VBAC in WA

[SassyMummy]

I'm moving next year, and so I figure the next time I have a baby, I'll be in Perth (instead of QLD).

I'm worrying a bit, because I'm not sure about how WA feels about VBAC. I don't know how QLD feels either, but I was very delighted to hear (after phoning them) that my local hospital DOES allow VBACs and are quite fine with doing them... it gave me a bit of faith and made me feel a lot more at ease.

Has anyone had a VBAC in a hospital/birth centre in WA? I know I could go for a HBAC, but I really don't want a homebirth (just not for me). I'd also be going PUBLIC (don't want an OB - let alone PAY for one!).

[clarebear1983]

I'm moving next year, and so I figure the next time I have a baby, I'll be in Perth (instead of QLD).

I'm worrying a bit, because I'm not sure about how WA feels about VBAC. I don't know how QLD feels either, but I was very delighted to hear (after phoning them) that my local hospital DOES allow VBACs and are quite fine with doing them... it gave me a bit of faith and made me feel a lot more at ease.

Has anyone had a VBAC in a hospital/birth centre in WA? I know I could go for a HBAC, but I really don't want a homebirth (just not for me). I'd also be going PUBLIC (don't want an OB - let alone PAY for one!).

When you get over here try King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) as I am sure they are ok with VBACs.

[becca74]

King Edward is THE BEST when it comes to vbac....At my Birthrites group today there were 2 ladies there who had magical vbacs at king eddies in the past month, and today were beamingly telling their beautiful birthstories!!

The midwife who runs the vbac classes I went to also works part time at king eddie....

also, the marvelous lifesaving Birthrites groups meet in WA, so there is soooooooooo much vbac support in WA its not funny :D

And I'm here in WA, and due to my great birthing experience, I am now in LOVE with Perth, since it really agrees with me......so come on over!! YAY :smiliedance:

[Bessie]

Hi Sassymummy
I had my 2nd VBAC at King Eddy's. Feel free to ask more.
Mine went well although I felt a bit like I was in a goldfish bowl and they insisted on monitoring, but it was also at the time of the baby bonus rush so perhaps the room I had was less homely and more high tech. Basically King Edwards has the best reputation here for VBAC and it's pretty convenient, I travelled in from Joondalup.
atb x

[SassyMummy]

Okay, so it sounds like King Edwards will be my best bet!

I'll be a public patient...so do I have to live in a certain "area" to be able to access it? Going by what has been said, if I HAVE to live in a certain area to access it I'll either 1. make sure I live in that area, or 2. Pay my way in...as a private patient (which I'd rather not do...but if that's what it takes to get a VBAC).

Bessie, Joondalup is actually the area DP is looking into. I've been to Perth for a total of 2 weeks in my whole life...so I don't know a thing about it. We're going for 3 weeks over Christmas, so before we move, I'll probably have spent only 5 weeks total in WA. lol. You can see that I'm clueless....

[becca74]

Okay, so it sounds like King Edwards will be my best bet!

I'll be a public patient...so do I have to live in a certain "area" to be able to access it? Going by what has been said, if I HAVE to live in a certain area to access it I'll either 1. make sure I live in that area, or 2. Pay my way in...as a private patient (which I'd rather not do...but if that's what it takes to get a VBAC).

Bessie, Joondalup is actually the area DP is looking into. I've been to Perth for a total of 2 weeks in my whole life...so I don't know a thing about it. We're going for 3 weeks over Christmas, so before we move, I'll probably have spent only 5 weeks total in WA. lol. You can see that I'm clueless....


King eddies is the tertiary maternity hospital, so they basically have to take you no matter where you are in WA....(ie, if you were having issues at a local hospy, they would send you on to be looked after by KE)...

theoretically, you wouldnt even need to book in, they'd have to take you if you turned up in labour....that is the beauty of a tertiary hospital. (tho obviously you'd wanna book in ;) )

We can advise you of the best Obs to see for vbac there, when the time comes along also.....there are 2 in particular which are very pro-vbac (one of them will even attend breech vbs)....


Yay! come to Perth :yes:

[Bessie]

Yeah, come to Perth!
Joondalup is cool, its quite big and covers a number of Northern Suburbs... the city of Joondalup has everything you need and Joondalup itself is lovely. :thumbsup:
But then most of Perth is pretty cool too!
BTW I transferred from Joondalup to KEMH at 32 weeks, I just went back to my doctor and she wrote and faxed a referral. I was public too. They all knew it was because I'd be informed that KEMH was the best place for VBAC and they were fine about it.
KEMH also has wireless monitors so you don't have to be strapped up to machines and they also extended my gas and air so I could go to the loo with it (I'd drunk loads of water lol).
Good luck!

[cchinnery]

I'll second the stuff about Birthrites - it's a fabulous resource. You must come to the monthly meetings when you get here. They provide all the support and info about vbac in WA that you could ever need. They also have a website (http://www.birthrites.org/) which has heaps of info and the details of the Perth meetings.
Claire

[skyejax]

they r all for vbac at joondalup health campus (also referred to as joondalup hospital) i know cause that is what they offered me straight up at my first antenatal appt. but i opted for a c/s for otther reasons (very long story). so theres another option other than KEMH if u happen to move to the joondalup ish area.

[SassyMummy]

Thanks again everyone - that sounds wonderful!

I was really frightened that I'd be sort of "on my own" in WA for VBAC... but it sounds better than the hospital I would have used if I stayed here! I could care less about food quality, room quality etc... all I want is my VBAC... and the wireless monitoring sounds ABSOLUTELY fabulous! Being strapped to a bed would be HORRIBLE (I hated it enough when I was WASN'T in labour...I can only imagine how it would be going THROUGH a VBAC labour!)

Oh, you have no idea how happy I am with this news - it really makes me feel confident in moving to WA (because seriously, having a VBAC is one thing I DEFINATELY want - to at least ATTEMPT one anyway).

As for Joondalup...I've been there before (I think DP's sis lived in Mindarie or something...). There was a shopping centre that sold lots of pies and sausage rolls... and I just kept on eating their sausage rolls (i'd even go there just for that...lol). It was the only junk-type food I didn't feel sick eating (I was in my first trimester at the time).

[Bessie]

[QUOTE=skyejax;783757]they r all for vbac at joondalup health campus (also referred to as joondalup hospital) i know cause that is what they offered me straight up at my first antenatal appt. QUOTE]

Sorry, I don't mean to contradict you but feel I should say something incase other mums are weighing up options... so apologises, I really don't mean to offend and am glad you had a good experience there.

The problem with Joondlaup (very nice hospy and staff, I stayed overnight at 29 weeks (I think?) is that they are all very "pro" vbac, but they have a huge intervention rate. So what they say doesn't follow thru in practice. I asked questions on the hospy tour which freaked the midwife out doing the tour, such as intervention rate, episiotomy rate etc. Then it was a doctor working at Joondalup who recommended that I transfer to KEMH when I questioned him on what facilities they had for vbac... in his words it was "just a bit too peripheral... if it were my wife having a vbac I'd rather she was at KEMH, as they have 24 / 7 theatre and should the worst happen, it would only take minutes to set up the theatre etc."

I get the impression that Joon'p would be great for your average birth, but just not specialised enough for vbac. Imagine you're happily vbac-ing, 1 hour before theatre closes and all the guys go home... would they let you continue into the night or would they push for a CSection before you're ready?

Good luck, the drive is less than 30 mins and although it was a bit of an inconvenience (ouch, contractions on the freeway are worse than at home lol) its not that far, women in the country travel much further.

King Edwards also have a creche you can put your littluns into when you go for antenatal appointments, although you can opt to see your doctor for most appointments. I did most of my antenatal care at Joon'p and they were good, but when it came to the crunch I knew I was better off at King Edwards.

[skyejax]

[quote=skyejax;783757]they r all for vbac at joondalup health campus (also referred to as joondalup hospital) i know cause that is what they offered me straight up at my first antenatal appt. QUOTE]

Sorry, I don't mean to contradict you but feel I should say something incase other mums are weighing up options... so apologises, I really don't mean to offend and am glad you had a good experience there.

The problem with Joondlaup (very nice hospy and staff, I stayed overnight at 29 weeks (I think?) is that they are all very "pro" vbac, but they have a huge intervention rate. So what they say doesn't follow thru in practice. I asked questions on the hospy tour which freaked the midwife out doing the tour, such as intervention rate, episiotomy rate etc. Then it was a doctor working at Joondalup who recommended that I transfer to KEMH when I questioned him on what facilities they had for vbac... in his words it was "just a bit too peripheral... if it were my wife having a vbac I'd rather she was at KEMH, as they have 24 / 7 theatre and should the worst happen, it would only take minutes to set up the theatre etc."

I get the impression that Joon'p would be great for your average birth, but just not specialised enough for vbac. Imagine you're happily vbac-ing, 1 hour before theatre closes and all the guys go home... would they let you continue into the night or would they push for a CSection before you're ready?

Good luck, the drive is less than 30 mins and although it was a bit of an inconvenience (ouch, contractions on the freeway are worse than at home lol) its not that far, women in the country travel much further.

King Edwards also have a creche you can put your littluns into when you go for antenatal appointments, although you can opt to see your doctor for most appointments. I did most of my antenatal care at Joon'p and they were good, but when it came to the crunch I knew I was better off at King Edwards.
thats fine i know they r very pro vbac the middy's (well 1) was pushing me everytime i went for appt. but i held my ground and the dr i had was all for me having a c/s and to save anymore of me having to justify myself i actually ended up changing and having this dr privately. and yes i know there intervention rate is high. basically if u hav had a natural birth with no probs befopre and u had an em c/s and everything is fine with this preg then vbac will be more successful than if u havnt had very good or no vag delivery experience. if that makes any sense. thats what dr told me. i am having same dr for this preg.

[SassyMummy]

Well, just going by some of the replies I've recieved, I think I'd feel more confident going to KEMH... especially considering a birthrites "higher power" is a part-time worker there, and because they have wireless monitoring. That's a big one for me...I, in no way, want to be strapped down to a CTG...

I've never had a VB... my body didn't go into labour even after being induced 3 times and that's why I had my c-sec. I'd also rather avoid intervention... ANY type of intervention, and especially emergency C-section!