Private Hospital versu Birth Centre

[laurac1602]

Hi there,

I am 10 weeks pregnant with my first child and i have a big dilemma: I do not know if to accept the place at the Birth Centre at the Royal Women in Brisbane or if to go privately, thorugh my gynecologist, who is wonderful and also I have seen him few times, so I know whom I am dealing with. He works at the Mater and I really don't know what to do because i really would like to have a natural birth with all the support that good midwifes can do ( perhaps the Birth Centre is very much well known for this), but at the same time i don't like the idea once i gave birth to share a room with other mothers and other crying babies. Also, I have had private insureance for quiet few years, therefore i though why not to opt for the comfort?
However, this is a big dilemma because i do give importance to labour, however it is also nice to have a more personal and frequent care with an obstetricain, especially in the first pregnany.

If anyone would have any suggestions and/or opinions, please feel free to give some!

I need to decide in the next days and I am really struggling.

Thanks

[drewid]

Hi

Congrats on your pregnancy!

I was in the same position as you (almost) trying to decide whether to go public or private, seeing as I had been paying for private health insurance for years and years.

I'm not big on doctors...hate going to see them! So I opted to go private, so the only doctor i would ever have to see would be the SAME one each check up. And he was really lovely and always made me feel comfortable, which was really important to a shy thing like me.

You are totally able to have a natural birth at the Mater if you go private - I did. No one tried to push me into having any drugs and I was able to have a lovely natural labour and birth that I was really happy with. The midwife taking care of me in the delivery suite was FANTASTIC and I couldn't have asked for better support from both her and my hubby. My obstetrician was also there for the later stage and it was great to have him there. He came in to check on me every day afterwards also, a lovely personal service.

Having a private room was WONDERFUL, hubby even got to stay over each night and was provided with some meals. All of the midwives on the ward were very helpful and friendly.

PLEASE don't think that going private means that you won't be able to have a natural birth or that you won't get great personal and supportive from your midwives! Private was awesome for me at the Mater, and I would definitely go there again for my next bub.

The only thing to consider is the costs - private health picks up the hospital charges (minus your excess of course), but you do still need to pay for all those obstetrician visits, and ultrasounds etc, which can add up to quite a pretty penny! Luckily we reached our medicare threshold very quickly, so in effect were only paying $5 for each ob check up , which was awesome! The scans got pricey, but if you're lucky you should only have a few of those.

Good luck with making your decision!!

[Ffrenchknickers]

Hi,

All I can say is if you want to be assured of support for a natural birth then GO THE BIRTH CENTRE!!

Have you seen the rooms there? They are better than any private hospital I have been in - like a big motel room with a double bed, bath and couch. You get to stay there after having your baby as well so no worries about sharing a room with other babies. The best bit is, your hubby gets to stay the night with you which is very special. Also, its the only place you can have a water birth if you choose to.

If it's comfort and a natural birth you're after, the birth centre will deliver! I can't rave about it enough. Good luck.

[liz73]

Hi !! I have had both. I had my little girl privately as she was my first, didn't know what to expect and felt more confident having an obstetrician take care of me throughout. I had my little boy last year at Royal Brisbane Women's as I felt more confident about the whole process and therefore I was ok with being taken care of by midwives, they were very professional and fabulous during the labour and birth. Although you do have to share a room after, but I didn't mind so much with my second because I only stayed one night then went home. I guess it comes down to your confidence in yourself, and your confidence in doctor or midwife care for your first, and the care you would like afterwards. You sound like you are leaning towards private - you can take control of your labour and birth where ever you go - just make it clear to them what you want prior to the birth. And look at it this way, if you go private this time you can go to RBWH if you have anymore. Would love to hear what you decide. Take care.

[aardvark]

I'm in a dliemma myself.

I was thinking about a home birth, because the hospital where Ihad #2 does not do maternity anymore, and they had a know-your-midwife programme, and I loved the support of the one midwife through the labour, without the comings and goings of shift changes etc.

I'm getting cold feet about that to some extent. I like the notion of having 24/7 support from a midwife in the days following in case there are feeding problems. I might know what I am doing with breastfeeding, but the baby has to learn from scratch. I am also concerned that if I were home, with two kids, and a mother on the other side of town, so no close family support, I would not get the opportunity to rest like I would if I go to the private hospital.

What I am thinking about know is continuing with the obstetrician, and booking into the private hospital, meanwhile considering the notion of engaging an Independant Midwife to be with me throughout the labour, just as they would if I were giving birth at home.

[betty]

i would say the birth centre if you get offered a place, if not, keeping calling to see if a place has become available,
i had my baby there and wouold go any other way
the level of support is amazing and the midwives are truly encouraging in your choices to be active/natural in birth, whereas a private hospital may have staff not fully traines and commited to the idea

[Clarebear]

Hi, I have been both private with my OB and public in the Birth Centre. I am not sure if you know but you can still be a private patient with your Doc at the birth centre. I don't know of any birth centres that are shared rooms. When you give birth in the private birth centre room you stay there for a day or 2. If you want to stay longer you can go onto the ward or have a private room.

In my experince, if you are passionate about giving birth naturally, the best support is from midwives in a birth centre. They are trained to help you acheive natural birth in any possible way, including hot/cold packs, bath, shower, birthng stool or ball, massage, oils, etc. They will offer you many different things an encourage you through it.
Whereas on the labor ward you may be inclined to give in to the drugs which are already there in the room.

If you do go to the birth centre, you may find you don't even need your doctor, as he/she would only be there to watch you deliver your baby

Again, this is just my experience of going through both. My first 2 were private on the labor ward and my 3rd I went public at the Birth Centre.

Maybe you could go on a tour of the centre and caht with other mum's and the midwives there.
All the best

[mummycloud]

I had all 3 at public hospitals and my second one was natural.
It depends on how the labor is progressing and how you are coping, rather than which hospital you are at.
I had pethadine with my first, but the rest of the labor was natural (spontanious labor, unassisted delivery).
My 3rd was induced beacuse of pre-eclampsia, but the IV was switched off after 20 minutes because the labor progressed well on it's own, so ended being natural.
I would have liked to go to a birth centre,but I was told that I would have to leave after 24 hours after the birth.
That worried me so I opted for a natural birth in a labor ward.
Other than my first, the doctors never seem to make it on time anyway and the midwives deliver.
I'm going private this time because I am covered, live closer to a private hospital, can't stand sitting at clinics waiting for hours, want to be seen by the same person each visit, so I don't get mixed opinions and most of all, because I know that the staff where I am having my baby WILL go by my birth plan.
I plan on a natural birth, but if the baby is in distress or I have to be induced, then natural goes out the window.
As far as pain relief goes, I know I can cope without anything, although I enjoy the gas but don't really "need" it LOL

[Briannabear]

Just a question................. Is it possible to have a VBAC at a Birth Centre as opposed to a Private Hospital - or is it too risky? (Probably a silly question - but Im just curious). Ive read a bit on the Birth Centre here in Brisbane and it seems wonderful!

[mummycloud]

VBAC is too high risk for birth centres in Victoria, but I don't know about Brisbane