[Zanbam]

Hi

I have just found out I am pregnant. My DH is more than happy to pay for private (we have health insurance) but I kind of figured that we'd save the money and I use the Midwife Group program at Hornsby Hospital.

Today I found out that I would have to use the midwife clinic at Hornsby instead so rather than have the same midwife the whole way through I would see various midwives and sometimes see Drs instead at the clinic. I would still be ok with this and would consider hiring a doula for constancy of support/care but I thought I would check out local Obs anyway just so I have all of the facts.

My main concerns with going public are the quick release after the birth, I'm nervous that if I do have issues with feeding then I won't get the support I need when I need it if I leave hospital after 2 days, maybe it would be better to go private where I can stay for 4 days.

I'm also concerned that the care and support isn't as good in the public system, as this is my first I don't know if I will be confident to just get on with it on our own until the grand finale and I have heard that it can be hard even finding someone to come and check on things when that is wanted.

So if you think I should go private please let me know (bearing in mind this is my first) and if you can recommend a Ob at the San then please pm me.

TIA

[Anonymous12]

Not something anyone can really recommend for you, but I couldn't fault the breastfeeding support I had when I had my baby at a private hospital.

I often wondered if breastfeeding would have got off to such a good start if I hadn't gone private. For this reason alone I thought it was worthwhile.

This post has been edited by Anonymous12: 19/02/2013, 01:23 PM

[opethmum]

If you can afford to go private then do so.

[Beancat]

Again, agreee with PP, only you can decide. But in the meantime, book in with a private ob now for your 10 week appointment, while you are making your mind up. Many of the good ones are booked out by the time you reach around 6 weeks. You can always cancel the appointment before the first visit if you decide to go public

Personally I would never go public if I could afforde private. This will be my third child but i have had three miscarraiges, 2 of which required D&Cs. I have also been hospitalised for mastitis and post partum preclampsia. I have had GD too. My perception is that if you have a trouble free pregnancy and birth you may not feel like private was worth it, but believe me, once things go wrong and the s$%t hits the fan, you want to be in the care of a private ob. Also, as per your concernes re breastfeeding, I stayed in 5 days with the previous two and had tremendous help. i found this to be most useful as I dont have a Mum and at the time didnt have any friends or family who could help with the breastfeeding

This post has been edited by Beancat: 19/02/2013, 01:34 PM

[CallMeProtart]

I had both of mine at Hornsby and cannot fault the care.

What's the story with the midwive group as opposed to clinic? It was 4 years ago so things may have changed, but I did the midwife clinic and saw the same (WONDERFUL) lady each time with no guarantee she'd be there at the birth - or I could have done the 'team' thing and seen different ones BUT one of them would have likely been on shift at the birth.

Also, when I was there, the 2 days was if you wanted to be visited at home by the midwives (which I believe is not available in private), you could stay 3 days if you didn't want this.

I haven't been private, but the care and support at Hornsby was excellent. I'd say better than private, because the lactation consultant was free for however long afterwards you needed to come to see her, and she was absolutely wonderful. They also had the free physio and other classes post birth.
I think it's mainly the swishness of the facilities you pay for by going private - Hornsby is lovely but they are short on cash and the food might not be as good etc (I don't eat hospital food anyway). I don't think you compromise on care at all.

Personally, unless you have an excellent obstetrician that you want for the birth, I would save the money and go public.

I will pm you the name of my wonderful ob, if you do go private. At the time he worked at both Hornsby and the SAN so it wouldn't limit your options.

This post has been edited by lucky 2: 19/02/2013, 06:09 PM

Reason for edit: r/o names of staff, although only the first name was given it is still identifying enough, see red writing above

[cheekymonkeysmum]

I have only birthed public and couldn't fault them at all.

Ds needed to go straight to Nicu and our private hospitals only have scn not NICU and the doctors nurses and midwives were brilliant I was able to get a lactation consultant at the public and she helped so much as ds was tube fed for the first couple of days then the LC helped me feed ds and I fed him till he was 12 months.
The midwives helped at all hrs and even let me sleep and they watched ds for a couple of hrs.
Then I got this itchy stress rash and the midwives got me some cortisone lotion and helped so much and made an appointment with a dermatologist at the public hospital so see if it was something more (which luckily it wasn't).

I really could not fault the public system at all everything and everyone was great and I even stayed for 2 wks and they weren't shoving me out the door (ds was in Nicu for 2 wks) they did ask if I wanted to stay at Ronald McDonald house but since I just started feeding ds and he needed to be fed every 3 hrs they were understanding and let me stay on the ward.

[CallMeProtart]

My perception is that if you have a trouble free pregnancy and birth you may not feel like private was worth it, but believe me, once things go wrong and the s$%t hits the fan, you want to be in the care of a private ob.

Just to clarify on this OP - there is nothing holy about a private obstetrician - most of the ones who work at the public hospital also have private practices. The difference is that you don't know who you are going to get, at the public, until the day - whereas at private you know. And at public, you may be seen by a trainee/registrar and the consulting obstetrician gets called if there are issues.
So if it is someone good, you know you are getting someone good by going private (unless they are on holiday that day, or attending to another birth as happened to my SIL, etc etc). So I guess it's more that you increase the chances of having someone good - there's still no certainty.
But if it is just someone who you have found in the yellow pages and have no idea about, you might as well get that for free at public

[Chief Pancake Ma...]

If you have a straight forward pregnancy and birth there is no benefit of going private over public except you will get your own room and better food. If you are having trouble breast feeding they will let you stay longer (I stayed 4 days) and give you plenty of follow up to make sure every thing is going ok.

[economist99]

Hornsby is amazing with the most amazing LC, and so are the other women in the team, they travel to the USA to train them.

IMO from what Ive heard from the SAN, Mater etc, Hornsby is just as good if not better. Own room, bathroom, everything. Excellent care.

FYI staff ratios at private and public are identical so I really still dont understand what private patients are paying for.

This post has been edited by lucky 2: 19/02/2013, 06:07 PM

Reason for edit: r/o name of LC, although only the first name was given it is still identifying enough, see red writing above

[SnazzySass]

I gave birth at RNSH. I had breastfeeding trouble and was kept in for three days. I was very ready to go home when I did. I had twice weekly appointments with the LC for a few weeks post birth too.

There are generally better birth out comes in public hospitals.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/progra...ocument/4432252