Public v Private in Victoria?

[RuthK]

Hi girls

This is my first time here. I have just moved back to Australia after 5 years in Ireland, where I had my DS (2.5) and DD (nearly 1).

My husband and I, gluttons for punishment, are wanting to go for No.3 now. I am wondering what your views are on going public (in Melbourne, in particular Sandrinham public or Monash Medical Centre/Birthing Unit).

We want to avoid going private as even with private health insurance you are still so out of pocket and considering both my other pregnancies were low risk, I doubt I need a speciliast obstetrician this time around. Additionally, as much as i'd like to stay in hospital 5 or so days, I know after one day I'll be aching to get home to my other little ones, so figure I can survive being in a public ward if it's just for one night (ie: in case it's bad).

I'd so appreciate your views.

R

[Treasure]

Hi Ruth,
I moved to Melbourne from the UK five days ago and had just come on here to post the very same topic as you have.

I am 20 weeks pregnant with my first baby and as my husband has been transferred over here with work we assumed that our healthcover would remain. Our health insurer had other ideas and will not waive a 12 month waiting period for pregnancy. So now we are faced with paying for private ourselves or using public facilities at Sandringham.

I have heard different things from different people but am happy to go with a public birth (as I would be doing in the UK) but would love to hear from others who have delivered at Sandringham.

Sorry to hijack your post here and I hope you don't mind. Wanted to say Hi anyway!

Louise

[shell]

hi girls i had a girl about for months ago now . Ok if you go public you dont pay anything and if you go private it is about a $1000 . i went public and everything was great didnt cost a thing just need your medicare card . Hope that has helped

kylie
chloe 4 months :)

[Elfin]

Hi and welcome to Australia. Hope you are enjoying it thus far. If you do decide to go private without insurance just be careful about what everything might cost as you could be left with a very large bill. Also as childbirth is unpredictable make sure that if you baby needs special or intensive care that you don't end up paying for that as well as it costs a lot per day. Just do as much research as you can to find out the costs involved. I think the $1000 quoted above is what you would pay with private insurance not without it.

I live in Queensland and have had 3 babies in the public system and have been happy. Don't know what the quality of care is like in Victoria. Public care is generally pretty good in Australia.

[Treasure]

Thanks so much Shell and Easterlilly,

I have had some costings and it seems to be around the $6,000 mark to go private without insurance, but as you say, Easterlilly things happen and prices go up. The insurance company have said that the baby will be covered from birth which is something.

I'm really pleased to hear that both of you have used the public system and been happy with the service provided and as I said earlier, that is precisely what we have in the UK so it would not seem strange to me I don't think.

Louise

[RuthK]

Louise

I've sinced called Sandringham public hospital and they sounded lovely and have booked me in for a tour in March. You should call the maternity unit yourself and do the same.

Another option might be Monash birthing unit. They are for low risk pregnancies and advocate as natural a birth as possible. I'm tempted to look at them too as I would love a water birth.

I have decided to go public now. Just got my AF this morning, but we're going to start trying for No.3 this month. Got it on the first try with the last 2 so hope we're just as lucky again.

Hope you're enjoying Australia. Where are you living?

[Treasure]

Hi Ruth,

I spoke to Sandringham yesterday and am going there next Wednesday to have a look around. Yes, the Monash birthing unit was another suggested to me - is it usual and accepted practise to go and have a look around if you want to?

I am living in Sandringham - where are you?

Hey best of luck this month ;) It took me over two years to conceive - we found out I was pregnant the day before hubby left the UK for Australia. Talk about good timing!!!

Louise

[emmaandhayleysmum]

Hello Ruth and Louise,

My name is Anna, I moved over here from the UK 18 mths ago (me again Louise!). I have two beautiful girls. The first one I had through the public system in the UK, where all went really well, and the second I had here 4 mths ago, also through the public system, and I have to say they were excellant! The hospital and midwives here, were so much better in comparison to the ones in the UK. The main difference I found over here were the midwives. They played a much bigger part in my second labour, and got a whole lot more involved, which was really great and really reassuring. I really can't fault the public system, and best of all it didn't cost us a penny, or cent even!!! My friend went her pregnancy the same time as me, but through the private system, and to tell you the truth, there weren't any major differences. With the private system you do get to meet the obstetrician(sp?) that will be present at the birth, all the way through the pregnancy, also after you've given birth you get a private room, with an ensuite etc. Any offer major differences I can't think of, so obviously don't feel like I missed out on anything! Personally I wouldn't pay the extra money to have these priveleges(sp?). In the public hospital, ok I shared a room with another lady, but we had our own ensuite too! Sorry I do tend to go on and on! To sum it up if we have another baby one day, I wouldn't hesitate to go publicly again! Hope this helps a little, sorry to have waffled!

Hope all goes well for you both.

Take care

Anna :)

[Treasure]

Hi Anna,

Thanks for your reply :) The general consensus seems to be that public is as good as private which is very reassuring and I am already feeling much better about things (thank goodness for this forum!).

I have just spoken to a midwife at the Birth Centre (Monash hospital) which is midwife run with the focus being on natural deliveries with minimal or no intervention. They have a birth pool there as well, which like Ruth, I quite like the idea of. It was a very interesting conversation and was nice of her to take the time to explain everything to me. The only problem for me is that they do not routinely offer epidurals :eek: Now, it may be that I do not require one, however, this being my first baby who knows what might happen? They do have Doctors back up support so I guess if things got 'really bad' they would intervene -what do you think about this?

Thanks again for your reply, it has really helped me a lot.

Louise

[RuthK]

Ruth and Louise

I live in Parkdale. Work full time in the city (no, it's not easy, i have no life)

I had both my babies in Ireland (although I am Australian), one Private and one semi-private. To be honest, I enjoyed going semi-private more (except for the fact that I had to share the hospital room with 4 others and their very loud babies) because I wasn't paying a fortune for the privilege. The midwife who delivered my second baby was so calming, it was a much nicer experience than the 5 or so people hanging around for the first birth.

We conceived both our babies on the first try so we hope this time around is just as easy. If not, then we're not rushed, as with my pregnancies comes at least 7 months of nausea!

R

[RuthK]

Ooops, sorry, meant to say Anna and Louise!

[emmaandhayleysmum]

Hiya Louise

Personally I think, like you say the doctors will intervene if necessary. With my first pregnancy I had decided that I wasn't really keen on having an epidural, but wouldn't knock it back if things got too bad! I was in hospital for 14 hrs before giving birth to Emma Lauren, although the contractions weren't pleasant, the midwives didn't mention an epidural, and I didn't ask, I think if I had been offered it I would have had it! I just got high on two shots of Pethedine(sp?), that seemed to do the trick for me! Second time round, as much as I wanted a shot of Pethedine the hospital wouldn't give it to me, I was too close to giving birth to Hayley, so that was a drug free labour, not my choice, but am really pleased with the way things went. I never ruled out having an epidural, just didn't happen. I would have thought if you get to a stage in your labour where you can't handle it anymore, and you really need an epidural then surely like you say the doctors will intervene. Hope this helps.

Anna

[Treasure]

Hi Ruth and Anna,

Ruth - crikey you must be a very busy mum working full time with two little ones and planning another. I did work in the UK until the end of November and have always worked but am having a little rest now and thoroughly enjoying it! Our dog and two cats are in quarantine at the minute also so twice a week I travel over to Spotswood to 'visit' them. They will be out 26th February so I am looking forward to getting myself out and about with Piper then.

Anna- thanks so much for your detailed information. I have no idea how I will get on during my labour but I am of the opinion that I would like the option of an epidural if I wanted to have one. I love the sound of the Birth Centre and it's philosophy and the midwife I spoke to was fantastic so I have to weigh up my options carefully. I have decided though that I will go public - from the advice I have been given by others there will be no difference in my care - with the exception being the same Doctor all the way through and the little extras like seperate room etc.

Louise

[RuthK]

Louise

I had no pain relief with my first labour and it was HELL!

With mysecond I asked for an epidural and it was HEAVEN!

I made sure they didn't top it up too much when I was pushing so I could feel exactly what I was doing, and as a result I was able to move around after about an hour. Just as well I had it as my DD was kin the posterior position and I was told had I not had an epidural the 2.5 hours it took to push her out would have worn me out and I would have ended up having a caesarian. so that tiem the epidural worked well.

Third time around (still in the conceiving process) I'd keep an open mind. I'd love a water birth, as water was so relaxing with both labours. but I wouldn't say no to an epidural, although I would opt for a mobile epidural so I could move around and rush on the birth.

R

[Treasure]

Hi Ruth,

I've just had my tour of the maternity unit at Sandringham today and they have a bath for water births and they have a 'family' room for those ladies wishing to have a more natural birth. The midwife I spoke to said that they fully support ladies being mobile during the labour and delivery. I was very worried about going but to be honest I feel much happier now that I have been and had a look around. The other advantage is that there are only two beds per room and wherever possible they use only one bed in the room - which is quite nice I thought. I have decided to go with the option of antenatal with a GP who will also deliver the baby for me at Sandringham and feel quite happy with the choice I have made. There will be some out of pocket expenses but it means that I will see the same Doctor for the remainder of my pregnancy - which is what I was most concerned about and it seems to be a happy medium between public and private - for me anyway.

Good luck with the conception and whatever you decide to do afterwards!

Louise

[ashika]

[hey,

i would recommend the monash in moorabbin , clayton or the sandringham hospital...................they are great.

I had mine at monash hospital in clayton and they were fantastic.

Go to your local GP and he will recommend these hospitals to you. My cousin recently had hers at sandringham and she was fine.

But make sure you get membership with ambulance...........it is about $100 for the family.........so your baby will be covered as well. Sandringham just does deliveries (natural birth and c section) but if you do have complications they will transfer you to monash which isn't very far from where you live. So ambulance membership will help greatly or else you will end up paying thousands on ambulance transfer.

Well look into it if you want to and see how you go.


Ashika

[RuthK]

Louise

That sounds fantastic. I'm definitely choosing there. Dare I be a snob and also say that Sandringham is a very nice area so you're not going to get a lot of riff raff there.

I'm nearly a week past ovulation in our first month of trying for no.3 and I've got the sorest breasts (never happens normally) and am wrecked. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I have a feeling i might be expecting. Next week, when I can test, seems so far away!

Louise, do you want to chat on email?

R

[jacqui]

Hello everyone, :)
Im new to this forum but having read some of the messages I have found it useful. I have been in Oz for almost 2 yrs and am 26 wks pg with my first, I didnt do any research just kinda went with the flow with my Gp when he referred me to the Mercy Womens.Has anyone been there? How did they find it. I opted for midwife care and am hoping to use hypnobirthing to help me through labour.The midwife was actually quite taken aback when I mentioned it so Im beginnning to wonder if they welcome modern or alternative births. My hubby and I will also have to go way out to Heidleberg when the hospital moves. Is it difficult to transfer your care to another public hospital, I have heard good things about Sandringham too.
Im getting a bit nervous now. I would appreciate any advice you have,
Cheers, Jacqui.

[Treasure]

Louise

Dare I be a snob and also say that Sandringham is a very nice area so you're not going to get a lot of riff raff there.


R

:D :D :D

Hi Ruth,
Sorry been a bit busy lately so have not been on the site. Hey, if you have really sore boobs then I'd say you've probably done it!!!!!

I'd love to chat via email - my address is: louisetreasure@hotmail.com
I know you work but drop me a line when you can and let me know what happens next week. My fingers are crossed for you ;)

Hi Jacqui,
I'm sorry I don't know anything about the Mercy hospital. The only ones I have any information on are Sandringham and Monash. I think it is entirely your choice which hospital you prefer so guess that even at 26 weeks if you wanted to change you could. Why not post a thread on here asking specifically about the Mercy hospital. Alternatively, www.**********.com.au were starting up a feedback area on maternity units so you may want to have a look there. Where are you living Jacqui?

Louise