Royal Womens Birth Centre

[Zoe & Troy]

Hi ladies. Im due to have our second baby in December, and we are thinking about putting our name down for the Royal womens Birth Centre. I wanted to know from women who have had their baby there how is it. I want to know everything about pre natal care to post natal care. I had our first baby at the mater mothers, but we are wanting a differnet experience this time round. If someone who has been there could give me some info, that would be great. Thanks from zoe

Zoe 21 Full time working mummy
Troy 25 Stay at home daddy
Jayden 1 Born 7th April 2004
Bub #2 Due 26th December 2005

[Kassiasmum]

Hi Zoe,
You have to put your name in a ballett to get into the birth centre and I think that you may be too late. I would ring them and find out before getting your hopes up.

I had my daughter there and I could not fault any of the care that I had, everything was fantastic.

Tracey

[kailensmum]

I have a relative who works at the RBH and tells me that the waiting list is rediculous, we're talking a couple of years to get in.

[alicesmum]

i was 7 weeks pregnant when i called up. they had had the ballot the day before so I missed out and was put on a waiting list. i actually went up when I was 5-6 months to see them and see where I was and if i had progressed on the list and was still 69th!!! it's quite hard to get in, so as someone else said, you may be too late. I went through the Phoenix Program though (and now there;s another called Pegasus - just asked to be put through to the woman who coordinates these prgrams). Phoenix midwives are often ex-Brith Centre midwives so have the experience and the natural birth philospohy anyway. you see someone from the team at your appointments so hopefully by the time you go into labour you have met them all at least once. in my experience, they were all excellent. the only difference for me i think that was potentially important was that my husband couldn't spend the night after I'd given birth, which would have been nice. otherwise, I did all the same stuff (active birth techniques etc).

let us know how you get on.

[lealah]

I really dont know what to tell you ... i guess i'll just tell you a short version of the whole story. I was transfered from rpa because we moved over that way, and i decided to go to the birth centre.The midwives are all lovely... during my checks everything went well, this was my first baby.I think i saw the same midwife a second time only twice through out all my checks, wich i found to be hard because i didnt feel anyone really knew me. I was told a few times that my baby was big and 'off the chart' witch i wasnt really sure the serverity of what that meant at the time. I was never informed about c-sec, and noone discused the posability due to a large baby. My due date arrived and i attended my appointments for a week after. Iwas just getting bigger and more tired, still no talk of inducing. I was aware that the birth centre is to be all natural and i was hoping for a water birth. iIwent 7 day passed my date. On arrival at the centre when it was time [3am] the mw on at the time was very relaxed and just showed us our room and went to read a mag. I was given pethadine and gas really quickly and also had my waters broken without really any explanation, that happened at around 7 am. 24 hours of labour all up, but after my waters were broken it was12 hrs till i had my little boy by emergency c-sec.... he was so destressed, not to mention me, before though i was put on the hormone for 6,hrs... i didnt dialate enough Towards the end of my pregnancy though i was also told that he was on his side but not to worry he will turn last minute. But he had no room.I had an 11pound3oz \5.08 kl baby. When my husband and i went into the theater they had trance tecno music playing so loud i started to cry and when my husband asked if they were going to turn it off, they said "we normally leave it on". We made them turn it off .Then i went back to hospital 5 days latter with an infection in my wound. It was confurmed staff. And i wasnt the only one, there had been 14 women in as many days return with the same infection, i noticed that the cleaners were really bad they would come to clean your room and the job was so bad they left dirty towels and things not vacumed and when the people came to change the sanitary bins they would open the doors with the same hands that the open the bins with and then the cleaners wouldnt clean the doors. I think i sat there really watching after getting the infection ,i became aware of all those things around me . There was one mid wife who came into my room and pushed the garbage down in the bin cause it was so full it hadn't been emptied and then she came over to me and proceded to have a look at my wound, i had to push her away and she couldn't work out why.The other thing wrong was, they asign you a doctor but i didnt see him untill something went wrong, untill i came back with the infection. I think what i want you to take from this is when they tell you that they expect you to do alot of the the labour alone they mean it . I was lucky i took my mother, my husband and my best girlfriend. This wont be your first child so things could be alot different for you. Also i want to say that after that first midwife went home i had another mw an angle sent to me her name was jo.... and she came into the room... and just took control of a messy scary confusing time and gave me strength, and showed me the power within myself. She was incredable. Even when her shift had finished and it was time for me to have my operation she stayed with me she came with us into the theater and stayed the whole time making jokes and taking photos. I guess many people have had great experiences there and im sure they would outway the bad, but i really needed you to here my side of things so you can see the whole picture, i just felt that it was all handled a bit too willy nilly they treated me as just one more pregnant woman like it was a slaughter house it really was bad. Sorry!!!!!!

[Ffrenchknickers]

Lealah, I think you are talking about a different birth centre. Zoe is in Brisbane. The RBWH Brith Centre is fantastic, I cant rave about it enough! Everyone I know who has had babies there say they wouldnt go anywhere else now, myself included. You are aasigned the one midwife who will come in on call and stay with you for the entire birth.

As for the waiting list being years, thats not possible if you think about it!! Everyone who puts their name down gets put int he ballot and then it is the luck of the draw.

I think you may be too late for the ballot but still put your name down as I know plenty of people who have gotten in (as people who have complications etc. drop out at latser staged.)

Good luck, I hope you get in!!

[lealah]

woops .....................................

[Zoe & Troy]

Hi everyone, Sorry Ive been a bit slack on keeping everyone updated. I called the birth centre last week, and Im number 15 on the waiting list. The midwife who took my booking was lovely. She explained to me that the first 10 women on the waiting list were pretty likely to get in, so me being number 15 is still pretty good chances. My doctor has booked me into the Mater Mothers in the mean time, just incase I don't get in to the birth centre.

Thanks for all your help and advise From Zoe

Zoe Full time working mummy + studing cert 5 in practice mangt.
Troy Stay at home daddy
Jayden Born 7 Aril 2004
Bub #2 Due 26 December 2005

[Ffrenchknickers]

Best of luck!! Sounds like you are in with a chance!