, jaundice and any concerns from the night
• Communication with your midwife and obstetrician
• A discharge (“green book”) check, done during the stay, by the day before you go home

Special Care Nursery

If your baby needs extra support, Frances Perry House has a Level 4 Special Care Nursery that can manage many late-preterm and term babies needing observation, phototherapy, IV fluids, antibiotics or low-flow respiratory support. Babies needing higher acuity care (very preterm, intensive ventilation, surgery) are transferred to the Royal Women’s Hospital NICU next door or another tertiary NICU as clinically appropriate.

The SCN provides nursing care from staff with neonatal training; respiratory support up to CPAP; nasogastric feeding and gradual transition to sucking feeds; and family involvement throughout.

After-hours availability

Frances Perry House operates a 24/7 paediatric on-call roster. While Dr Jubal attends most of his own bookings during business hours, after-hours emergencies are covered by whichever paediatrician is rostered on the panel. Your midwife can reach the on-call paediatrician immediately when clinically needed.

At delivery

For scheduled caesarean sections where Dr Jubal is the booked paediatrician, he attends the delivery to receive your baby; if he is unavailable, another paediatrician from the Frances Perry panel attends. For other deliveries — vaginal birth, emergency caesarean, deliveries outside his roster — the midwifery team provides initial care, with the on-call paediatrician attending when clinically needed. Either way, the same rounds and care arrangement applies once your baby is on the ward.

For more on requesting Dr Jubal specifically, particularly for an elective C-section, see the for-referrers page.

After discharge

The handover home includes:

• A discharge letter to your GP
• A 6-week paediatric review in the rooms at Suite 9, Level 2, Parkville (or by telehealth where appropriate), with an earlier review where jaundice, weight, feeding or a hospital finding needs following
• Communication with your Maternal & Child Health nurse, who checks your baby at home ideally in the first week, plus lactation and any other allied health involved

See the first weeks at home for what the home phase usually looks like.

About Frances Perry House

Frances Perry House is at the corner of Flemington Road and Grattan Street, Parkville VIC 3052. The hospital offers maternity tours; details are on the Frances Perry House website.

For fees and how billing works in private maternity, see the fees and billing pages.