Private, Public or Birth Centre?

[chrisgrace]

Hey Kara,
Thanks for the info- I didn't know about that Mater program- I'll look into it.
Does anybody know any info about the Ulysses Midwife program run alongside the Birth Centre?
Thanks!

[~kaos~]

Ah, I didn't know that is what they are calling it

There is a team of midwives at the BC working shift work rather than on call. That must be the program you are talking about. So you don't get one or a team of two midwives that look after you, but a whole team (about 6 I think). But they follow birth centre philosophy, but I believe you can't have a waterbirth with them (though that might change if they get the training). So if you have the choice, go with the continuity of care model at the birth centre where you get care from one or two midwives. But the team would be better than birthing outside the BC and in the main birth suite.

[chrisgrace]

Hi again,

Just wondering if anybody can tell me whether through Mater Mothers Midwifery Group Practice in Brisbane you have access to water tubs/bath for pain relief throughout labour? I don't think they would offer waterbirth option but I have heard some midwives are trained in it. Are you able to stay in the tub until bub crowns?
Thanks,
Christine

[ppatney]

HI there

Can somebody tell me if you have to pay for costs such as anasthesia or c-section or anything else at all in chosing to go public? I also hear that upto two scans are free with medicare but after that there is a charge? Does that mean it comes off the medicare safety net? Can anyone shed some light on this please?

Thanks
Pal

[olive]

i went public for both all i paid for was my initial appointment with my GP to do shared care, and the two scans of which i recieved a rebate from medicare, the rest was free, im not sure how it all works when you have all appointments through the hospital, its best to ring the hospital your thinking of going to

[sloane]

i went public. i paid for both of my main scans - the NT & 20 week but everything else was covered. i had gest diabetes and had extra monitoring & scans to check growth & fluid levels and that was covered as well because i was having the baby at the hospital.

i did get some of a rebate from medicare for the 20 week scan from memory, but not all.

but as AJP says, maybe best to check with the hosp you're planning on going to just in case.

[Malyna]

I didn't have to pay for my emergency c-section and I went public, although to be honest, I did use my private patient in a public hospital cover, so I coudl get a private room, which was heaps better than having to listen to the people in the bed next to me talking at the top of their voices.

[skeetaboat]

I had a c-section at Dandenong (public), sharing a twin room, and overall it wasn't a very good experience. The main two issues were lack of care continuity, and lack of privacy.

Despite the fact that I had pre-arranged with the midwives and an anaethetist that I could have anxiolosis before the c section (who told me that it would be no problem), in the three hours leading up to the operation had to continually request it and argue my case for it with every caregiver I came in contact with (4 in total); we were still negotiating with theatre staff 5 mins before going into theatre. That was the first difficulty that wouldn't have been an issue if I had arranged private care.

The second issue is that I could not get any sleep. The first night my door was left wide open and all the noises and lights from the nurses station and the crying babies meant that I did not get one *minute* of sleep at all. I still had the catheter in and couldn't get up to close the door. By mid-morning I figured out I could probably ask for the door to be closed (DUH!), and did so at 8:30am. Finally I fell asleep and at 9am a midwife burst in, opened the door, turned the lights on and opened all the curtains (including the curtain for privacy between myself and the lady in the bed next to me) and declared it was time to get up! The next night was similar; the midwives kept leaving the door wide open, and at about 3am, 4 or 5 special care nursery staff and doctors needed to speak to the girl in the next bed and burst in turned on all the lights, and spoke really loudly with her as though it was the middle of the day and she was the only person in the room.. when they left, they left the door wide open and lights on (THANKS FOR THE CONSIDERATION!!!) I hauled myself up out of bed (about 30 hours post surgery, so it still hurt like hell to get up) to turn the goddamn lights off and close the door so I can sleep again. Finally get back to sleep, then at 7am-ish the cleaners, the vaccuming person, etc etc start trailing in and it was more of the same; lights left on and door wide open. It was so annoying and agonising having to heave myself up out of bed to turn the lights off and close the door every time someone came into the room!!!!! By the third night I was p****** right off and buzzed every time the midwives left the door open or lights on to ask them to please turn them off/close the door!! Even during one of the so-called 'rest times' when all visitors including husbands are kicked out, 4 staff came into the room in the space of 30 minutes. 3rd night a new lady who must've had her baby thru the night took the other bed in the room (the previous lady had shifted rooms). At 3am the room was full of midwives, lights, screaming baby and people talking loudly, and it stayed that way until daybreak. 4th night I asked for an early discharge because I was starting to feel delirious (8 hours sleep in total between Monday morning and Thursday afternoon), but was refused.

People always say that hospitals aren't places conducive to sleep, and I totally agree - there are around the clock things to be done, but the public hospital I went to was so under-resourced that staff didn't even have time to think about simple considerations such as turning lights off or closing doors in the middle of the night so that new mothers can catch a few winks.

So all up my public hospital experience wasn't very nice. I guess ultimately whether you choose public or private depends on whether or not you think it's worth paying several thousand dollars for a few days of comfort.