Private, Public or Birth Centre?

[amber]

Originally Posted by BellyBelly

Thats interesting, when stats show it's much higher intervention in private hospitals... in fact the highest for any care.

Sorry yogababy, it was from a few posts up (I am not sure how to quote the whole thing though! )
In no way do I feel the staff of the public hospitals are to blame, they are working as hard as they can with what they have. The funding and resources are just not there for them.
I also just want to let people know how caring and wonderful OB's can be. Mine came and saw me every morning I was in hospital and every appointment I had with him was about half an hour (yes I am that nightmare client )
There certainly are good and bad with all of them (I changed OB's early on due to differing ideas of 'care' )
Kelly, just curious, how are independent midwifes able to make it to every birth? Do they limit the number of clients they take on?

[BellyBelly]

They do limit themselves to the number of clients just like doulas, even Obs LOL. Some work in hospitals too, some are devoted IM's - several book out as quick as the Obs do! I attend 2-3 births a month and I dont miss births... I would think midwives can do more than that but as yet there is not massive demand like Obs.

Two sites you can find out more info at is:

http://www.maternitycoalition.org.au
Australian College of Midwives > Home

[blue daisy]

hey amber

no offense at all

I too had a private OB for my 1st who was totally wonderful...and even shed a tear when I didnt get the birth I was hoping for (rather medical intervention plus)...he was fantastic...

I do a bit of homebirth (2nd midwife call out)...and the independent m/w i do know limit their intake to one EDD per month...or if they work in a partnership with another m/w, and take turns to work week about, I think they decide what their limit is

xx yogababy

[amber]

Thanks so much for that, I have always wondered what happens there!
I am sure it will catch on, is there state funding for public patients to have access to them?
I really hope this election brings about some changes to the health care system

[blue daisy]

Im not sure with the other states...but WA has a gov funded HB program in Fremantle...but only allows for 150 women per year (currently)

xx yogababy

[Divvy]

I had my first son in the public system at Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne. I was hospitalised for almost six weeks prior to his 34w birth, due to very unstable pre-eclampsia. He weighed 1.9 kilos and was in SCN for 10 days before coming home. I cannot fault the continuity of care at Monash, the doctors were consistent (I saw two doctors during my hospitalisation, one of which was the head honcho, and the other was second in command) and the nurses were just wonderful. In fact, I was very lucky that I was in Melbourne at the time that I needed hospitalisation, as at that stage I lived in country Victoria and would have had to be transferred to Melbourne in any event. I delivered my son by emergency c/s.

I did not have Private Health Insurance at the time. Had I had private health insurance, the out of pocket costs of my hospitalisation, birth and subsequent hospitalisation would have exceeded $10,000.

With my second pregnancy, I lost the baby at 17 weeks. I had booked into the Royal Women's Hospital at Melbourne. I attended at the hospital on a Thursday, after some spotting and an ultrasound which determined that my baby had been dead for some time. As I was not cramping or bleeding heavily, the doctor determined that I was not a priority, and I was sent home, and requested to come back the following Tuesday for a d & c. I went into spontaneous labour that night, and after severe haemorraging (including soaking a pad every 15 mins for 4 hours and then using a towel to contain the bleeding), was admitted at 5am and in surgery by 8am. Again, this was in the public system.

For my third pregnancy, I went back to Monash Medical Centre. Although I had investigated Private Health Insurance, due to my experiences with Alex I could not find an insurance company that would cover me for obstetrics AT ALL.

So I engaged a doula (the wonderful Kelly) who dutifully attended all my appointments, ultrasounds and did a lot of investigation into my condition. My GP refused to see me in relation to pregnancy issues during this pregnancy, and I was sent immediately to the High Risk Clinic at Monash. Again, I saw two or three doctors during my pregnancy. One of them wasn't that nice, and I requested not to have him again, which was not a problem. My treatment during pregnancy at the High Risk Clinic was great - all my questions were answered, medication and diet issues discussed in detail, waiting times weren't (that) long, and the support of my doula was simply wonderful.

I ended up having a c/s with Ned as well, at 41w1d, which although wasn't my preferred method of birthing, was medically necessary due to pre-eclampsia again. My doula again was a mountain of support, including helping out with caring for my then 2 year old when my parents were unavailable (DH being very unsupportive at this time).

I would definitely recommend the public system. When I have any further children, I would be going back through the public system. Although I know I will probably be pushed very strongly towards another c/s (I have now had two), I know that they can't force me to have one. For me, I would probably struggle with finding a) private health insurance; and b) a private ob who would be willing to take on someone with my history. And I cannot fault the service or support that the public system (at Monash) gave me.

And of course I highly recommend my wonderful doula!

[Berry]

Although I believe we have one of the best public health systems IN THE WORLD (for instance, I'm confident its better here than in England), I think as a maternity patient my experience as a private customer has been better than being cared for under the public system. I think when it comes to NICU care of prem babies, like my second-born who was cared for primarily at Monash Medical Centre, that care will be equivalent whether your baby has private or public care - thank goodness there really is no discrepancy there according to whether you pay as care is allocated on a needs basis. However, I think mums giving birth have more choices and a more comfortable stay/own room if they go private.

[BellyBelly]

What do you mean by choices Berry? Because they are certainly having more interventions and it's not all mother's choice. I would give up comfort any day if it meant less interventions for me and baby. Birth for me is about best outcomes

[Berry]

I'm not saying that my level of medical care/outcome was any better than that experienced by a woman going public to have her baby, but by choices I mean that I wanted to have an elective caesarian and had this respected from word go (while have heard of people going public who weren't given that choice), and that I could choose my own obstetrician who would oversee my entire pregnancy, birth and post-natal care (whereas friends who went public told me of being disappointed at not having consistency of care as they got whoever was available and no one person to keep their obstetric history), and I was asked whether I wanted my own bathroom and double-bed, and whether I wanted hubby to stay with me and have his meals provided, while friends who went public weren't offered these choices but were allocated noisy shared rooms.

I wouldn't doubt for a minute that public level of care would be high level and fine, but I do think the public system here is over-used and its great if more women are lured over to private care, even if this is merely due to superficial comforts rather than any sort of medical advantage.

[blue daisy]

Hey Kelly and Berry

Because they are certainly having more interventions and it's not all mother's choice. I would give up comfort any day if it meant less interventions for me and baby. Birth for me is about best outcomes

Having worked in both the private and public system, and to some degree as an independent...I would have to agree Berry that the public system is over used, and could do with a bit of a springclean in regards to maternity care services.

I would also agree Kelly that birth is about best outcomes...but I have discovered on my journey that you must teach the consumer (the birthing women, the community, their peers etc) to instigate the change. There are a number of OBs that are not great at best practise for natural birth...but there are also alot of private OB's that do attempt to minimise intervention only to have it requested by the expectant couple. Of course if you bring this together with an increasing age of the expectant couple, increased IVF, increased fear...this will lead to more intervention. The public system is crowded...which can lead to poor personal expereince, leading women to seek intervention in the private system so they feel safe that they will not experience a negative birth again.

It is a complex issue...but at the heart I really believe that education is the key...embracing birth, not fearing it...and as we all work together (and what a wonderful job everyone is doing ) change will occur, starting with a ripple and then a wave...

xx yogababy

[BellyBelly]

OooOoh yeah and getting birthing women to instigate the change, attend rallies, write in to complain etc is a tough thing

[hannahfroodoo]

I was so pleased to read this thread!! I am really having a difficult time deciding if I should go public or private this time around.

I had my first baby through the public system (by choice, we had private insurance but I didn't like the idea of seeing an OB) and can not fault the care I received. I never waited more than 15 minutes for an appt (even that was rare), I attended a local midwifery clinic where there were a limited number of midwives - the theory being that you would see the same group of midwives during your pregnancy and then at least one would be on shift at the hospital for your birth (as it turned out, I changed hospitals right in the last month so I ended up seeing a new midwife for the birth but that was my own decision). I had the birth that I wanted (I wanted no intervention with no drugs and I got it). Yes, I did have to share a room and a bathroom with one other woman but I only stayed 1 night in hospital so it wasn't an issue. And because I didn't stay long in hospital, I qualified for their 'early discharge' program which meant I had midwives coming to my home every couple of days until I was confident to go it alone (this proved invaluable when I had terrible b/feeding problems and the midwife was able to loan me an electric pump free of charge and get me a hard-to-get appointment at the lactation clinic).

So anyway, my experience of public was fabulous and I wouldn't hesitate to repeat it EXCEPT that we have moved towns and the public system here is very overloaded and has a bad reputation. So now I am see-sawing between the 2.
If I had the courage, I would hire an independent m/w and have a home birth but I don't feel quite ready for that yet!

I think paying for private health care if you can afford it is a civically responsible thing to do because it takes pressure off the public system which is obviously very busy. But my sense of civic responsibility doesn't run deep enough to be the deciding factor for me in this situation.

Anyway, anyone else out there got private vs public experiences to share? Because this is extremely helpful for someone in my position who is still deciding which way to go.

[blue daisy]

I had private for number 1 and public for number 2 (in a country town...and did not want to travel 1 hr to get to private)

I really believe that the people you choose to support you in the journey of pregnancy, labor and birth influence your outcome...decide what you want and then find a way to make it happen...ask questions, write a comprehensive birth plan...

myabe if you are not keen on HB, perhaps have a doula...they are wondeful...or maybe even a birth centre

public or private...if women choose to not be empowered and not to be educated and not prepare for the birth they want, then this is when a negative experience can result. No matter where you are if you set yourself up with a great mind set, great team and positive energy then you will have a positive and empowering birth experience

good luck

xx yogababy

[BellyBelly]

Here's an article from the main site: Public, Private, Birth Centre or Home?

Thanks Kelly! I am PRIVATE all the way. I have had initial out of pocket expenses but have received a bit back now. I am looking forward to having my little girl! I believe there are PROS and CONS in public and private. It's up to each individual which way they want to go - we're all different!!

PS. Most private health providers do indeed have a 12 month waiting list. I am in Latrobe Health Services though and they have a 9 month waiting list.

[mel_thekiwimum]

I went to my local public hospital Auburn in Sydney for those that know the area - I tried to go to Westmead but was told that because I wasn't within a 5km radius I had to go to Auburn
I was a bit apprehensive because I work in a public hospital in another part of Sydney and I know some of the waiting times can be extensive and that at times the public health care system gets a bad rap in the media (esp of late with the RNSH patient who miscarried in the emergency room)
anyway my experience was hugely positive - I do have private health insurance but as we had just bought a house didn't think we could afford the out of pocket expenses - I saw the same midwife for every antenatal appointment except one when she was on holiday - the midwife was fabulous - answered all my questions about birth and labour (I like to know as much as possible!) and I think the longest wait I had was about 30 minutes
when I was in labour I was seen by a few different midwives to start with as we arrived right on the shift change but the care we received was really good and when Jackson went a bit blue around the mouth after he was born he was attended to really fast
I don't know if we will go public or private for #2 - I guess when we start TTC we'll make that decision then
the info in this forum will be really helpful when we come to make that choice
Cheers
Mel

[Nimra]

Hello to evrey one this forum.

I am seven weeks pregnant with a acute coccyx at 90 degrees bent and my GP told me, I am for sure going to have C-section.

I don’t have medicare as my hubby is student and we are covered by medibank which covers pregnancy.

I am considering royal women as a private patient; I would appreciate if any one guide me how much I would be out of pocket expenses, How much I will be covered by medibank?

Today just for general inquiry I called one of Frances Perry House’s Obstetric on phone and got heaps of expenses. 200$ for 3 consultations each, 35$ for baby’s heart monitoring, at 20 week 3500$ and at 30th week 1100$ which she said is I cant claim from insurance.

she kept going on with heaps of amount after birth visits and so on for rest of the stuff and my brain was wandering how we going to manage these expenses.

I called medibank and asked how much I can claim back and I was told at 20th week as a out patient I can only claim 110$ out of 3500$ which is really nuts 110 is nothing to claim back.

I then called royal women, Melbourne to ask how much I will be out of pocket but the receptionist hasn’t any idea!

Would be appreciated if some one guide me how much I will be out of pocket.
Thanks
Nimra

Hi all, wondering if anyone has some positive insight to the set up of antenatal care at Hillview frankston? Or is it still at rosebud? Have just moved to rye and am excited to learn what my options are, looking forward to hearing from those in the know, ta CJ