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Im pregnant, what now? Part 3 - Antenatal Choices, What are my options? |
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by monyq83  (December 2006) (rank 10th) |
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Today we have such a wide range of different options as to how we would like our antenatal care that we can basically tailor any pregnancy to suit any personal preference. (health permitting.)
Aside from choosing wether you want to go public or private hospital or even have a
home birth, youve also got to decide who you would most like to see you through your pregnancy and delivery. Your choices are as follows:
- Midwives: These are just like normal nurses except they specialise in pregnancy and birth. They have all the skills of a normal nurse and more! Midwives tend to be more supportive of natural births and (just out of personal experience) are more open minded. For some reason I have tended to be more relaxed when in the care of a midwife.
- Obstetricians: Obstetricians are similar to a GP but they have more specialist training in all things womanly (gyno probs etc) and have more insight into birthing problems and complications. Sometimes people who have certain medical problems, eg heart conditions, previous difficult deliveries etc are best to be treated by an obstetrician just in case a complecation arises.
- GP: Some people that have had a family doctor for as long as they can remember decide that they would like that person to care for them during their pregnancy and sometimes even deliver their baby. This is called shared care, and whilst you still have your regular checkups with your GP you will also see someone at the hospital for an occasional checkup just to see how everything is progressing, and they will be there for the birth as well.
The main difference between public and private hospitals is that it is free to give birth in a public hospital using your medicare card, and for a private hospital you will have to pay. Prices vary from hosptial to hospital as does the fees your obstetrician will charge. With each birth I have had through the public system, I have never had to pay a cent.
You may also come accross the terms birthing suite and labour wards. A labour ward is a bunch of rooms where everyone is busy huffing and puffing giving birth. Dont worry, you will have your own room, and unless someone next door is screaming very loudly (rare) you wont hear a thing and its totally private. The difference between this and a birthing suite is a birthing suite is more like a home environment. You have a double bed and sometimes even a spa, couch etc. Keep in mind that you only stay here while youre giving birth, after wards you are transferred back to a ward with all the other new mums and babies.
