Semi Private Rotunda

Toots

Hoping to hear from anyone who has gone semi private in Rotunda.

I'm expecting baby #2 in January and trying to decide which hospital to go for. I had my son in Holles St but tbh I didn't have a great experience and would prefer not to go back, even though it's the closest one to where I live.

What have people's experiences been like in the Rotunda? Are the semi private rooms ok or is there any chance you'd be bumped up to private if one is free (I was semi p in Holles St but got a private room) Are the waiting times long? Is it difficult to get parking in the area?

Thanks in advance

Millem

Don't know about semi but not much difference in price with the consultant led and 1 particular consultant private......her name is meave eoghan. Think she is maybe ?400 max in difference.
I am not seeing her myself

I am private there and love it tbh. No wait time, continuity of care, unlimited amount of appointments and scans.
They told me they are very strict on the bedrooms when they went through accommodation with me at 12 weeks. They said semi p can not get a private room now.
Don't know if that's a new thing now or not???

BriarPatch

I had my son there and was bumped up from public to semi private after my emergency c section, there was only 3 in the room and very modern and nice! Doubt I'll be as lucky this time!
Parking is usually ok most of the time I've got on street parking for my appointments but if not I just use parnell or Ilac car parks

Toots

Millem wrote: »

Don't know about semi but not much difference in price with the consultant led and 1 particular consultant private......her name is meave eoghan. Think she is maybe ?400 max in difference.
I am not seeing her myself

I am private there and love it tbh. No wait time, continuity of care, unlimited amount of appointments and scans.
They told me they are very strict on the bedrooms when they went through accommodation with me at 12 weeks. They said semi p can not get a private room now.
Don't know if that's a new thing now or not???

Just had a look there and all semi p is now consultant led - so it's the €1100. The Rotunda Private website is saying that the private consultants range from €2500 to €3800. They'd be a bit out of my budget but if I could go fully private for €1500 or so, it'd certainly be worth considering.

BriarPatch wrote: »

I had my son there and was bumped up from public to semi private after my emergency c section, there was only 3 in the room and very modern and nice! Doubt I'll be as lucky this time!
Parking is usually ok most of the time I've got on street parking for my appointments but if not I just use parnell or Ilac car parks

Oh good, that's handy enough so. I forgot all about the Ilac centre, it's so long since I've been up there. There's a bus that goes from near my local luas stop to the top of O'Connell st, but I'd rather not be doing the bus at 9 months :pac: If the luas cross city opens on schedule it'd be ideal too.

Millem

Sorry toots when I was booking there was consultant led semi is ?1800 and other semi is ?1100.
Don't know much about either as never bothered looking into them!
I think the consultant one has a few consultants that take it in turns where other one has registrars?? Not 100% sure though ring them and they will tell you what the story is with them!
Meave eoghan is ?2200.
Or she was anyway. They change their fees a fair bit tbh so ring around! Well I found anyway!!
I am not with meave myself.

With private you get seen at 8 weeks and get a scan.

Toots

Yeah I think it's only very recent that it's changed to all consultant led. I'd been doing a bit of research a couple of months ago and saw there were 2 semi p options.

Going to give them a ring on Tuesday - I've a dating scan on Sunday so wanted to wait til I was more sure of the dates before going ahead to book.

Millem

Toots wrote: »

Yeah I think it's only very recent that it's changed to all consultant led. I'd been doing a bit of research a couple of months ago and saw there were 2 semi p options.

Going to give them a ring on Tuesday - I've a dating scan on Sunday so wanted to wait til I was more sure of the dates before going ahead to book.

I know in holles st and coombe you could get private room if your health insurance covered it if semi p. In fairness it probably was very rare anyway???
They were very clear in rotunda with me about rooms!!
Their public ward has something like 10+ beds!!!!
Jeekers I think I will cry if they put me on it!

Toots

Yeah 3/4 beds I could deal with, 10 not a chance! I did a night in a 10 bed ward in Holles St (antenatal ward) and it was dreadful, didn't get a wink of sleep.

Do you know what the Rotunda's stance on 'active management of labour' is? In HS if you're not progressing at 1cm per hour when you're in the delivery suite, they'll accelerate your labour. I had it on my first, and I'd prefer not to have it again, unless it was medically necessary, as opposed to me not hitting a benchmark.

Millem

Toots wrote: »

Yeah 3/4 beds I could deal with, 10 not a chance! I did a night in a 10 bed ward in Holles St (antenatal ward) and it was dreadful, didn't get a wink of sleep.

Do you know what the Rotunda's stance on 'active management of labour' is? In HS if you're not progressing at 1cm per hour when you're in the delivery suite, they'll accelerate your labour. I had it on my first, and I'd prefer not to have it again, unless it was medically necessary, as opposed to me not hitting a benchmark.

No sorry I don't know anything about it!!! I find whatever I want or ask for I get though! As does my friend who is going there too.
I plan on a natural birth with no pain relief.....all going well. My friend is having a planned section and knows her date already!

MightyMunster

The consultant led semi private was discontinued around August 2016 as all registrars were promoted to consultants. Everyone was offered a refund to go back to semi private or the option to upgrade to private at a reduced price.
Pity as the evening appointments were great for traffic, parking and not having to take time off work.
Semi private was fine, 4beds in room and was only 2-3 people there at a time so not too busy. Staff were all fantastic and couldn't say enough good things about them. Wife was in for 5 nights so met a lot of different nurses, midwives etc and all great.
Rotunda have a deal with the car park at the parnell cinema where you get the ticket validated at the hospital security desk and them pay 6euro in the car park. That's for all day parking etc...

anndub

I'm Semi private in the Rotunda. Really happy with it so far. Same doctor (senior registrar) each time, scanned at 9 weeks and again 13 weeks. Midwives are all excellent and you tend to meet the same couple throughout so you can build a nice relationship. I have a very minor pregnancy complication which arose toward the end of the second trimester so all my appointments have been in the clinic since, at no extra charge. In addition, I suffered from hyperemesis which needed managing with medication right up until about 28 weeks. At the start, when the gap between appointments was long, all I needed to do was call and I could expect a repeat prescription in the post within 48 hours.

Really appreciate the fact you get a mini scan each time too.

I'm due today but baby isn't in a hurry to appear so I can't comment on the labour/accommodation yet.

Toots

Best of luck anndub! Hope things get moving soon!

Really appreciate all the responses guys

Millem

Anndub fingers crossed you won't be waiting long

LirW

Millem wrote: »

I know in holles st and coombe you could get private room if your health insurance covered it if semi p. In fairness it probably was very rare anyway???
They were very clear in rotunda with me about rooms!!
Their public ward has something like 10+ beds!!!!
Jeekers I think I will cry if they put me on it!

I had my baby in March in the Rotunda, section (breach and went into early labour) and had to stay 3 nights on the public ward and I dreaded it. And honestly, it was all good and a lot more laid back than I imagined it to be. You have curtains and everyone uses them, so you do have enough privacy there, it's pretty clean and the food is alright too. Also even though the ward had 10 beds, there were only six women in most of the time. All VBAC births were discharged within 24 hours, so they usually wouldn't stay long and it was pretty quiet every single night in there.
If you have a VBAC you'll be out very soon anyway, because everyone wants just home and if you had a section... well I was pretty happy about all the drugs they gave me, made the recovery pretty easy.


All the rooms in the public ward I was in were half-empty most of the time I was there. It's by far not as horrible as it sounds.


EDIT: I had combined care with the midwife care in my local clinic + GP and only had to join the cattle market once with a waiting time of around an hour. I experienced all the staff and midwives as very friendly and nothing but nice and helpful. For me personally semi-p would have been a waste of money.

BriarPatch

Thanks for that lirw, I was beginning to dread the public ward and it's looking more likely I'll have a section too so get stuck in there for a while! Is 3 nights a standard length of stay after section for 2nd timers?

LirW

Yes, they won't discharge you 72 hours after the section. If everything is alright, they discharge you after that.
If I can give you a good advice: Ask them every 4 hours for painkillers, you're entitled to them and they'll gladly give it to you. Especially the rectal one (I know it sounds a bit off) but that's the best one they can give you!

Toots

I have to say that if pregnancy and childbirth taught me anything, it's that medicine that goes in the butt is usually the most effective :pac:

shesty

I have had two babies semi-private in the Rotunda in the last 3 (ish) years (since 2014 anyway!)


My first time round it was a three bed ward but the room was a bit tight....but generally it was fine.Second was a four bed big airy ward, which was lovely !I went for the registrar led option I think...the 1100eur one.First time round I did see a variety of different doctors for each appointment.Second time I somehow ended up with an Indian guy at my first appointment and he saw me for every appointment except the last....at 42 (goddamn!) Weeks!! He told me he liked to keep continuity with his patients, which was great for me.

Both my births have been natural, gas and air with minimal interference.Both times I had a birthplan...quite general amd open but with a few things I wanted to try, which I discussed at about 36 weeks with the midwife at the appointment.Both times it's been respected.I was treated for Group B strep on both, and they were eager to get the baby out first time round as my waters broke first, before anything else....with the Group B they want the baby out in that situation...but the labour progressed quite well, so while they did try to move it along, they stopped after about an hour because it wasn't really necessary.

I also was in the early pregnancy unit for both due to bleeding and they were superb, from going through the emergency dept there, and into the epu.
My general opinion of the whole experience is good, and most people I know who have been in Rotunda are generally happy (private or public).They are short staffed but honestly, where isn't?

Hope it works out for you!

tardis_girl

Hello all,

I am wondering if anyone can offer any insights on this for me, please.
I'm very early doors, 5 weeks approx. Just trying to sort out hospital cover so I know where I am going if all works out!

I am hoping to go semi-private in the Rotunda and rang my health insurance (Irish Life Health Select Plus plan) to find out what I am covered for.
I went through the break-down provided by the Rotunda as to what to see I was covered for, including delivery etc... With my cover I am not fully covered for the pre-natal stuff which is fine.
Inpatient wise he assured me I was covered for the room, delivery etc...
However, when I got the follow-up email from them shortly after, there was something in it that confused me!

"Irish Life Health will pay a contribution towards the in-patient delivery fees while you are in hospital. This includes consultant delivery fee, anaesthetist's fee for epidural, in-patient pathologist fees and paediatric consultation for a normal delivery. Irish Life Health will be billed directly for such fees for the amount we would cover and any shortfalls would be billed to you"

It's the contribution bit that has me thrown! I just don't want a big bill at the end of this!!! Can anyone enlighten me! I'm crossing fingers that's all covered because otherwise I am stopping my health insurance altogether, it's not worth a jot!

Millem

tardis_girl wrote: »

Hello all,

I am wondering if anyone can offer any insights on this for me, please.
I'm very early doors, 5 weeks approx. Just trying to sort out hospital cover so I know where I am going if all works out!

I am hoping to go semi-private in the Rotunda and rang my health insurance (Irish Life Health Select Plus plan) to find out what I am covered for.
I went through the break-down provided by the Rotunda as to what to see I was covered for, including delivery etc... With my cover I am not fully covered for the pre-natal stuff which is fine.
Inpatient wise he assured me I was covered for the room, delivery etc...
However, when I got the follow-up email from them shortly after, there was something in it that confused me!

"Irish Life Health will pay a contribution towards the in-patient delivery fees while you are in hospital. This includes consultant delivery fee, anaesthetist's fee for epidural, in-patient pathologist fees and paediatric consultation for a normal delivery. Irish Life Health will be billed directly for such fees for the amount we would cover and any shortfalls would be billed to you"

It's the contribution bit that has me thrown! I just don't want a big bill at the end of this!!! Can anyone enlighten me! I'm crossing fingers that's all covered because otherwise I am stopping my health insurance altogether, it's not worth a jot!

Here is the bill my health insurance vhi received when I had my baby in August. I had no epidural. I spent 3 nights in a private room. It’s €1000 a night. I think semi p is €813 or something like that?

tardis_girl

Millem wrote: »

Here is the bill my health insurance vhi received when I had my baby in August. I had no epidural. I spent 3 nights in a private room. It’s €1000 a night. I think semi p is €813 or something like that?

Thank you so much. So that was all covered by your insurance?

Millem

tardis_girl wrote: »

Thank you so much. So that was all covered by your insurance?

Yes with vhi. The pre/post natal fees are separate you get billed for those directly and claim a proportion back.

tardis_girl

Thank you. Yes I did notice the 'benefit' section of your receipt after I sent the message! ��
Again, it's the fear of being hit with the bill at the end. I know what I'm entitled to claim back from the 1,100 semi private fee but just wanted to make sure the actual birth was included! ��

Millem

tardis_girl wrote: »

Thank you. Yes I did notice the 'benefit' section of your receipt after I sent the message! ��
Again, it's the fear of being hit with the bill at the end. I know what I'm entitled to claim back from the 1,100 semi private fee but just wanted to make sure the actual birth was included! ��

I am sure you are covered. Just double check everything with them. The hospital will make your partner sign a form on your arrival when you are in labour saying they accept liability for anything not covered. My bill was cheap with regards to the birth. I presume a c section would cost more!!