Hervey Bay Hospital

[cglaz]

I am not pregnant yet but just wanting to find out information early about Hervey Bay hospital which is the nearest birthing hospital to Maryborough where I live. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience having a baby at Hervey Bay Hospital as I have heard some bad reports and am wondering if I would be better off doing the drive to Nambour (which I have only heard good reports on) when the time arrives.

[Lallas' Mum]

Hi there. I've given birth to all my three bubs at Hervey Bay Hospital. And of course each experience was different to the next. All fairly positive. The midwives there are fabulous (though as with anywhere you do occassionly get one that rubs you the wrong way.)
My DS1 was born naturally with the assistance of a midwife (at first). When DS1's head crowned though and they realised he was a bit of a whopper (10lb8oz) my midwife was quick to hit the buzzer and almost instantly Drs appeared from nowhere. Bub was delivered safely and without to many complications. He did develop a blood borne infection (not the fault of anyone at all - just one of those things) and DS1 had to spend time in the special care nursery. The staff were not only helpful with medical care they were very helpful with emotional support also. My first experience was very positive.
DS2 was born via elective C/S due to his size. My care was pretty good but the were a little slack on doing their obs on me and with pain relief so I left pretty quickly just to get back to the comfort of my own home.
DS3 was born in Nov 06, so pretty recent. He was born once again by elective c/s - my care was outstanding this time. I had one nurse with me most of my first day. She prepped me for surgery, went into surgery and was waiting in recovery to take me back to my room. She did all my obs that first day and it was great. The excellent care continued and I couldn't have asked for better care.

I have been told that they are pretty good on getting you transferred back to Maryborough Hospital as soon as your stable and a bed is available for you. Which means you'll be closer to home sooner than you think.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

[Lallas' Mum]

I was just talking with my DH and he told me a horrible story about a sister of a friend of ours. She firstly presented at H'bay Hospital after her waters broke. She was told to go home, she couldn't have the baby today - there is just no where to put you. She went home but returned later as she had dilated further. They ended up placing a bed in the utility room where she was surrounded by gas bottles. She even had to buzz a nurse to get her to move some stuff so she could get off the bed. I was horrified to hear this. I knew it can get busy there but that was ridiculous.
When I went in to have DS2 by C/S there was no bed for me to begin with but by the time I got out of recovery I was wheel straight into a room.

It might be a good idea to look into Nambour Hospital. Sorry if I led you astray a little with my positive and neutral experiences.

[cglaz]

Thanks for your help, it is good to hear different stories. I thought I might also attend a local playgroup to speak to other locals that have possibly used Hervey Bay. I want to make sure I'm at a place where I have total confidence so I'll take the time to thoroughly check it all out. Thanks again.

[Sazeby]

Hi i recently gave birth at Hervey Bay hospital
i didn't like it..

first of all i was supposed to be booked in for an induction - which the midwife never booked in for me.

i haemoragged (sp?) after birth and lost quite a bit of blood.. they never gave me any sort of iron or anything.. and they never got around to checking my HB levels as they were too busy:mad:

when i was discharged the day after i gave birth i was having massive dizzy spells me being totally exhausted with a newborn i thought i might have just been tired.. but sleep didn't help so i went to my GP and he did a blood test and my HB levels were really very low.

Also about an hour after i gave birth i was taken back to my room where the midwife rattled off a million things for me to do in about 5 seconds.. didn't explain anything clearly and left me there by myself with a screaming newborn .. when i pressed the buzzer for assitance.. none came.. plus some of the midwives made me feel really stupid.

next time i will be going elsewhere.

[HerveyBayMum]

i gave birth in September. I was a bit dissapointed with the hospital because they never showed me a thing as this was my first child i had no idea. But i did have a great midwife while i was giving birth. But every person will have good or bad reviews

[Torn85]

Hi, I gave birth in October 2004 and had such a pleasent experience, they gave me heaps of help and let me stay in the room till i gave birth to my daughter.
Then i was a having a baby in april 2007, well that was a different story, we had hit a kangaroo and it had broke my water but they just didnt care, they sent me home because i was 36 weeks and 6 days. They said i need to be 37 weeks to bring on the baby. a couple of hours later i was getting contractions and by that stage it was after mid night so they let me come back to the hospital. I kept telling them i wanted to have a epidural this time and that the baby was coming soon as it was my 3rd child, i knew when it was coming. They stuck me in a room with mothers that had already had kids. The baby was coming and i kept buzzing and no one came for ages. FInally when someone came they took me to the delivery room and there was one mid wife, no doctors were around at all, lucky there were no complications, baby was born 30 mins after. Very good midwife, she said it was lucky i knew what i was doing. This hospital needs more delivery rooms!!

[leahbev08]

Hello

I have had 2 babies in Hervey Bay. They are pretty good.. they seem to be nice enough. But like everywhere, you gotta get the good midwives. You always get the old fuddy duddy ones everwhere you go. Try and get your own private room if possible so you dont have to share.

It is up to you which hospital you go to though. You have to feel comfortable. You can always get a tour of the ward before you have to go in!

Hope this helps!

[petamarie87]

Thank goodness for bub hub!!!! i have just come home from the hervey bay hospital on a anti-natal doctors appointment :banghead: to say the least!!! i was so angry and upset by the doctors i decided to google hervey bay hospital maternity.... anywho getting off track i have a son that is now 2 1/2 and expecting again in April... i had my son in toowoomba by c-section because he was a breach baby and i had a thick uterus..

i am so confused.. i would like to try for a natural birth but they dont like to induce after a c-sec at the hervey bay hospital so if i go over my due date i will be up for a c-section :(... well the doctor that i seen asked for all my other ultra sound results which i didnt have on me only my 18 week scan he talked to me like i was an absolute dummy because i stated that my "6 week scan had the wrong dates" and i was actually 8 weeks.. and found out on my 12 weeks (or what i thought was my 12 week scan) that i was actually 14 weeks after that was all sorted (being a forginer) (spelling??) i didnt understand something he said so i said excuss me!? and then he had the hide to start raising his voice at me... which i thought was absolutly rude!!!! and when it come to doppler time he was flat out finding the heart beat :S which sort of scared me.....

and also (la la la anybody would think i am *****ing or something :p) he was sooo illeterate and mathamaticly challenged he thought i was 20 not 22 by working on my due date :S and also at the end of the consultation he said i was 27 weeks not 22 week :S....

so know i just feel like throwing my hands up in the air and saying just book me in for a c-section and the bottom line is i dont want to have this baby in hervey bay..... hearing so many bad things is just turning me off the hospital......

please give me feed back if you can thanks guys xox over and out lol

have a merry christmas :santa:

[biancajoan]

I gave birth to my daughter at the hervey bay hospital. I had a good experience although at one stage it was awful. I had been given an epidural and was told to get some rest as i had been there for awhile and was tired. I was told i wouldn't have my baby till lat morning the next day. So i rolled over and closed my eyes for 10 minutes and had the urge to push. My partner was in a deep sleep as he was extremely tired. I could not get him to wake. I had pressed the buzzer millions of time and noone seemed to hear it. Then i thought my call was heard when a midwife walked in then to my disgust she walked straight back out.This happened several times. My screams of pain and my buzzer did not seem to work but then my parnter woke and went to get a midwife. They said that they would be in soon. When they arrived my baby was crowning. After that the same midwife came into the room and uncovered my baby and said she was too hot. Being a first time mum I had no idea then she told me my baby had jaundice from poor feeding! I was shocked because babies get jaundice from being to cold! I felt like the worst mum in the world! I felt like i was being treated differently because i was a young mum. But other than that my stay was pleasant.

[SDuncs]

I was just wondering if Hervey Hospital supports VBACs? I am 16 weeks pregnant & we are moving to Hervey Bay pretty soon. After having a c-section with my first, I would like to have a VBAC with this one. Has anyone had a successful VBAC there? Just not feeling so confident after reading some of the posts on this thread :-/

[chookylaa]

I heard they would only take 2nd timers with absolutley no complications or risks for both pregnancies as they only have middies there.

I don't like your chances, sorry!:(