Hi,

I have been told that I need to choose where to book into for an Nov/Dec birth, but I don't know where to go. I have heard mutterings at work about both hospitals, but don't know any of those talking well enough to ask questions yet - it is still so early on in preg.
I think I'd like Dr Dreher as my Ob, but haven't organised this yet.
Does anyone have any problems with either of the hospitals? (i'd be a public patient with Ob attending i think).
Any comments on the "shared care" thing at Calvary?
Is it really an atmosphere thing? a gut feeling?
I so wish my mum was here!

Thanks,
Tali

Hi Tali

Congratulations on the pregnancy! I would make an appointment now as Ob's in Canberra seem to book up quickly, I think that Dr Dreher only delivers at TCH if you are booked into Calvary as his private patient and bubs comes before 34wks . I have seen Dr Dreher for both of my babies through Calvary Private and think that he is great, however I have friends that have seen Dr Dreher privately and used the Calvary public for their births, they were also impressed by the care they were given by both Dr and staff. I personally prefer Calvary over TCH after having problems with both pregnancies I was admitted several times to TCH and found the delivery suite, ante and postnatal wards lacking atmosphere and friendly staff.




ME Belinda DH Alex



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Hi Tali,

huge Congrats on your pregnancy - that's so wonderful.

As for hospitals, I didn't deliver at either (my Ob only delivers at JJMH) but ... I was hospitalised for a week late in my pregnancy at Calvary and was very impressed with everything there. They couldn't have looked after me better IMO.

I think you and I have chatted on the Baby Banter forums back in October last year ... how could I have remembered that you might be asking? It's because just this morning, after ages of not checking in there, I took a look in my inbox and there was a message from "Tali". My ID there is "hok67". We were talking about who was in Canberra ... ring a bell? Anyway, when I read this thread here I thought that you had to be the same person. I hope I'm right. I am absolutely stoked to hear that you are going to be a Mum this year. That's fantastic!!!

Cheers,
Helen.
DH Bart.
DS Christopher.
TTC #2 April 2005.
<a href="http://www.tickercentral.com"><img border="0" src="http://www.tickercentral.com/view/1ipl/1"></a>

Firstly a huge congratulations on your pregnancy!!!

I have done shared care twice through The Canberra Hospital at Woden and my GP. I have nothing but praise for the care I have received there. They are the only hospital in Canberra with a NICU and therefore have all the specialist staff that go with these units. They also are the hospital that have the high risk clinic if things going wrong with your pregnancy.

If someone could have guaranteed me 100% that my deliveries would be fine/complication free and I wouldn't need those services, I may have gone elsewhere. At the end of the day knowing the staff were there just incase was important to me. Yes I had to travel 20 minutes instead of 10, but at the end of the day it was worth it.

I was also in the same hospital that my baby would have been admitted to had they been born prematurely or had health issues after the birth. I don't think I could have coped having my sick baby at TCH and me being in a bed at Calvary or John James but that is just my opinion This is rare but does happen.

Woden isn't pretty. It does not have a dessert trolley. They do not offer wine with your meals. There is no icecream in the fridge.

Good luck deciding where to go. For me there really hasn't been a choice to be made. Jakub is lovely by the way and everyone raves about him.

Susana & DH Chris
DD Delia Jade 13/11/02 & DS Darcy Cole 2/11/04

This message was edited by Susana on Wednesday, 13 April 2005 @ 7:10 PM