[NinjaMum]

We went private with the first bub, and ended up about $5k out of pocket. Our financial circumstances have radically changed, and despite still retaining our health insurance, we simply cannot afford private again.

This time we'll be going public. I'm confident that my local public hospital (a tertiary hospital) will provide excellent care. I might not get a room to myself and it might be very busy, but at least we won't have to find $5k! That said, it's incredibly difficult to find ANY personal experience kind of information on my public hospital, so you may not be able to find out much until you enter the system.

[ubermum]

I went private for my first two, and am going public for this one. Honestly, there isn't much difference in care depending on where you choose to birth. Since medicare rebates have changed, I would be out of pocket $6k if I used my private insurance and went to my ob/gyn for this baby. I can't justify that when I can get equally good care in the public system, just a shorter stay and maybe not a private room. I have chosen a birth centre that is located within a tertiary hospital, so I have covered all bases.

[TiredbutHappy]

I am fully in the private hospital camp and wouldn't consider going public, unless......I didn't have PHI. The costs would be astronomical (one of our friends walked away with a 10k bill and that was with an uncomplicated birth and a healthy child). Like PP's have suggested in your case I would look for a good public hospital. Good luck.

[AnZ]

Honestly I've been to both and they were both crappy, in saying that though my experience with the public system was when my eldest was born in 1994 ...

This time around I'm going public because the private hospital I went through last time really disappointed me + we don't have the money we had previously however I still wouldn't go back to that hospital if they paid me and I said I would go public if we were lucky enough to fall pregnant again

[CupcakeMonster]

I will be going private when the time comes. We have PHI and will be upping it shortly as we are looking at trying towards the end of the year. I know the OB I want, she has delivered several friend's babies and also is a gp/ does shared care.
After having my kidney out 5 months ago and finding out that it was cancerous, the operation that cost my health fund $20k with absolutely no out of pocket costs to myself, I will never be without health insurance.
Pregnancy will very possibly be high risk for me due to the missing kidney. It may be perfectly fine, but I'd prefer having my own doctor who knows my situation and will be there when I need them.

[SarahMc]

I'm new here, in the Due in August forum, but have been a member for years.

I'm pregnant for the fifth time. First preg was a miscarriage, next three were beautiful babies and I'm pregnant again with my fourth.

I've been through both public and private and can honestly say that I preferred my public experiences the most.

My first baby was born publically at a major Melbourne hospital. The antenatal clinic waits were pretty bad, but not much I could do about that. His labour and delivery was wonderful. Food was wonderful. Stay in a partner package room with my husband.

My second was born privately with my own OB in a private Melbourne hospital. I hardly saw my OB, about five minutes per appointment and I always, always felt rushed out of the room. He did make it to my labour and delivery, and took complete control and I pretty much didn't have a say at all. He ruptured my membranes without my knowledge until he was finished. I saw him very briefly once a day (I think) postnatally. Food was wonderful, stayed in a private double bed room with my husband.

My third was born publically at the same Melbourne Hospital, although they had moved sites. This time I went with their Team Midwifery Clinic offsite and it was WONDERFUL. Hardly any wait at all for antenatal visits. I saw the same midwives for most of my visits. The only downside was that I had a very short labour, less than two hours. We ended up getting to the hospital 12 minutes before she was born (literally) and seven of those minutes I was forced to fill out paperwork, while insisting that the baby was coming NOW. She was born 5 minutes after we got into the birth suites. The midwife was not one of my team midwives and did not listen to me. She bent my leg back so far and at such an odd angle that the pain from that was worse than the delivery itself. I couldn't walk without pain for over a month. Again, food was wonderful, had a partner package room again. Postntal care was brilliant.

Having said all that, I MUCH preferred my public births as I feel I had more control of my pregnancy and my body.

I was shocked this time around that booking into hospitals has changed so much. All three other times all I needed to do was phone and make an appointment. This time I was lucky to get in to my chosen hosptial, and I think I only got in because I've had two other babies and my miscarriage there.

Whatever choice you make, you'll have both positive and negative experiences. After you take your baby home you'll probably forget all about them until the next time you're pregnant

Certainly don't panic if you can't go privately. Good luck!

[cheekybooby]

Hi
I have gone public twice and am going public this time around. My first was born at a womens hospital in Perth where I had a room to myself and the second in a large public hospital in the north of Perth. My experience wasn't as good there, except that I think the midwife was 100 times better than my first one!
I saw a GP a couple of times who gave me my referrals for my scans and for the anti-natal clinic, after medicare rebate that cost a total of $60, and that was all i spent on DD. DS cost not a cent! (GP is bulk billing!)
I will be out of pocket $160 this time for my 12 week scan this time around, and maybe for 20 week scan, but that is all.
A friend of mine was out of pocket $6k to be left on a trolley in the private hospital until a bed became available, and when it did, it wasn't in the maternity ward, but rather she was with granny.
I'm all for public!