One parent or carer can stay overnight with their child on the built-in or fold-out bed beside every patient bed on the wards.
All single and shared rooms have an ensuite. You can use towels from our linen trolleys to have a shower but must use your own toiletries.
Intensive care unit
Parents and carers can't stay overnight in the intensive care unit. But we have a limited number of single overnight rooms on level 5 that can be used in an emergency. Ask our nursing staff about these rooms if you think you might need one.
Food and meals
We provide patient meals for breastfeeding mothers staying overnight with their child.
For other parents and carers who stay overnight, there is tea and coffee, milk, bread and some condiments in our family lounges. The lounges have a fridge, a microwave, and a sandwich toaster. You're welcome to store food in these fridges but please label it with your name and the date and take it with you when your child is discharged.
For the safety of others, you can't bring raw meat, chicken, eggs and products containing nuts onto the ward.
Fare Share works with the Children’s Hospital Foundation to provide free frozen meals for parents and families in every ward family lounge. You can find these meals in the freezers.
Parents and carers can also buy meals from our inpatient food trolleys using our meal vouchers. Find out what's on the menu, meal times and how to use our meal vouchers.
Safe sleeping
We follow safe sleeping guidelines for babies and infants. This means they should sleep on their backs unless there's a medical reason for sleeping in another position.
We don't allow co-sleeping in hospital because we can't provide a safe sleeping surface. If you have questions about this, please talk to one of our staff members.
Laundry
There is a laundry for parents and carers near the lift foyer on level 8. This is open 24 hours.
Lactation support
We offer support to mothers who are breastfeeding and expressing breastmilk while their babies are in hospital. Ask our staff if you'd like to talk to one of our lactation consultants.
Entering or leaving wards after hours
The entrance doors to the hospital and wards are locked between 8 pm and 6 am.
To enter the ward during these hours, use the intercom located by the entry doors. Please remember our nurses may be busy caring for patients and may not be able to let you in straight away.