Anyone who has been to 'Royal Womens Hospital' Melbourne.

[mcshane]

I have choosen to go Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne, and i'm going private but only because I have private cover and might as well use it..

What was your experience and do they scan you at first visit or not? Because I have been told they don't scan you for Downs Syndrome and I need my GP to organise this? Is this correct?

Thank you for your help already.

:yelclap:

[mcshane]

Surely someone has been to the Royal Womens in Melbourne - it's such a big hospital..

Come on girls, help me out.... :yelclap:

[CocktailBubba]

I had DS there in 2007 public though.

I didn't have my first hospital appointment until around 16 weeks and I'm quite sure it's standard that hospitals don't provide any care withing the first trimester so yes u would need to get that referral off your GP.

I had my 18-20 scan through the hospital though and they booked that in so didn't need a referral for that one.

I'm having this bubba through a birthing centre this time and I needed to get both referrals from my GP.

Congrats and goodluck :)

[mcshane]

Thank you.
I already have an appointment - 13 September to see them at The Womens, but was querios as to what happens at first visit and if it's any different whem I'm going privat..

[Lily of the Nile]

I'm booked in at the womens, so far I've had my first appointment and this was with a midwife. She only took details down, nothing major happened. I'm booked in another 2 weeks to see an ob also because this is my second and I had a c/s, so not sure what will happen with that but I'm guessing to discuss my previous c/s.
I'm public and doing shared care with my gp and she organised all those things, scans etc. I only go to the hospital for about 3 or so appointments and I see my gp every 4 weeks for everything else.
I went private the first time and I had a private ob, so I saw her (not at the hospital) and she organised all that stuff.
So the question is, who is your care provider? Is it a private ob, midwifery care at the hospital or their clinics or gp care? How many weeks are you? NT scans need to be done before 13-14 weeks so if your appointment is after this you need to go to your gp for a referal.
Your first hospital appointment can organise a referal for you while your there, but make sure its before this time period otherwise call them and see what they say, but yeah they don't really do anything on the first visit besides take your name, medical history, weight that type of stuff.
Good Luck.

[mcshane]

I'm seeing a private OB at the hospital and i'll be around 11.5 weeks I think when I see them...

Well I assume it's a private OB because I asked to be private and GP won't organise any scans as she says privately the hospital organises everything...

[Lily of the Nile]

Ah ok, yes then your ob will give you a referal for all those things on your first visit plus any blood tests you might need. All ob's are different, but when I saw a private ob I don't think we did much that first visit, it was pretty much the same going through your medical history etc. And the NT scan was done by an imaging place and they send it off somewhere so you won't get results of that for a few days.
But seeing a private ob will be in their consulting rooms not in the hospital part so what they do and how they do things will vary.
Oh and be warned, the wait can sometimes take ages when seeing an ob, especially if they're called off to see a patient in surgery, so take a good book:)

[mcshane]

Thanks very much...
I'm disappointed now, because I was hoping they do a scan - even if just a quick one.. :thumbsdown:
I really need that confirmation that everything is ok...

[Lily of the Nile]

If the ob has a machine in his/her room they might do a quick one? But don't be dissapointed if they don't you'll get a referall and get one done the next day, across the rd at Melbourne womens imaging (which is where I go) they do a 3d one, its pretty cool:)