Private or Public?

LegacyUser

I found out today I am four weeks pregnant, hadn't been really planned but is a nice surprise all the same. After the initial shock wore off my gp then asked me about health insurance and if I wanted to go private or public.
She told me it costs 3000e for gyny and my health insurance will cover the rest.
My question is :What is the difference in going public or private? Is there a major difference, beside rooms (tbh I don't care about that as I am from Cork and the chances are very slim to get private or semi private no matter the cover)
Also she told me to contact a gyny straight away as they want to know before six weeks. In my state today I told her I'd go private and she printed something out and I signed it, but I am not sure if it is worth it!! Please help?

Moonbeam

It is normally an obstetrician that you would book for a pregnancy so maybe talk to your doctor about it.

nicechick!

Only4weeks wrote: »

I found out today I am four weeks pregnant, hadn't been really planned but is a nice surprise all the same. After the initial shock wore off my gp then asked me about health insurance and if I wanted to go private or public.
She told me it costs 3000e for gyny and my health insurance will cover the rest.
My question is :What is the difference in going public or private? Is there a major difference, beside rooms (tbh I don't care about that as I am from Cork and the chances are very slim to get private or semi private no matter the cover)
Also she told me to contact a gyny straight away as they want to know before six weeks. In my state today I told her I'd go private and she printed something out and I signed it, but I am not sure if it is worth it!! Please help?

I don't think in regards to pregnancy as well baby arrives when baby wants to arrive its the most natural thing in the world so I don't think the quality/frequency of care/appointments would change whether private or public (maybe the odd extra consultation). Talk to your GP I'm sure they'll tell you straight off

I'm sure throughout you could change very quickly from public to private if need be. Congratulations

Lisha

hi BEST OF LUCK to you.

There s athread on this section page 2 called PUBLIV V PRIVATE WHT STHE DIFFERANCE. thIS MIGH ANSWER SOME QTS FOR YOU.

cONGrats and take care

hunnymonster

Only4weeks wrote: »

Is there a major difference, beside rooms (tbh I don't care about that as I am from Cork and the chances are very slim to get private or semi private no matter the cover)

why do you think this? I think cumh is one of the best hospitals for having the right mix of private and multi-bedded rooms. I got a private room straight away each time I was in. I didn't think I would care aout the private room but in the end this was one f the things that was most important to me. Some of the noise and nonsense with visitors i heard coming from the rooms was unreal. having a room with just me and baby hunnymonster in it was a fantastic bonding experience. Other things I enjoyed about the private care was building yp a relationship with my OBGYN because I saw him so often, a scan at every visit (not medically necessary but fascinating to see baby develop), early monitoring of prevous gynae problems etc. For me the €3000 (you can claim 20% back on med|) was totally worth it but everyone needs to work out what is best for their familty.


Could the form you filled out be the combinded care form? It's to cover you for a set of gp visits while pregnant. HSE will send you out a card and more details in a few days.

congrats on your pregnancy.

smileyeyes

I went public on each baby and could not fault the care I or baby received!!

My first was born in the UK but second baby born here and when I went to my GP here on my 2nd baby he asked me that very question "do you want to go private or public?" I said "public" as couldn't afford private and he said I think you are right and that you will get the same care so even if i could afford it he said it would be a waste of money! He also told me his wife(a nurse) went public on each of their children also!

A friend of mine went private on both her children and had her own room in a public hospital. I was in a ward with 4 beds. My friend told me I got way better care than her (in same hospital) and that she felt because she was in a room on her own she was ignored! We both had c-sections and a midwife took my baby from me the 1st night and the last night of my stay in hospital so i could get some rest!:) But my friend who went private did not get this option or care. I know a lot of this can depend on how busy the unit is etc.

I do think it is a very personal choice but for me it is public all the way:D

liverpool28

Hi.
i am 19 weeks pregnant and decided to go public instead of private, but i really want a c section, i have a phobia against pain. i fainted one time because i sprained my finger, im not a wuss but i just have a very very low pain threshold.
any of my friends that i have spoken to has said in Ireland there is no way they will even consider allowing you have a c section unless its necessary. i cannot even look at the pictures in the books or even programmes. i saw it in one of those documentaries which was on dmax and i ran to the toilet and got sick.
can someone please give me some advice on this.. i really cant wait to be a mother but this whole labour is freaking me out,:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Daisy M

liverpool28 wrote: »

Hi.
i am 19 weeks pregnant and decided to go public instead of private, but i really want a c section, i have a phobia against pain. i fainted one time because i sprained my finger, im not a wuss but i just have a very very low pain threshold.
any of my friends that i have spoken to has said in Ireland there is no way they will even consider allowing you have a c section unless its necessary. i cannot even look at the pictures in the books or even programmes. i saw it in one of those documentaries which was on dmax and i ran to the toilet and got sick.
can someone please give me some advice on this.. i really cant wait to be a mother but this whole labour is freaking me out,:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I think you are forgetting that a c-section is an operation. So there will be a longer recovery time and a fair amount of pain and discomfort afterwards. I had 3 normal deliveries and was back to my self in no time, where as my friend who had to have c sections took quiet sometime to recover, mainly due to her wound reopening and continually been infected. My sister who is a midwife said this is more common now due to the different way they have of closing the wound. You cant drive for 6 weeks after a section cant lift anything or do much at all. Please dont panic about labour there are lots of pain relief options and techniques to help you speak with your gp/midwife about your concerns.
Op just give your gp a call and say you will take the net two weeks to make up your mind. By going public you will have the same labour ward as private patients, same nursing staff the only difference is your appointments will be at the consultants private clinic and you will see him each time and if he/she is present and available the day your baby is born they will attend the delivery.

Cat Melodeon

liverpool28 wrote: »

Hi.
i am 19 weeks pregnant and decided to go public instead of private, but i really want a c section, i have a phobia against pain. i fainted one time because i sprained my finger, im not a wuss but i just have a very very low pain threshold.
any of my friends that i have spoken to has said in Ireland there is no way they will even consider allowing you have a c section unless its necessary. i cannot even look at the pictures in the books or even programmes. i saw it in one of those documentaries which was on dmax and i ran to the toilet and got sick.
can someone please give me some advice on this.. i really cant wait to be a mother but this whole labour is freaking me out,:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Stop watching those stupid programs and documentaries - they are purposefully overly dramatic and not what normal birth looks like. Talk to your midwife or doctor about your fears, they might be able to give you guidance. Childbirth is normal, abdominal surgery is not. Childbirth is over in a few hours, recovery from a section can take 6 weeks. I understand you are afraid, I was too on my first pregnancy, but you are afraid because you have never witnessed a normal birth and how beautiful it can be. I recommend maybe doing some 'reprogramming' - read some positive birth stories, maybe try hypnosis (the 'fear release' section of the Gentlebirth program is excellent) etc.

Hannibal Smith

is mise astra wrote: »

You cant drive for 6 weeks after a section

It depends on your insurance company. Some have a flat time frame within which you can't drive, others will let you drive as long as you have a cert from your GP confirming you're fit to drive.

littlemissfixit

I went public in Dublin, could not have afforded private anyway so there was not much of a dilemma there. I will be in Cork or Tralee this time around, unless I decide to go for homebirth im still undecided.
From what I hear, it doesn't make much diffence unless you are lucky enough to get your own private room. I was in a ward with 8 beds, so it was admitedly quite noisy and hard to have some privacy (but again, it could happen even if I had paid to go private so glad I didn't). But if your are in Dublin and in catchment area, you can get early release to go home if all is well and the midwives visit you at home. I would have loved that but baba wasn't totally well so we had to stay.
As for consultant, well I cant compare, but I had a good relation with my GP and since it was combined care, she took all the time I needed to ask questions etc. And I couldn't care less if I saw a different consultant in the hospital everytime I went. You could have the same private consultant all the way through and he could be on holidays when baba decides to show up, so...


As for the other subject of phobia of pain, it is a good time I think to give yourself some time to work on yourself and reprogram all these ideas you have about labor. I am quite squeamish, faint at the sight of blood and cant listen to conversation about operations etc. Had to get out of the room from antenatal class when they started talking about how they give you epidural... But for me, I spent a few months leading to delivery brainwashing myself with help of self-hypno cd, and I had the calmest labor ever, no stress, no fear and very little pain even without pain relief. Fear and stress will be your biggest obstacle in labor, if cds dont do it for you, there are people doing this hypnobirth, you can even hire them to be present at delivery... not my thing but I believe it works amazingly.