Private or NHS?

[KJL]

Just wondering how many people are going private or NHS and your reasons.

This is my first and although it's a big expense, we have decided to go private. My parents are helping us with the costs thank god as we'd be broke otherwise

Has anyone had any good or bad experiences private/NHS or have any strong opinions on which they prefere?

 

[flowergirl]

I'm going NHS- don't see any reason not to trust the service they provide for maternity- my authority or care Trust whatever it's called has been really efficient and helpful. On the other hand, I pity any woman under the age of 35 who has a breast lump- I had to wait a total of 20 weeks to get mine looked at to confirm it was benign- just my age I know but what if it had been something more serious? grrrrr

 

[Jen23]

i'm going NHS and am very happy with the service so far. I have really a really good midwife who i can contact whenever I want and the hospital have been very organised with the scans and everything. What will you do if you need a cesaren (spelling?) how does this work if you go private?

 

[muppetmummy]

I'm going to have the baby on the NHS We can just about stretch to a private 4d scan but thats it.

Even if I had the money I don't think I'd pay for a provate hospital, would rather pay a provate midwife and a doula and have a home birth.

I have to say I wasn't impressed with my experience of having a baby in an nhs hopital, they ran out of labour suites due to the amount of women in labour so I was shoved in a private room just off the main ward. Because it was night time I wasn't allowed any family to stay with me for security reasons so spent most of the labour on my own.
The staff were so busy I felt ignored.

I'm going to have this one in the smaller midwife led unit hopefully

 

[Manda&Thomas]

im doing my birth nhs but hopefully will be at home
atleast i no its clean there
most of my scans are private though for one reason or anouther
manda xx

 

[poppy160]

NHS - Just because I've never thought about going private. And plus we can't really afford it

 

[KJL]

What will you do if you need a cesaren (spelling?) how does this work if you go private?

It's the same cost as if you have a normal birth. If I needed one I wouldn't have to pay any more.

 

[KJL]

I have to say I wasn't impressed with my experience of having a baby in an nhs hopital, they ran out of labour suites due to the amount of women in labour so I was shoved in a private room just off the main ward. Because it was night time I wasn't allowed any family to stay with me for security reasons so spent most of the labour on my own.
The staff were so busy I felt ignored.

That's what I have heard from a lot of people and I was so nervous about having a bad experience which is one of the reasons we stretched to private. The hospital we are going to is lovely and the nurses and Dr's are so attentive and you get really personal one-on-one care. I just feel really comfortable about being there. I also really like that I can directly call my obstetrician for help or advice whatever the time or day.

 

[paradysso]

i hate the nhs, but still having baby on it, i like any thing thats free

 

[purple13]

NHS - i've been well impressed with all the care i've had so far. and the maternity unit, where i plan to have trog, is brand new. all my midwives have been lovely and i don't mind that i haven't seen the same one twice yet. i feel confident that i'm being looked after really well and just hope that it continues...!

 

[x Naomi x]

Hi there, Would you mind me asking how much roughly it costs for a private birth?

It is something i have been thinking about due to my not so pleasant time at my local hospital after my miscarriage, i dont really want to go back there and the next other hospital is 45 miles away which is the same distance as my nearest private one,

 

[Squiglet]

I know it can be around 10.000€ over here... but then most people have health insurance here so of course it doesn't cost that much.

I would have liked to have gone private... but didn't get insurance out in time... but now looking at what a friend of mine gets as a private service to what I get on the Spanish NHS, I'm actually better off.. I'm definitely cared for better. Difference is she struggles with Spanish and all her care is in English and mines not. not that it's a problem for me, but for her it is obviously.

 

[muppetmummy]

im doing my birth nhs but hopefully will be at home
atleast i no its clean there

That is something that worries me, how clean the hospitals are.

When I had James one of the two maternity wards was closed due to infection. James stopped breathing at 6 days old and then had several apnea episodes, but got better when given a course of antibiotics. I've always wondered if he caught an infection in there

 

[X5OT]

We decided to go private for the following reasons:

- we had already known our obstetrician for about a year as he was treating my ovulation problems, so we know and trust him

- continuity of care; he will be present during labour (at the hospital), will deliver our baby, and perform a c-section if it is required.

- he's available to us, 24/7, by phone (we have his personal phone numbers) so great peace of mind for us.

- he has done all my ante-natal care, scans, etc and I can have a scan each time we see him if I wish to, so again peace of mind

We will be delivering in an NHS hospital, as there are no private maternity hospitals close by, but a private ensuite room is included in our package. Although having a private room is nice, it is not our reason for going private. Our main reason for paying to go private is to keep our consultant whom we trust, and to have a medical-led rather than a nursing-led labour and birth (working in the medical profession, I feel more comfortable with this, but realise it's not for everyone). It is not covered by our health insurance - never is in the UK as far as I am aware.

 

[foxred]

We were going to be moving to London just before my due date and were planning on going private but we are staying put in the frozen north now and there is no option of private care up here for maternity

I'm really scared now as the hospital is scary (although the staff I've met are nice and do a good job) and every time I go in for a scan etc there are smacked out looking heavily pregnant girls standing outside smoking and having fights with their boyfriends not what i pictured at all.....

If i was having a normal delivery I would definatley go for a home birth as our community midwife is lovely lovely lovely.

 

[DebbieM]

We looked into going private but it's impossible here. We looked at private midwifery but the nearest to us was around 40 miles away so what good is that when you want someone to come and see you immediately.

If we could have found one here we most certainly would have...

 

[sunnyday]

Having baby in NHS hospital but hoping to be able to pay for a private room with own bathroom (for about £40 per night). We can't reserve it in advance though, it just depends what is available on the day.

I think also if I had to have a C section I'd have to be on a ward so they can keep an eye on me.

 

[Sherlock]

Our main reason for paying to go private is to keep our consultant whom we trust, and to have a medical-led rather than a nursing-led labour and birth (working in the medical profession, I feel more comfortable with this, but realise it's not for everyone). It is not covered by our health insurance - never is in the UK as far as I am aware.

I think its great you are decided about going private. If you are assured by what they do then

I considered it briefly, but then realised I'd be in the same NHS hospital anyways. Where we differ is that I don't want any doctors involved unless absolutely nessesary as I want to have a natural birth and it be midwife led. All my research has led me to conclude that once doctors become involved it becomes a medical procedure and you are more likely to have certain procedures or intervention etc used. I know a MW will want to maybe use some, but as I have a pretty good idea of what I hope for, my birth plan should cover it. If not then we will have to discuss with the maternity unit further. But thats all later on.

I guess its just how we all see it, but I feel it'll have the chance to be more natural if doctors stay away. I'll feel more comfortable as the MW's know their jobs and its what they are there for. I worry doctors treat it as a medical thing rather than a natural thing. They see it from a clinical point of view, I want to be more organic. As far as I can be in a hospital environment.

Erm yeah, I waffle again

 

[bobtheunfortunateone]

Had my last one NHS, could not fault them. He was Emergency C section and they were all great (Some abit old fashioned afterwards) but still ok. Our NHS now offers a birthing centre which is like private they have a homely feel with your own room, baths all latest herbal stuff and it is all free! unfortunately it is 45min from the hospital so if something goes wrong and I need another C Section, it a bit of a distance, not worth risk.

I got to hospital and within a hour I had a baby! rather spend the money of private on the baby!

 

[mrsbrickelltobe]

bit of both like you im using private consultant and a doula but using a room at a midwifery unit. all my scans held at private centre though. only having this as i had a real bad experience with first birth, resulted in surgery but then visiting hours were over and i was left on my own as ptr had to leave and i only got to see baby when he was 21 hrs old due to the severity of my case.

this way, theres a bed for my ptr to stay overnight with me as im petrified of being left alone again.