private, semi-p or public

Optimus Caesar

Hi there, we just found out that we are expecting our first baby and wondered if you have any thoughts on going private/semi-p or public. We are due in May09 and will be going to Coombe....Any thoughts?

templetonpeck

Optimus Caesar wrote: »

Hi there, we just found out that we are expecting our first baby and wondered if you have any thoughts on going private/semi-p or public. We are due in May09 and will be going to Coombe....Any thoughts?

haa haa you're the same as us!!! We're due May 09 too!!

I booked Private, only because less waiting around and stuff and because i wanted a private room afterwards, but it seems it's not a given that you get a private room :rolleyes: In fact there doesn't seem to be much difference between Semi Private and Private.

You could ring the consultants and find out what the costs are for semi private and private and that could be your decision made

Grawns

Hi

I'm semi-private because there was no guarentee of a private bed. ( that would pee me off bigtime if I'd forked over for it). I don't care about the consultant but if you're having a complicated pregnancy that becomes very important.

Would recommend the Rotunda over the Coombe though after lots of research. ( hygiene, and ethos mainly)

LolaDub

I had my baby in the coombe private and i couldn't recommend it enough. I had to go in for a few days during my pregnancy where i stayed in semi private and there seemed like a big difference. In the semi private i was in a room with another 3-4 girls with just a curtain for privacy. The girls were lovely and it was nice being around other pregnant women when i was pregnant but for having the baby private was lovely. I was also told you're not guaranteed a private room but i got one without any wait. The room was a lovely litlle single room and there was a bathroom to share with the next room. You can pm me if you want the name of my consultant, i don't know if you want a woman, mine was a man but he was fantastic! I had a really good experience there, even when i went back a week later i bumped into the anaesthetist who still remembered my name!

crazy cat lady

Personally would never pay to go private, think of all that money you could spend on baby stuff!!

Regardless of whether you are public, SP or PP, you will recieve the same standard of care from the midwives (who will be the ones mainly involved in your care)

A private patient will be treated on the same antenatal ward as the public patients, be looked after the same way in labour as public patients, and more often than not will end up on a public ward (quite often on an extra bed) until a semi-private or private bed becomes available.

If you go private, you'll find that the midwife, or student midwife, will be there to help you to deliver your baby and will be with you all through your labour. Your consultant may attend for the very last moment as you push your baby into the world, but quite often they will miss that so you'll be lucky if they stick their head round the door to say congratulations!

I would highly recommend going with a community midwifery team if you can. They are brilliant!!

As for going private, save your money for spoiling your new arrival.

Don't forget that having a baby is a normal life event, not a medical one. Around 80% of pregnancies need no intervention at all from a doctor.

Whatever you decide, many congratulations to you! You're now experiencing one of lifes miracles! Enjoy it!

Optimus Caesar

Thanks for all the replies guys. All advice is greatly appreciated. Lots of decisions to be made.

Balmark

I found on a site a nice comparison

http://www.rollercoaster.ie/pregnancy_birth/public_or_private.asp

Does anyone have anything they could add?

My likkle wifie :P and myself and expecting Nov09 and need our doc is rushing us about private or public .. since our likkle yoke is only 5-6 weeks now, we dont want to tell anyone so we can't get advice from those around us who went through it recently.

This is our first and we're probably going to go private mainly because of that

One of our friends did go private but she experienced complications (her twins were premature by a cpl of months, needed induction.. they're perfect now btw, nearly 2 years old now ) and they switched her to public because she'd get a better service .. (she was high risk at this stage)

Moonbeam

Personally I think you can't loose with semi private.

Once you have health insurance the cost is low and it is well worth it.

SanFran07

If you are having complications during your pregnancy then seeing a Doctor will be necessary (whether you're public or private). Obstetricians are the experts on abnormal birth. If you have a DOMINO scheme or Midwife Led Unit it's almost the same as private care - but it's free :-)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQEFit9733I (childbirth options in Ireland)

Imagine having no queues or waiting time for your antenatal appointments.

Imagine spending 30 minutes of quality time chatting about your pregnancy on the couch with your Midwife.

Imagine getting to know a small group of experienced midwives and one of them is with you when you give birth - and visits you at home after your baby is born.

Imagine being in labour in your own space….never seeing a labour ward - just you, your partner and your midwife in a quiet comfortable suite.

Imagine a birth suite that is as cosy and comfy as a little apartment – but with a gigantic pool in one corner and a pull out bed for Dad to stay over in the other, a fridge, kettle, ensuite bathroom, TV, beanbags and floor mats...dim lighting.

Imagine having 1:1 breastfeeding support in your birth suite and going home the next day with your new baby.

Imagine having home visits from your midwife providing personalized post natal care in your home – rather than a busy post natal ward……

Imagine all of this was free……

This is the Midwife Led Unit in Drogheda & Cavan.

Here's a spreadsheet that takes you through the different models of care and their outcomes. What surprises most people is the safest form of care for low risk women is Midwife Led but unfortunately true Midwife Led Care (such as is the norm in the UK) is not available in all areas.

http://www.doulaireland.com/birtharticles.html

Tracy

VeryBerry

crazy cat lady wrote: »

If you go private, you'll find that the midwife, or student midwife, will be there to help you to deliver your baby and will be with you all through your labour. Your consultant may attend for the very last moment as you push your baby into the world, but quite often they will miss that so you'll be lucky if they stick their head round the door to say congratulations!

I would highly recommend going with a community midwifery team if you can. They are brilliant!!

I'd second that, I've found the Community Midwife Scheme fantastic. Its's the best of both worlds.

I never have to wait more than 10 mins for an appointment and I get to meet and know the Midwives who'll be delivering the baby beforehand. I can go to my local health centre for appointments instead of trekking into the hospital.

But at the same time I get go into the hospital for delivery, so I'll have the back up of all the consultants and experts there if there are any complications. And if there are any complications even before the delivery I'll be transferred into the consultant-led system in the hospital.

And best of all - its free! If you're lucky enough to live in the catchment area of a Community Midwife Scheme or a Midwife Led Unit, I'd definitely recommend it

Sleepy

My partner went with semi-private because we reckoned we couldn't afford private but on looking into it, I reckon it's certainly the best option given that there's no guarantee of a private room or your attending of choice actually being there.