However, Level 2 services, which would allow non-complicated, natural births to go ahead at Milton, are just around the corner. This follows the return of Level 1 services, which include post and pre natal care, a year ago.

Hiring an obstetrician is the only thing left to do before babies can once again be born at Milton Ulladulla Hospital. 

Rebecca Cameron and Sunnee Ord have been working with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Board to have birthing services returned to the hospital since April 9, 2016 and say all the boxes are “ticked”, they just need to fill the position. 

“The paper work has been ready to go and we have been told they have been advertising since December to fill the position, but they haven’t had any applications,” Mrs Cameron said. 

“I am still unsure on how many of our local doctors have been canvassed, but I would like to put a call out to those qualified and living in the area, and willing to go on the roster. We would really welcome their assistance to benefit these local women. 

“It doesn’t have to be a full time thing, if we have a few local doctors willing to give a little bit of their time, we can work out a part time roster. 

“We want to save these women from driving on that highway to Nowra to have their babies.” 

First time mothers, women over 40 and births deemed to be a risk would still have to travel to Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital to give birth.

Mrs Cameron said it had been a “long process” to get this far, but would continue to work towards getting “Level 2 plus” services. 

“The Level 2 service is for normal vaginal delivery with no intervention at all. It is for women who go into labour naturally; they aren’t induced and there is no forceps or epidural,” she said. 

“They can have a TENS machine, but it the old fashioned way. 

“We are pushing for a level two plus service. We are looking at some instances where they may be able to use other things, such as forceps, without having to do full on surgery.”

Read also: Unsafe highway adds to labour stress 

Before maternity services were cut from the hospital Level 3 services were being provided, which allowed for cesareans and complicated births. 

Mrs Ord said Level 3 services, which would allow mothers to be induced and have cesareans, weren’t likely to return to Milton Ulladulla Hospital. 

“I don’t think we will see them back there in the current size of the hospital,” she said. 

“If we look at census results and how many babies are born each month, and how many of them we can have at Milton, we are looking at one to two a week with Level 2 births. 

“We aren’t looking at a huge amount of babies, but if we had level three service, we would be looking at more and this hospital isn’t big enough to cope.”

However, Mrs Ord said she would continue pushing for increased services.

“I don’t think we discount Level 3, we haven’t given up on getting there. We do want that back, but we at least want Level 2 plus to have more services available to women here,” she said.

Mrs Cameron said there was a wider issue to look at. 

“I think our hospital could be doing more for our area. We Don’t have an operating theatre here anymore; We have the theatre, but not the staff to run it,” she said. 

“With our population growing, we need to plan for the future. If we perhaps in the future look at having a minor theatre service set up, we could look at having minor gynecological services for older women as well. 

“We have a theatre that is sitting here empty and could save older and younger women from driving to Nowra for minor surgeries. 

“We could have specialists coming to visit to run these services out of our hospital. It is there, we should use it.”