Desperately seeking a good public hospital...

[marshymallow]

Hi all,

as much as I want to go private, we may have to go public due to cost. I do not have private health insurance.... Need some advice here. I'm looking at either Royal Women or Mercy Hospital. I am a PR so i should be eligible for medicare rite?

Some questions regarding public hospitals

1. Care at Public Hospitals - can anyone who gave birth at the above two hospitals comment on the care? or if anyone has a good hosp (not in the list) to recommend, can share too?

2. Antenatal - do i see midwives or obs on duty at the hospital?

3. Delivery ward - if i choose to deliver at the delivery ward, in the case of emergencies, will an ob be called in? And for episiotomies and use of suction, will the ob or midwife be performing that? For both daughters, i did not have epidural (only the jab on the thigh), had episiotomy and also my ob used the suction to deliver my babies. And for my second daughter, i was diagnosed with incompetent cervix, had to have my cervix sewn up at 20 plus weeks only to be removed two weeks before EDD and had my baby induced for delivery.

4. What are the estimated costs? anyone who delivered at either of the hospital can comment/share? How much can i claim from MediCare? Also, will there be costs for the baby checkups with the paedetrician? is that claimable through Medicare?

5. Medicare - i will be coming to Melbourne only in Nov. When i arrive, should i apply for a family or individual card? Can i only apply for that when i'm physically in melbourne or can i do that while i'm in singapore?

6. Booking of hospital - anyone knows if i can book while i;m in singapore? or do i have to be there physically?

really want to get all these settled so i do not have to worry so much...
appreciate all the help i can get..

thanks

[ninaLVoesbags]

hi marshymallow, I'm PR as well, at first I booked with Royal Women's Hospital but changed to Sunshine Hospital as it is more convenient from where we live. And I was very happy with their care, I was a bit hesitant at first as I've been hearing not-so-good things about their maternity but took my chance anyway, I had a lovely experience and thought I owe it to my midwives that me and my DS is well... I had an emergency CS because DS was malpresented and the 3rd stage of my labour was prolonged. There is a resident OB that's always in the ward so in case of emergency someone will definitely look after you.

You see a midwife like every month for the antenatal checks and an OB probably before the 20 week scan, I was lucky as I got the same midwife all through out my pregnancy and she was there as well when I had my DS.

With Medicare, I applied for an individual oine when I got here, and then they added my DS's name under my medicare once he was out.

With costs, if you're going public, you don't have to pay for anything, probably just the meds from the pharmacy upon discharge if you need them.

With booking, you can grab their number off the internet and ring them to book, it takes a while to get an appointment date so better do it ASAP.

HTH!

[marshymallow]

Originally Posted by ninaLVoesbags

hi marshymallow, I'm PR as well, at first I booked with Royal Women's Hospital but changed to Sunshine Hospital as it is more convenient from where we live. And I was very happy with their care, I was a bit hesitant at first as I've been hearing not-so-good things about their maternity but took my chance anyway, I had a lovely experience and thought I owe it to my midwives that me and my DS is well... I had an emergency CS because DS was malpresented and the 3rd stage of my labour was prolonged. There is a resident OB that's always in the ward so in case of emergency someone will definitely look after you.

You see a midwife like every month for the antenatal checks and an OB probably before the 20 week scan, I was lucky as I got the same midwife all through out my pregnancy and she was there as well when I had my DS.

With Medicare, I applied for an individual oine when I got here, and then they added my DS's name under my medicare once he was out.

With costs, if you're going public, you don't have to pay for anything, probably just the meds from the pharmacy upon discharge if you need them.

With booking, you can grab their number off the internet and ring them to book, it takes a while to get an appointment date so better do it ASAP.

HTH!

hi Ninal, thanks for the reply. So r u gg back to the same hosp Sunshine for yr second child?

I'm considering gg either to Royal Women's or Mercy - either as a private patient or a public one...depending on costs and care.

i've had episiotomy for both my two kids and also assisted (suction) delivery for both. So the chances of that happening for the third one is quite high..so i need to be prepared and know that if i am a public patient, there will be an ob who will come in to do all these if i need them.

[satya]

What suburb are you going to be living in? This will determine which hospitals you can go to. As far as I know the RWH only takes uncomplicated births for women who live in the local area, and high risk births for women from all over (even at age 42 I was considered low risk). If you are living in the suburbs you would be directed to one of the local public hospitals.

I gave birth at Dandenong Hospital which is in the outer south east suburbs of Melb and found their care to be great. Like all public hospitals delivering there and staying there costs nothing if you are entitled to medicare.

My bub was delivered by ventouse and spent 5 days in special care but it still cost me nothing. I also had an episiotomy. Two different OB's & a lovely student doctor visited me at different intervals during the labour (17 hours so there was a shift change) and the one who did the delivery was absolutely fantastic, as were all the midwives I encountered on my longer than expected stay at hossy.

The care you receive at a public hospital is just as good as at a private hospital it's just that you don't normally get a private room unless you have a c section and you don't get to choose who delivers your bub but you also don't have to pay a cent.

Booking in at any hospital is initially done by phone, and confirmed when you go for your first visit which is usually at the beginning of the 2nd tri.

At a public hospital you can choose to see the midwives for appointments throughout or you can do as I did and have your own OB do them (but he/she doesn't attend the birth). My appointments with the OB cost $50 each time and over half that was claimable on Medicare. My OB did not have a pregnancy management fee but many of them do and that can cost a couple of thousand dollars.

[marshymallow]

Thanks Satna for yr detailed advice and sharing!

We will be coming only in Nov and would be sharing place with a couple friend who lives in Frankston East while we househunt. Hopefully we can settle on a place before i deliver in Jan.

If we choose to stay close to our friend in Frankston, would it be a prob if i want to book Mercy hospital? Will i be made to choose a nearby hosp like Frankston Hospital?

Do u know if i choose to deliver as a private patient with a public hospital - will i be able to claim the ob's fees through Medicare? Then as a patient at a public hospital, the room rates are at private rates too?

By the way, Who was yr ob? Can i ask why did u decide to have an ob for the antenatal care and not rely on the midwifes? Is there a particular reason for gg for that option?


thanks for clearing a lot of my questions..

[Salsa]

hi.

I have just moved here from o/s. so I can understand some of your anxiety trying to figure out how, when, why etc.

We were staying with a friend and looking in the same area, which is where we managed to get a rental. Its quite central city. im not sure about outer areas, but the rental (if thats what you`ll be doing) market is competitive. We were beging to wonder if we`d need to look out of the area we wanted.
Anyway....RWH and mercy are both close to me, and after reading lots on here, I felt mercy was the better choice for me. I have just managed to book and have first midwife appointment in few weeks. they were brilliant at getting me seen that soon as their waiting list for first appoint is about 6wks.
They have a choice of care models to choose from, and i am going with midwife care, because as far as im concerned midwives are the ones who should be doing that job in preference to Drs.
But they have ob care available if thats your preference, as well as mixed etc.
If you do stay out at frankston though, I think you`ll find Mercy a bit far. there are other hospitals closer to Frankston.

Im due in Jan 09 too and there is a forum on here for other ladies expecting then (first half - theres one for later half too), one of the girls who frequents on there is nearer Frankston area I think and has been very helpful with advise for me...i`m sure she`d be happy to help with your q`s if you wanna pop in and join us! (she having her 3rd too).

http://bellybelly.com.au/forums/your...-2009-4-a.html

[satya]

Dr Lam at Berwick was my OB. I chose to see an OB because I was a little paranoid things would go wrong at my age and felt an OB would keep a better eye on things than seeing different midwives at each visit. As it was I still saw midwives as well as the OB on each visit to Dr Lam. I probably would've been fine with midwives at the hospital but it's a really busy place and parking is just awful. I would've wasted a lot of time looking for parking whereas seeing a private OB I could park at his rooms easily. This was important for me as I was working full time at the time.

Is there any reason you are not thinking about Frankston Hospital? My cousin's wife delivered her two babies at Frankston and they saved her life twice (two years apart) due to major complications both times that would not have been managed had she been at a smaller hospital.

I chose Dandenong as it's closest to me, could handle any kind of complication that could come up and had a large special care nursery. I'm very glad I did because if I'd gone to a different hospital my baby may have had to have been transferred to Dandenong for care. Dandenong is not that far from Frankston - certainly way closer than the Mercy. I would hate to have had to travel that far whilst I was in labour - it's a long way from where you will be living. I only had to go 10 minutes and it seemed like an eternity. It could take you an hour to get to the Mercy from Frankston.

I know someone who gave birth at the Mercy not that long ago and she thought it was great, but the rooms didn't look any better than those at Dandenong.

You would probably be able to claim some private expenses through Medicare but most doctors charge way over the prescribed cost therefore you would still be out of pocket.

[marshymallow]

Originally Posted by Salsa

hi.

I have just moved here from o/s. so I can understand some of your anxiety trying to figure out how, when, why etc.

We were staying with a friend and looking in the same area, which is where we managed to get a rental. Its quite central city. im not sure about outer areas, but the rental (if thats what you`ll be doing) market is competitive. We were beging to wonder if we`d need to look out of the area we wanted.
Anyway....RWH and mercy are both close to me, and after reading lots on here, I felt mercy was the better choice for me. I have just managed to book and have first midwife appointment in few weeks. they were brilliant at getting me seen that soon as their waiting list for first appoint is about 6wks.
They have a choice of care models to choose from, and i am going with midwife care, because as far as im concerned midwives are the ones who should be doing that job in preference to Drs.
But they have ob care available if thats your preference, as well as mixed etc.
If you do stay out at frankston though, I think you`ll find Mercy a bit far. there are other hospitals closer to Frankston.

Im due in Jan 09 too and there is a forum on here for other ladies expecting then (first half - theres one for later half too), one of the girls who frequents on there is nearer Frankston area I think and has been very helpful with advise for me...i`m sure she`d be happy to help with your q`s if you wanna pop in and join us! (she having her 3rd too).

http://bellybelly.com.au/forums/your...-2009-4-a.html

Hi salsa!

thanks for inviting me! I've posted in the forum for Jan odi It's really comforting to know that there are so many nice folks out there willing to lend a listening ear and also helpful advice.

Actually i am not sure how we should be doing the house hunting.. cos my hubby's hasnt found a job in Melbourne yet. It's been rather tough... hopefully it's not due to the impending recession that some pple have been talking abt... How did you come ard selecting where to stay when u first arrive? was it by where u all are working? For us, it's a dilema wanting to stay near our friends (in frankston) so we can at least get help if we need fast; or between getting a place which is more central - easier to get around..

Anyways, will try to visit the Jan forum more often thanks again for yr help and advice.

angie

[marshymallow]

Originally Posted by satya

Dr Lam at Berwick was my OB. I chose to see an OB because I was a little paranoid things would go wrong at my age and felt an OB would keep a better eye on things than seeing different midwives at each visit. As it was I still saw midwives as well as the OB on each visit to Dr Lam. I probably would've been fine with midwives at the hospital but it's a really busy place and parking is just awful. I would've wasted a lot of time looking for parking whereas seeing a private OB I could park at his rooms easily. This was important for me as I was working full time at the time.

Is there any reason you are not thinking about Frankston Hospital? My cousin's wife delivered her two babies at Frankston and they saved her life twice (two years apart) due to major complications both times that would not have been managed had she been at a smaller hospital.

I chose Dandenong as it's closest to me, could handle any kind of complication that could come up and had a large special care nursery. I'm very glad I did because if I'd gone to a different hospital my baby may have had to have been transferred to Dandenong for care. Dandenong is not that far from Frankston - certainly way closer than the Mercy. I would hate to have had to travel that far whilst I was in labour - it's a long way from where you will be living. I only had to go 10 minutes and it seemed like an eternity. It could take you an hour to get to the Mercy from Frankston.

I know someone who gave birth at the Mercy not that long ago and she thought it was great, but the rooms didn't look any better than those at Dandenong.

You would probably be able to claim some private expenses through Medicare but most doctors charge way over the prescribed cost therefore you would still be out of pocket.

Hi Satna,

i can understand the anxiety cos this is exactly what i am fearing too.. cos i had to have my cervix sewn up in the later part of my second trimester due to my 'cervix shortening'... which translates into a risk that my second child might be born premature.. That's why i am still thinking of having a dedicated ob right from the start till i deliver.but if cost is a factor, i might have to forgo that..

Hmm Frankston hospital.. i havent really considered that as the two common hosp that usu came up on this forum was Mercy and Royal Melbourne.. Does Frankston hosp have the facilities if i/or baby need special help in the event of complication? Is it considered a big hospital?

[Salsa]

We came to choose this area we are in for pretty similar reasons that you might end up in Frankston - we had a close friend that we wanted to be near who was willing to help us out with accomadation etc till we found our own place.
I`d never been here before but Dh came here for a few days last summer and liked the area too. So far I havent seen anything else, so I just had to go on his preference.
If your friends are close ones and will be a good support with the kids etc then maybe that will be a good area to stay in... but we wanted to be close to the city and DH said before we came over that he wanted to get a job right in the city (he`s only started job hunting now - we have been here for 6wks - chewing through our $$ ). It taken quite a bit of time and energy just trying to find a rental and a car, buying a whole new houseload of everything...we needed to get ds into school but didnt know if we would be in this area or not , its all a bit to deal with as well as trying to figure out your maternity care (the system in NZ where we came from is quite different to the Aussie one).
Even if you dont stay long term in Frankston, it could be good to be there for the first year or so, just to get familiar with things and have your friends nearby.


I`ll see you round in the January forum

[satya]

Frankston is a large hospital (my mother has been battling cancer for the last few years and her operations and most of her treatment has been done there) that would have pretty much everything the other hospitals have except I don't think it has intensive care beds for bubs (nor did my hospital). I think Monash is the only hospital in the south that has them and babies get transferred from all over the place. They would probably have special care though and that's where they go before they go to intensive care so they can work out which level of care they need.

Perhaps you could inquire at Monash. It's the equivalent of the RWH for the Southern suburbs (except they take men as well). Again, they only take a certain amount of uncomplicated births from the local area as they concentrate on the riskier ones, if you don't meet their criteria they would refer you to a local hospital. Because of your previous history you just might be able to go there. It's a heap closer to Frankston than the other hospitals you've mentioned.

My only experience with Monash was about 10 years ago for a lap, but it was a very positive experience. A workmate's wife gave birth their about six months ago after having lost a lot of babies (she got a live and kicking one this time) and he couldn't talk higher of all the staff there.

If you are going to be relying on public transport to get to your appointments I'd recommend going to a local hospital or else you'll be spending a lot of time getting there. If you'll be going by car I guess that wont be so bad.

If money is going to be tight for you you'd be best to stay somewhere around the Frankston area as the rents are cheaper there than a lot of areas.

What kind of work is your husband looking for?

[marshymallow]

Hi Satna!

thanks for the advice. I will go check out Frankston and Monash as well.

Yup, we've checked out rental rates, Frankston is cheaper than other areas, what's more we'll be close to our friends. Definitely advantages for us to help us settle in.

My hubby's doing tax audit now and he's hoping to do something similar or in the area of accounting. So far, the hunt on job search sites has not been encouraging...not sure if it's becos he doesnt have oz experience or cos it's still 3 mths away from which we actually arrive and employers want someone right away... hopefully it's the latter.

thanks again for lending a listening ear and giving me the much-needed advice.

angie

[kimbaz]

Hi Angie...i to am in the Jan 09 group with Salsa (welcome).

I am going to Monash...3rd bub...and highly recommend them alot. Its a huge hospital and has every facility under the sun should you require it. Id def give them a call and see if you can get in there to deliver your bub.

All the best...chat in the Jan thread!

[marshymallow]

Hi Kim

thanks! will check out Monash as well since it's nearer to Frankston than Mercy is. Will also enquire at Frankston as well.

How are the midwives there? like wat i asked Kim abt Frankston, will it be the ob doingthe epis and suction (if need to) or is it the midwives? also how is the room situation there? I read in other forums abt Royal Melbourne's being highly understaffed and crowded so much so that some mummies choose to go hm early. I'm quite ok with roomig with a few mummies. In fact, my second bub i shared a room with three other mums but thankfully i had a corner bed so i had some privacy. heard aso it's pretty common for oz hosp not to have a nursery cos they want to encourage babies to bond with their mummies. I'm just thinking how i am gg to rest if i have my babe 24/7 with me and also with other babies in the room, it will be chaos, won't it be?

but my piority is still making sure that all is covered medically, that i have an ob should there be complications.. a little discomort i think i can endure...to keep costs minimal..


so many things to think abt..

[kimbaz]

Midwives in the delivery rooms are fantastic...if you happen to get a student one they are also great!

I had a had extraction with DD1 and the OB on duty done the delivery. I didnt get an episiotomy for that...had i needed one, he would ahve done it. The midwife done the stitching (as i tore). With DD2 she was a normal unasissted delivery and the OB on duty delivered her, i again tore and the midwife done the stitching.

For the entire labour the midwives looked after me, OB only came in when the pushing stage arrived.

Rooming in with mum at all times. They do have a parents room where bub can go while you shower or if you need a little rest. But they prefer bub to be with mum at all times if possible. Babies cry...its part of being on a maternity ward, but generally its not to bad.

You can leeave 6 hours after birth. Normal stay is 48 for vaginal birth 5 days for c/s.

You share room with 3 others...(4 to a room) ot you may be lucky and get one of the few single rooms they have.

I do all my antenatal appointments at the hospital in their clinic. I see different midwives and OB every time....but with my last 2 babies...the OB thats delivered them i had seen them during clinic visits so i felt 'at home'. Its all luck who you on delivery day however if you go public.

[Kristin27]

I had my DD at the Mercy two months ago and they were fantastic!

However if you end up living in Frankston I don't think you will be able to go to the Mercy because you don't live in their 'zone', you would need to live a lot closer.

Plus, in my opinion the trip from Frankston to Heidelberg whilst in labour would be horrendous, imagine if it was in peak hour traffic! It would take far too long for me, the 15 minute drive it took us was long enough... I'd go somewhere closer to where you live.

Just on the other questions - I had an emergency c section had an obs for that. I saw both midwives and obs for my check ups and didn't pay a cent for any of it, even for my epidural. I highly recommend going public, the care is so good in Australia.

All the best finding the right way for you....

[marshymallow]

Hi Kristen!

thanks for the advice! Will have a think over all the suggestions and advice and make a decision soon! I think i will call and book real soon too.

angie