Mums praise Gympie Hospital

NEW mum Raelene Moyle thinks Gympie Hospital is pretty good.

She is joining the growing chorus of mums all singing the hospital's praises.

A recent survey by The University of Queensland's Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies (QCMB) shows 94% of mums who gave birth at the Gympie hospital, and completed the survey, would recommend the facility to a friend.

And Ms Moyle agreed this week.

Her new son, Bailey was born on Tuesday at 11.36am at the Gympie Hospital, weighing in at 2.52kg (five pounds and nine ounces).

Little Bailey is her sixth child and brother to Skye, 11, John-Henrey, 10, Taya, 7, Toby, 6, and Abbie, 5.

The single mother said he was two weeks overdue and she had a natural birth without complications.

"We moved to the Gympie region in December for a new start from Chinchilla.

"The Gympie Hospital is the better than any of the others I have been to and I would recommend it," she said.

QCMB director, Professor Sue Kruske, said the results from the 2010 Having a Baby in Queensland Survey showed small facilities like Gympie Hospital were obviously doing something right.

"The results also showed 100% of women said their support people were made to feel welcome during labour and birth," Professor Kruske said.

"It is nice to see that women attending smaller community hospitals are receiving high quality care that should be the benchmark for all Queensland maternity facilities."

She said the QCMB was about to undertake the survey again this year and hoped even more Wide Bay mums would take part. The survey could be completed either by filling out the mailed-out survey, going online at www.havingababy.org.au/yourstory or by freecalling 1800 704 539 during business hours.

Mums who had a baby before October 2011 or after January 2012 can still get involved by completing the survey online once it opens in May.