After Birth Care availability

[Sarahg]

Hi All,
I'm booked into have my baby at the RBWH birth centre, and due to the 24 hour discharge policy, I'm wondering about the availability of after home care. QLD - due to the shortage of nurses - does not have nurses who can come to your home afterwards - like NSW & SA. Does anyone know of any private services available? Or have any good advice on what sort of care I can access at home?

[leomeo]

Hi Sarahg,

Do you have private health care? Some will cover (and organise) a private midwife to visit you at home - a friend of mine is with Medibank Private and had 5 visits arranged and paid for.

Each day the midwife came she checked her stitches/belly, checked bub, made sure breastfeeding was going ok and stayed to answer any questions. Home Therapeutics was the company www.hth.com.au (http://www.hth.com.au) Ph. 1300 557 380.

There is also another company called Caring Hands Breastfeeding Services http://www.caringhands.com.au/ that offer the same sort of services.

Some doulas also offer home care in the post-natal period. The midwifes at the birth centre might also be able to recommend someone.

I don't think my friend would have made it through the first week at home as well as she did, without the extra midwife help - I will without a doubt do the same when the time comes.

Happy hunting! :fingerscrossed:

[Sarahg]

Thanks leomeo,
Just what I was after!

Sarahg

[leomeo]

You're very welcome, Sarahg. :hugs:

Good luck and do let me know how you go - I'd love to hear your recommendations, once you get a chance to suss them out.

[shell25]

Hi Sarahg,

I had my bub at birth centre and I was able to stay 2 nights, as we had him at 6:12pm, on a saturday night, they were happy for us to stay an extra night, (I did have a 2nd grade tear too).

We left on the Monday morning, earlier then they had expected us to, (we left at 10.30am) as we had an appt with a lactation consultant, Bridget Ingle, you can get her card from your midwife or PM me.
She is by far the greatest lady I have every met and made a huge difference, with the breast feeding, attachment, settling ect., we saw her 3 times before I was happy that I knew what I was doing and Bub knew what he was doing.

I made the mistake of not having alot of help, at home, other then DP 1st wk and my mum the 2nd wk. I really wish I had a doula with me for the birth and afterwards.
If you can get someone to be at home with you, to simply help with everything, other then looking after bub!!
I never realized how much help a longer "stay in" would be, only because you have someone on hand to help all the time. When you get home everyone thinks it will be ok to come over, when you really want to just sleep!

All the best with everything I'm sure you will have a beautiful experience.
PM me if you ever want to chat, hope to see you sometime in the future at the friends of the birth centre gatherings.
Shell