Sydney people due Oct

[javic]

Hi all!

I'm due Oct 4th with my first, so new to Bub Hub and new to Sydney too.

I thought it would be handy to know others in Sydney for local advice and info.

I have so many questions as a first timer and Sydney virgin and Bub Hub is such a great resource, but I spend so much time sorting through threads looking for stuff relevant to Sydney.

Hope to meet some other locals here! :)

[PrincessT]

Hi Javic - I think I am the one of perhaps two from Sydney in the October thread!! Where abouts in Sydney are you from? I'm from the Northern Beaches.
Where abouts are you planning to have bubs?

[javic]

Hi there!
One of only 2?? Wow that's not many :)
I'm in Pyrmont now, but might move along the way... maybe!
Not sure about where I'm delivering yet - I'm booked into NSPrivate but I'm also considering going to RPA birth centre to have a water birth! A bit confused - it's my first so I have nooooo idea what I'm in for!!
How about you? And where/how did you deliver your first bub?

[Littleyorkshirepudding]

Hi Ladies,

Welcome Javic and congratulations I'm in Sydney too and bub#2 is due on the 5th Oct and I had DD at the RPA, and we're having no 2 there too as I thought they were absolutely brilliant.

When I found out I was pregnant with DD I had no idea what to do and went through a private Ob and I booked in as a private patient at the RPA, this time as I know more and have done it once before I am going public, although I may book in at the hospital as a private patient to have the little one, but it is definitely the RPA for us.

Good luck with choosing and we're here to help if you have any questions

Princess T - where are you having yours?

Have fun

LYP :wave:

[javic]

Hi LYP,

Thanks for your reply, it's nice to meet you - congrats to you too! And I do have loads of questions so hope you don't mind! :)

It's great to hear you went to RPA and loved it. Did you birth in the birth centre or the hospital? Also, I'm really interested to know the difference between going there as a public patient vs as a private one (I have private health cover too). Why would you choose to go there private again?

We are due almost same time - maybe I'll see you in there! Do you go to the pre-natal yoga at RPA on Monday mornings? I was hoping to start this week but slept in! Ah, the joys of giving up work :)

[Littleyorkshirepudding]

Hi Javic,

To answer your questions....

I at first did book into the Birth Centre at the RPA and if you are thinking of this option you need to book in early as it can be hard to get into, but I ended up under the advice of my Ob booking into the delivery ward instead as I have a large fibroid that sits near my cervix and he thought I may not dilate fully because of it and would need a c-section. He also advised I could still have a natural no drugs birth in the delivery ward as if I was in the Birth Centre.

If you decide to go through the normal ward at the RPA you need to book in from 20 weeks I believe.

At the birth centre there are no drugs and you can book to have a look around both the birth centre and delivery ward as they are close together so if you find you do require drugs ie an epidural the midwives can transfer you across to the normal ward.

The reason I went private at the RPA was because i was more or less guaranteed a private room. If you go through the public system at the RPA you may end up sharing a room and this means your hubby/partner are unable to sleep over, single rooms through the public system are given first to complicated births ie c-sections and woman who have multiple births then straight forward deliveries. So there is no guarantee of a single room, although in the shared rooms the max is 2 woman anyway.

I hope this helps you and yes our babies are due very close together we could end up seeing each other there but I probably won't be going to the pre-natal yoga at the RPA only because I don't have anyone to look after DD so I'll going to one local on a Sat morning.

One thing I would say though is book in to have a tour of the RPA Mothers and Babies Unit soon as that may help you decide where you'd like to go.

I would thoroughly recommend them and I ended up after being induced and after 21 hours of labour in the delivery ward having a c-section and staying in for 5 days, the midwives are fantastic, I couldn't fault them, they offer breastfeeding classes, show you how to bathe your new little one etc etc but when I was there in Nov 06 they were very busy, very busy indeed. A midwife told me the unit was designed to cope with 3000 births per year and so far that year they had had 5000.

Anyway I think I have waffled on for too long here and must go and give my DD so attention.

Hope this helps.

LYP :wave:

[RomiJ]

Hi Everyone:
I'm in Sydney too!
My edd is 10 oct and I am booked at the RPA, birth centre..but since they are so busy they recommended care shared with a local GP ( I live in Drummoyne). I'll be having my first official check up at the RPA next Wednesday.
Good to know i am not alone ...

[javic]

Hi again LYP :) and hi to RomiJ - nice to meet you and congrats!
Thanks so much for your really informative post LYP. I read as far as the bit about the birth centre booking up fast, flew into a frenzy and forgot to read the rest til the next day! Anyway, I called them and I'm booked in, yey! When I had spoken to the hospital before I'd assumed you had to wait til 20 weeks to book in the birth centre also. Oops!
I have the RPA birth centre tour this Saturday too - getting into these hospital tours, been to NSP and POW so far! I am learning things every time so it's been great.
Right well I have to get off my computer now, so i'll write more later.
Bye for now :)

[PrincessT]

Hey everyone.

Javic to answer your questions. My first bub was delivered at North Shore Private and it was just amazing. I am booked in there for this birth too.

The important question is. If you are booked in there - who is you OB? I think you need to be under the care of an OB who delivers there.

I dont know much about RPA but I'm sure the Birth Centre is pretty good!

[Littleyorkshirepudding]

Hi Javic,

No problems about the info - I didn't know where to start myself when I found out I was pregnant with Ruby but luckily a friend of mine was 12 weeks ahead of me so she proved to be a valuable source of information to me especially when we found out we were with the same Ob

How did your tour of the RPA birth centre go and what did you decide in the end? I'm very interested to know and how is the pregnancy treating you?

Well must go I have a little girl trying to climb onto the computer desk.

LYP x :wave:

[javic]

Hi again LYP,
I loved the birth centre, it looked so much nicer than any of the hospital labour rooms I'd seen. And the attitude there was so great, so supportive of natural non-intervention birth! I was really happy. I'm booked in there and they told me to do shared care, visit them half and my Ob half the time. So I think of got the best of both worlds. My mum insisted I get a private Ob since her bad experiences in public hospital care have given her a severe mistrust of the public hospital system! And at least if something goes awry with my natural birthing plan I'll be looked after by a doctor I am comfortable with. He's pretty anti-c-section so that calms me!
As for how pregnancy is treating me - ugh! Feeling sick still and soooo tired. Hopefully that will pass soon. Feeling lots of movement now though so that's cute and exciting.
Okey dokes, better go. But thanks again for your help!
Javic

[PommieMummy2008]

Hi,

Welcome to Sydney javic! How you finding it?

I am also in Sydney and due 29th October with our first! Only been here since July 2007, so still fairly new to Oz and Sydney.

I'm having the baby at Royal North Shore, public and went there yest for 1st meeting with midwife. Seemed ok. We're going to book in for a show round in couple weeks time. Any stories on RNS anyone?

T x

[PrincessT]

Hey Pommie mum - you and I dont live that far from each other. I'm near Chatswood and I'm having this bub at north shore private.. what date are you due?

[jaynett]

hi all
I'm due oct 10th and am having it at RNS public, been in to meet midwives and some doctors and they seem really nice, had complications with my first who was born in the uk and they have been really good dealing with all the different people i may need to meet should anything go wrong this time.

[PommieMummy2008]

Princess T - Chatswood is just up the road! I'm due 30th October. Are you going to any of the pre-natael classes?

Jaynett - I'm due a while after you but you never know we may bump into each other at RNS public!

I just found out 2 ladies in my office also preggers due in Oct and also both having theirs at North Shore Private. RNS and NSP are going to have a pretty busy October by the sounds of it.

T x

[jaynett]

may bump into u at RNS public as i will be there every 2 weeks for the next couple of months hope all is going well with everyone

N xx

[buban]

Dear Javic
I am booked into RPA birth centre and just found a doula to help me & DH through the whole process... I agree to rooms are amazing and like you , i really liked to midies...good feel overall... also, you will get more attention at the birthcentre - one midwife to three women...I think the 'normal' RPA birth suites have a ratio of something like 8 women to one midwife (or something like that). DH and I moved to Syd from Brisbane last october... we know we are having a boy...getting very excited. :yelclap:


Hi again LYP,
I loved the birth centre, it looked so much nicer than any of the hospital labour rooms I'd seen. And the attitude there was so great, so supportive of natural non-intervention birth! I was really happy. I'm booked in there and they told me to do shared care, visit them half and my Ob half the time. So I think of got the best of both worlds. My mum insisted I get a private Ob since her bad experiences in public hospital care have given her a severe mistrust of the public hospital system! And at least if something goes awry with my natural birthing plan I'll be looked after by a doctor I am comfortable with. He's pretty anti-c-section so that calms me!
As for how pregnancy is treating me - ugh! Feeling sick still and soooo tired. Hopefully that will pass soon. Feeling lots of movement now though so that's cute and exciting.
Okey dokes, better go. But thanks again for your help!
Javic

[javic]

Hi Buban,

When are you due? My little boy is supposed to be coming at the start of October. I am also looking for a doula. Could you tell me who your doula is? I haven't had much time to get onto that lately and not really sure how to choose!

I'm also very excited for bubs to come, but somtimes reading certain things (such as the labour guide the RPA gave me) makes it all seem pretty daunting.

I recommend everyone read Ina May's childbirth book. I read that and it makes me feel so happy and I look forward to giving birth so much! It's really inspiring.

[buban]

http://www.findadoula.com.au/doula.php?doula=53

Hi Javic

Our bub is due on 25/10...so you will be able to tell me how all about it since you are a several wks ahead!

We only actually met Rebecca (check out above link) yesterday but both DH and I really liked her. I wanted someone with good experience...esp someone who really knows how to negotiate the hospital system and will honestly give us our options - someone who is 'working for us'...not the hospital.

Choosing a doula just about did my head in though...all the people I contacted were nice...not a surprise given their 'calling'...but in the end Rebecca's naturopatic background with massage was a clincher...I am into both! (and I think she will be able to handle my DH).

I had a list...so I could initally 'tick boxes'...and if the prospective doula ticked all the boxes they you organise a meeting.

One thing worth checking out is the services your doula will provide - some give you heaps of time... with ot sof extras...some provide a pretty basic service. That "find a doula" website lists the different services offered by all the different doulas...which gives you a pretty good idea. Also some doula courses are pretty light on and some are very extensive...so checking training and experience may make you feel better about the decision.

Have you decided on any pre-natal courses ...apparently a good idea if you are going down the birth centre path...'calm birth' hypnobirthing classes etc?

I am also looking for a inner west yoga option...need to do something or else I am really going to struggle ...any suggestions would be most appreciated.

BTW...it is nice to chat!