What would be different?

[MamaLlama]

This is a repost so forgive me. I want to know what (if anything) should be different giving birth in Australia.

I had my first child overseas so it was very different I expect. OK, I hope! I'm talking basics - who do you see, who looks after you, will they stay with you or go away? What kind of rooms? Will they take the baby as soon as it is born or leave him/her with you?

OK here's what happened to me. Sorry it is long. I gave birth in the US with one of the best private insurance available and at one of the leading big teaching hospitals (so similar to a big public hospital's private wing, so you'd think!).

1. gave birth in a room smelling strongly of bleach, with almost no light, narrow high hospital bed and really little space either side. Only space at the end for the Drs etc. Had a bathroom thank goodness with shower.

2. Arrived. Had pre-registered but had to go through ALL the same paperwork AGAIN. What was the darned point?

3. Nurse midwife came in and wanted to just chat, take ANOTHER medical history (already done twice and on file as well). I was lucky and in no pain yet. I'd been sent in after my waters broke at the OBs surgery LOL! He did a test and found I was having regular contractions but was lucky enough not to feel anything yet.

4. I asked for the epidural so I could get it in before the pain started. This is not frowned on by the Drs there, and I'd spoken to the anaesthetist months before who had said I would need antibiotics first so an hour extra to wait for that IV to go in. So I didn't want to waste time. Nurse argued. Dragged her feet. Finally went to organise it. (then took 8 atempts to get the IV in, that's a whole other story, I've never seen an Australian nurse do that). OK finally got antibiotics.

5. Starts to hurt like hell. :hissy:AWFUL AWFUL labour pain. :thumbsdown:The nurse doesn't even speak to me. She goes away, comes back, who knows what she is doing. No communication. At All.

6. People keep coming in to ask questions that are not relevant to making sure I get the epidural as soon as antibiotics are finished. Not just 2 students (which is fine, its a teaching hospital) but about 4 administrators, a pain consultant (spot the irony) to tell me I had a right to pain relief, and a "patient advocate" (another irony).

7. Finally nice sane OB arrives and gives me the first update (having heard nothing from midwife). Told me I was 8 cm (was very surprised it was that quick).

8. Finally got epidural after IV finished. This was 4 hours after originally asked for, and 3 hours into the agonising pain. OK bliss now.

Had I been planning a natural birth I probably would have killed someone by that point already for not speaking a word to me.

9. OB told me I could "labour down" for an hour (ie stay at 10cm without pushing, I could feel the urge but withstand it) to minimise the pushing time. There were medical reasons to want to do that.

10. Had baby. OB spoke to me but NONE of the nurses even acknowledged my existence. It was surreal. OK maybe birth is always surreal but this was alienating.

11. They took the baby away from me immediately and without telling me. It was apparently standard because they’d used the vacuum pump. Since they’d asked me about the vacuum much earlier they could have mentioned this then. Nope. I made my husband follow him to the next room where they examined him (all ok, just routine) which left me totally alone. No Dr, no nurse, no one. Awful feeling.

12. They left us alone after that. Just left, never said when they’d be back, what would happen next. Nothing. Just disappeared. We spent about an hour mooning over baby but then started to think what had happened? No nurse? No info? A nurses aid came in and left a cold dinner on the table but claimed to know nothing about what happened next. Wasn’t my dinner as it was labeled kosher but I was starving so ate it anyway.

13. No one came by for 4 hours. No one asked about feeding or if I was ok. What if I had wanted to bottle feed (lots do there)? I BF’d for the first time ENTIRELY on my own which really shocked me. Towards the end of the last hour I’d decided to have a shower. Couldn’t guarantee the same privacy upstairs. They came in during that and started bossing us about. I was holding them up apparently!? Holding THEM up?

14. Went to the postpartum floor about midnight. Shared room like all the rest. There are 4 private rooms in the entire maternity ward and apparently you need to know someone on the Board to get one. In fact I know someone who DID just that. My roommate had had a caesarian for her 2nd child that morning (about 18 hours earlier). No doubt we woke her and disturbed her which I wish we hadn’t had to. Then again she had visitors all day the next day who didn’t show much consideration. Room was tiny, 2 beds REALLY close. Bathroom with no shower, had to go to the other end of the floor for that. No info on nursery or rooming in or anything. Beds were the old fashioned hospital beds, very hard to get up and down being short and just given birth. I really couldn’t get up onto the bed while holding the baby safely. Yet had to do just that to BF during the night. Ended up (because of 15 below) standing on a chair with my child in order to get into bed. Hurt my stitches from my tear too.

15. The night nurse came in and told me she was busy and not to buzz her during the night. Seriously.

16. My roommate told me next morning they’d forgotten to bring her dinner last night and she couldn’t get out of bed and they wouldn’t answer her buzzer. So I got up on foot and sought out our breakfasts. They were last by about an hour because neither of us were “on the list”.

17.. I really wanted to see the lactation consultant attached to the ward next day to see if I was doing it right. They said you can’t see her unless you go to her class. Not the pre-natal class I had already been to, the one held 8am on the ward every other day. I’d missed it already so I couldn’t see her at all privately as I was discharged the following day immediately after the class. I went to the class but she didn’t give any personal attention.

Sorry to sound bitter but APART from the anaesthetist and OB I found the whole experience just horrifying. I still feel such anger to the nursing staff that I didn’t even trust myself to complain. I know what they would do anyway, close ranks and brand me a troublemaker.

I have private insurance so I have all options I guess for where to give birth. I want to get the epidural asap, I don’t really care about interventions other than a c section (which I have no objection to if its needed either). I thought I was pretty savvy about hospitals but this was just such a harrowing experience that it has shaken my confidence in that. I’m not scared of hospitals, I’ve never met an Aussie nurse who was anything like that. But I’ve never been a maternity section here either.

Anyway – what if anything of that sounds like it is normal/expected in Australia? And what is different? Please tell me the worst so next time I can be prepared.

[RedPanda]

Wow, sounds like you had a rough trot the first time around ML. I have had both my babies in a private hospital, and while I wasn't hugely impressed with my first son's birth, it was quite ok in hindsight, and much of it couldn't have been avoided. I think it's usually easier second time around.

In the private system, you have an OB that you see throughout the pregnancy. You can do shared care, which means you alternate between an OB and a GP. However, in some areas where the public system is stretched (like my area) you can get refused shared care, which means it's the OB every time.

When I checked in to hospital with my first son, they checked me out and said I was nowhere near giving birth and gave me the option of going home, which I did. When I returned later in full labour, I asked for an epidural and was given one within an hour by a great anaethetist who got it in first time. My son was born, and he was given straight to me. He didn't leave my sight until about the third night when I begged the midwives to take him to the nursery between feeds because I was going crazy!

Second son was born without any drugs (but had I asked, I would have received :D). He never left my sight at all - he stayed with me from the time he was born to the time I checked out. Even when he had his tests done, it was with me or my husband. He was put in a humidicrib on the second day because he couldn't stay warm, but I was with him in the nursery.

So, long story short, it doesn't have to be the way your first birth went. If you choose public, you will have less control over which hospital you go to, which doctor you see (if any) and how much help you get breastfeeding etc. Some hospitals are great, but others are very short-staffed and may not have the resources to allow a midwife to sit with you every feed.

[RmumR]

Gee sorry to hear your birth experience was as it was, sounds very impersonal and cold.
I had my DD last year in a public hospital and my experience was good. I went to midwives clinic for appointments during pregnancy then when i was a week overdue was booked in to me induced.
All room in the pre-natal ward where you are induced are single rooms with bathrooms (shower etc), once labour progressed and i was in pain i asked for epi and was transferred up to delivery suite and was given epi within a half hour. Bubs was born wit the help of vacumn a while later. she was quickly taken to the other side of the room to be checked but i could see her the whole time and within 5mins was put on my chest for cuddles. midwives helped me to get her to attach for her first feed, then they went off to find me some tea and toast cause her birth had gone through the dinner time. after tea and toast they brought in a bath and gave bubs a wash cause she had to go to special care for observation for 4 hrs seeing as she was a vacumn delivery and thats the hospy procedure but we had her for 1.5hrs before she was taken to special care.
i then was helped into shower by midwife and then taken to the maternity ward but stopped off on the way to look at bubs. was given a single room (they were a mix of single and double rooms) but they didn't want to disturb anyone else cause it was 11pm so i got a single - all the rooms had ensuites. Bubs was brought back to me about 1am and nurses checked on us every hour or more often if i buzzed them. Was told to buzz each time i fed her if i needed help. I stayed for 3 days.

Hope that helps, i'm sure that there are good and bad stories about hospitals here too but thought i would just let you know my experience.

[smog]

sounds similar to my experiences here of the public system. never been private

[SpottySocks]

My first baby was born in the local hospital as a public patient and I went private with my last 2 bubs but the local private hospital doesn't have facilities for birthing - you have to have the baby at the local hospital and then are transerred after the birth to private hospital.

The birthing rooms are the same for public and private patients. They are nice big rooms with an ensuite and plenty of room to move around, there was lots of room for an active birth. There is a TV up in one corner and a big comfy lounge chair as well as a couple of smaller chairs. In one corner of the room sheilded by a folding door is a humidi crib type set up with warm lamps, oxygen, suction etc and items needed for the Dr to check out the baby if they have any concerns.

The midwives were lovely, very friendly and knowledgeable. My first experience as a public patient menat we had to have whichever Dr happened to be on at the time - we got a registrar with very poor English who seemed quite unsure of herself, fortunately the midwife took control and told her what to do! The 2nd time was much better with the private Dr who we knew and trusted.

As soon as the baby is born they pop him/her on your chest and they encourage the dad to cut the cord. They don't rush to take the baby from you and encourage baby to find the nipple and have a little suck. There was some concern for my first baby because of the presence of meconium she was placed on my chest but I had to hold her head down and once the cord was cut they took her to suction out her airways and make sure she hadn't aspirated on the meconium - but this was all done in the same room as me. Once she got the all clear they weighed and measured her and then she was handed back to me. They had some towels pre-warmed to wrap her and me in which was lovely!

My 2nd 2 bubs were on my chest for at least 20 or 30 minutes (not really sure how long - I lost track of the time) before they were weighed and measured, then they were handed back to me.

Both the public and private wards encouraged the baby to stay in your room - however at night if you were having a rough time, needed sleep or extra recovery time then they would offer to take the baby at night between feeds. My first little one stayed by my side the whole time and with my other 2 I had a night where they were brought to me for feeds.

Goodluck, hope your Australian birth is better than the US one!

[MyLittlePrincess]

Wow, that sounds so bad...

I had my baby in a public hospital and all i can say is praise. they were so helpful, informing of my situation, what could be taken and not during labour. my baby never left my site, all examinations were done in my suite, it was big with shower and spa.
They moved me to my room when i was ready, then to my shock had my own room, was like an apartment with a shower toliet, baby bath TV couldn't of been better. They didnt rush me out of the hospital, but that was being my first child. The way i felt and was treated i would be expecting that the next time i have a baby!!

[lilpearl]

How terrible! They were obviously not following any code of ethics or practice - how disgusting!! Australia still has a way to go, but things are improving, slowly...although the story you have shared is just horrible, I would hope nothing like that would ever occure in Australia...I'm sure aspects of it do, though. In Australia, Midwifery care is far more common than in America, as midwives here have far more autonomy, and are respected as the specialists of normal pregnancy and birth, and obstetrical care is really only required when your pregnancy or birth deviates from the realms of normal. So, birth centre birth is common, and homebirths are more common here than in America, too (although not enough women are birthing at home, due to the expense and lack of independent midwives, unfortunately). Australia really needs to head in the direction of New Zealand when it comes to maternity care, they have it very good, with each woman being entitled to free midwifery care and the opportunity to birth whereever they choose, for free - so homebirth is very common there. Mind you, they don't get the maternity payment that Australians get and could use for homebirth......Of course, the more we respect birth as a normal life event, the safer it is, and the statistics get better and better when you look at the countries who follow a "birth is normal and safe" philosophy. America has very bad infant and maternal morbidity and mortality statistics, due to trying to 'manage' an event that really needs to be left alone, and yet the medical establishment is not learning any lessons. I guess it's all $$$. And power-tripping too, of course. I hope you have a brilliant birth experience next time round!

[MamaKoala]

I'm sorry to hear your experience abroad was so horrifying. I have heard that in the US they like you to lie down for the birth, give birth on your back, have epidurals and basically are managed like you have a foreign object inside you which must be removed. (Maybe a little harsh but it sounds that way to me - especially watching Discovery health).
I gave birth at the Royal Brisband & Women's hospital in 2002 and 2003 and both experiences while different were managed in a tactful respectful manner. I was a public patient so rarely saw an OB but I was also low risk so I was happy to see a midwife for prenatal care.
The first time I asked for an epi and it was given to me within the hour. I had a midwife who was firm with me but tried to help. After an hour and a half of pushing I finally had my baby on my chest and they did all the testing and checking in the room with me. They didn't take my baby away at all except at my request on the first night. They were very attentive and showed me how to nurse him. I was in a 4 bed room but it was still relatively private, spacious and quiet. I only stayed 2 days because I wanted to get home but they were patient with my unreasonable demands and very polite and accommodating.
My second birth I decided on no pain relief and minimal intervention and the midwife respected my choices. I went in at 7cm with contractions 2 mins apart and request that they did not break my waters. After 6 hours the mid wife said I was still only 8 cm so she asked if she could break my waters to speed it up. I agreed with much reluctance. The OB came in because I had a double layer of sac so she broke to second layer and I suddenly had the urge to push. The OB ignored my requests to be checked but the midwife checked because I sounded urgent. She found that I was crowning (they had told me it would take another 2 hours to dilate). That is the only time I felt unheard and it wasn't the midwife it was the young OB. All in all I had a pretty good experience, they were respectful and didn't try to deviate from my birth plan until necessary so I would say your experience shouldn't be as horrible and disconnected as your last experience.
Sorry this is so long. But I hope it helps ease your mind.