Birthing in Auckland
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Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18461
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Topic: Birthing in Auckland
Posted By: peanut butter
Subject: Birthing in Auckland
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:40pm
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Ok, I have been googling Aucklands maternity services and I feel sick to the bone!! Hopefully someone can clarify it all for me.
Down here, we can birth at about 4 different birthing units but no epis c sections etc. All free, all private rooms. Or you can birth at Chch womens and have your epi etc. Again free and private post natal roomsif you are lucky enough to stay. Generally you get booted out to one of the birthing units after birth of bubs. If you have a c-section you often stay at CWH. Everything is free. Anaethetist, Paed etc.
My Ob was private and I paid a measly $900 but this has gone up to $1900 this time. I saw her 6 times prior to the birth, at the birth and a few times while in hospital and then at the 6 week check. all my other appointments were with my MW.
Now from what I have seen, in Auckland you have to pay for anaethetists etc, your OB sees you for all? your antenatal appointments (so do you not need a MW at all?) and you have to pay extra to get a private room.
Is that right????? |
Replies:
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:45pm
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I didn't pay for any of my maternity care, and I saw an OB towards the end of pregnancy and he was free, otherwise I saw my m/w right the way through and she attended my emergency c section too.
If you go private then yes I would say you have to pay for everything?? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:52pm
MIne is $4,000.00!  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
nzpiper wrote:Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:52pm
ETA ... or rather, delete since I double posted somehow  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: VannesaD
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:53pm
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If you go private you pay for everything .. although a friend of mine said a package of approx $2500 gets you the visits and the birth including c-section if necessary.
I saw a mw all through my first pg and the same one this time around - free of charge. I chose to birth at Birthcare for the first and will again repeat that decision this time around. Birthing cost $100 (not sure if it has gone up this time around) - even though I was transferred to National Womens to birth and then back to Birthcare for the birth. If I want a private room then there is a charge for it, along with a charge for meals for hubby etc if he stays. If I don't want a private room then the stay is free but I share a room with other mums. It's definitely cheaper to have a baby in other parts of the country.  -------------  
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Joelle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 7:58pm
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Where you birth usually depends where you live.
Birthing centres - there are a few, some are free others cost. Hospitals - there's Auckland, North Shore, Waitakere and Middlemore (?). Don't know if there are any others. Private rooms - Not sure in the other hospitals/birth centres but Waitakere doesn't have any private rooms and you can transfer to Helensville birth centre which is free and has private double rooms. A friend used a private OB and paid for his fees, $3k this was over on the North Shore. She ended up having a c section (medical reasons) and didn't have any additional costs. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:01pm
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Sorry I should point out that I have no problem with paying for a private specialist. We chose to do that last time as we were paranoid first time parents and had such a good expereince that I would definately do it again. But it seems here the OBs do a shared care arrangement with MW and all the hospital crew are free. I think you have to pay for your anaethetist in Auckland...am I right? I probably want an epi so just need to check out my options there.
There is a chance we will still be down here in which case I know the ropes but if DH gets this job and we move up I like to be prepared (its the virgo in me |
)Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:01pm
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Precisely why I am having palpitations right now!!!! |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:05pm
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Hi nzpiper, If you end up living in Ellerslie, then Auckland hospital or Birthcare or home will be your best options for actual birthing. Auckland Hospital is actually really lovely and new, and the staff were really good. My m/w just met us there and I got my epi within about 25mins of getting there! The costs for us came when we transferred to Birthcare (which everyone that births at Auckland does, unless they have had a c-sect, or there are complications with mum / bubs). We had a private room, so thats where the costs came into it and DH stayed too so we had his meals as well. I think out bill was something around $1000 but that was for 5nights with all meals for both of us, so I didnt actually think that was too bad. The standard rooms at Birthcare are twins, but as everyone transfers from auckland, you never know who you might end up sharing with. If you choose to birth at Birthcare then you get a privatre room for free.
------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:09pm
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Its funny, at my AN classes they told us that if we had an "elective"epidural - ie if we planned to have one, then it would cost about $400-500. BUT if we just decided at the time then it was free, the risk being that you might have to wait quite a long time to get one if they are really busy, whereas if you are paying then you can get a private anaes in to do it, so presumably you dont have to wait. Like I said my m/w organised mine the moment we walked in the door, and maybe because it was 9am, we didnt have to wait long at all. I had only been in the room about 35mins I think! ETA - I am a virgo too, so like to be ultra organised!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:09pm
Yeah, but then you have to do it without and epi......HELL NO!!!!!! |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:11pm
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If you want a private room - it is subsidised for the first 3 nights, but if you need to stay longer (ie if having feeding problems like we were), then they will continue to subsidise (so long as on clinical advise to stay).
------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:13pm
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Thanks Simsam. You pretty much answered all my questions. So lets not "plan" to have one. Afterall last time I waited 2 hours for mine so I totally expect that. Funnily enough my OB arrived at 8.30 and I had my epi at 9am after my MW had been requesting it since 7am.....but the day I was in there they had a record number of emergency c-sections.
I wonder if you plan to birth at birthcare and then cant hack it and have to transfer to Auckland for your epi, when you come back can you have a private room free???????? |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:14pm
| 3 nights is pretty good. I am sure down here it is 2 nights. We got 7 nights as Tom had problems and CWH is a lovely place to stay despite the bad experiences some women had. I loved it! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:16pm
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I did shared care with an OB and a midwife with the gremlins and it cost me $2K, but I didn't have to pay for the anaesthatist who did my epi and it was a planned epi as part of my birth management plan. If I'd needed a section that was all included too, luck of the draw meant I didn't so he scored a nice fat fee for not much work!
Akld City Hospital is brilliant, the facilities are all less than 4 years old and state of the art. And if you have a normal delivery or an uncomplicated c-sect you can transfer to Birthcare for 3 nights in a shared room. If you want to, you can birth at Birthcare, like all birthing centres it means no epis etc. but if you birth there you do get a free private room, and it doesn't cost to birth there. I'd love to have this baby there but I don't qualify as I had a small haemorrhage after the gremlins so am too "high risk". It may sound snobby, but I don't think there's anywhere else I'd rather birth than Auckland. We have the best facilities for labour and delivery, plus access to the best neonatal and paediatric intensive care etc. And the option to transfer to Birthcare is fantastic, OK so it means dragging your newborn up there but it's only 5 mins drive and it has great facilities. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:18pm
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Oh and I didn't pay for the gremlins paed either, we had the on-call private paed (as opposed to the public team as I had a private OB and ind m/w) at the birth and he came and checked them again at Birthcare, the first we had to pay was when we took them to him for their 6 week check. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:19pm
I think you end up draggin your newborn somewhere no matter where you birth. We were just lucky (or maybe not) with Tom. And its not dragging thenewborn that bothers me....its my sore sorry arse that doesnt want to be moved. 
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:20pm
| Ok, so my heart rate is coming back down to normal and Tom is not about to be sold into slavery to pay for No 2. Phew!!!!!! And all this panic may be nothing as we may well still be down here. |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:25pm
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You have health insurance too don't you?? So things like birthcare you can claim back for. ETA: shocking spelling ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:36pm
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Only if you don't use it to pay for an OB Becks, you get a set amount per pregnancy and how you use it is up to you. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:37pm
| you only get $1200 on my plan but that s $1200 more than I got last year. And then there are the costs of scans etc. |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 8:48pm
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I think Emma has hit the nail on the head, Auckland Hospital has fantastic facilities and world class staff. In the past I did some work at the old NWH and worked with a lot of the senior NICU clinicians, and there is no-where else I would rather be if I had something wrong with my baby.
------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 9:00pm
| And under South Auckland Middlemore you can transfer to papakura or Botany which is near Howick.Dannemora if you were to live there for hubbies work at Whitford if he got the job |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 9:33pm
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Yeah but...no offence to anyone....but they couldnt PAY ME enough to deliver at Middlemore!!!!
------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 9:50pm
*nods* Me too! ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 9:53pm
i have heard some very good things about middlemore recently, and they have just recently re done their maternity suites too, so all new as well. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 9:55pm
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I dont doubt that its a lot nicer now, but having worked out there as well as NWH, I have my own opinions I guess!
------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 10:00pm
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They have recently purchased heaps of new incubators etc equipment (thanks to the charity ball held by the Mayor and Mayoress of Manukau )
I had Caitlyn at the old National womens hospital, then got transferred to Birthcare (one of the perks of going to Bethany ) i loved it there, was great. Next time im having my baby at home anyway (all going to plan) i had no epi last time , so i can do it without next time |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 10:00pm
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sorry , i mean purchased them at Middlemore ....
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 10:23pm
I had Maya at the old NWH too  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 10:24pm
scuse me i didnt know you had worked there. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 22 June 2008 at 11:50pm
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Wow I'm glad I dont live in auckland anymore!
I birthed at CWH and transferred out to rangiora (although i wish id stayed at CWH cuz rangiora hospital was poo and they said I had an anger management problem?) Everything was free! One thing thats different is you pay for scans down here, and they were free in auckland when I was there! ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 7:15am
| And I had Kelly (caitlyn's mum ) and her brother and sister at the old NWH |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 8:06am
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Nope Miss Angel, you pay for most scans up here. I *think* Horizons still do them free but everywhere else you pay. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 9:26am
| I was born at Middlemore......but I wouldnt be keen to brith there now. |
Posted By: VannesaD
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 9:56am
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Nzpiper - I planned to birth at Birthcare but got transferred to the old National Womens (not very flash) after 31 hours of labour - then had to drive (ourselves) back to Birthcare at 3am in the morning. Got the private room free - but still had to pay the $99 for the birth kit. Stayed three nights - hated the midwives.
This time I've doing it again (birthing at Birthcare) even though I live in Franklin - but I've been told the staff midwives are different now and my mw is bonded to Birthcare so I'm trusting her word on this. -------------
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Natalie_G
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 10:48am
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Jezsika - I have heard that NSH has been completely redone and it looks great, is that true?
I live off Ocean View Road just up from NSH so im lucky I dont have far to go to get to hositpal. We will be doing a tour of the suites later on in my pregancy, cant wait. So far all I have had to pay for is my scans which im happy to pay for since everything else is free. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: nicci
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 1:44pm
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Hi NZPiper,
Just thought I would throw in some info on Waitakere Hospital as I gave birth there in March. Now before you all start in on the Westie jokes, I'll just say that I was a North Shore girl growing up and was/am fairly snobby. I found Waitakere Hospital and their staff fabulous, I had an independant MW who knew all the hospital staff really well. Towards the end of the labour my MW brought a hospital MW in to help coach me, again fabulous lady. The deliver room was clean and tidy, the bathroom was modern and clean. I hate hospitals but was impressed with Waitakere, or maybe because I was in so much pain I didn't care! I didn't stay at the hospital afterwards because of bad feedback I had heard about post-natal care and rooms (this has since been backed up by the girls from my coffee group) I choose to transfer out to Helensville Birthing Centre. Wow!!! It was simply the best. They only take 4 families at one time and each family gets a private room with double bed and bathroom. The staff at Helensville were lovely. Helensville is completely free to all Rodney District, Waitakere City and North Shore City residents. It is a bit of a drive out there, but hey that puts all of those rubber neckers off coming to visit when you need your rest :-) DH stayed with me the whole time (3 nights) and got feed - all for free. The food was yummy - if I was hungry all I had to do was ask and I got feed. You can birth there but it sounds as though you are lining up for the epi and they can't offer that out there. Anyway, thats the Westie point of view! ------------- http://lilypie.com">   http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: popcorn
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 3:37pm
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I birthed at Middlemore and being the snobby fussy biarch that i am still couldnt fault any of it, they were absolutely brilliant and I had alot of complications for them to deal with with my heart problem on top of everything else so if you do end up at Middlemore its not the worst thing in the world
I transferred out to a unit afterwards but that was mostly to be closer to Chris and to get my own room ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: KweenJ3
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 4:31pm
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I too am birthing at middlemore and cant wait! This is my 3rd and birthed at national womans with my other 2 but thats before they formed with auckland hospital and were on the site in greenlane. Due in 4 days!!!!
cant wait! ------------- Jacinda, 26, Mum to Aiesha 10yrs, Carlos 9yrs and Brooklen 22 months:) |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 5:05pm
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Middlemore does have great new facilities, I just can't get past issues I've had there in the past long enough to give them a fair chance. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: popcorn
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 5:59pm
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yeah i think alot of people feel like that, i said there was no way in hell i would birth there, i have had terrible experiences there when i have stayed in coronary care and also when i had my appendix out but the maternity ward is really good i had great midwives and found them to be better than the ones at papakura maternity where i ended up ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Phat_Cat
Date Posted: 23 June 2008 at 6:26pm
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well i birthed at NSH and I hate NSH ED dept so wasnt too happy that I would have to go BUT it actually wasnt that bad. I had my midwife with me the whole time and got to use the birthing pool and because i had to have syntocin i elected to have an epi. (after labouring for 6 hrs naturally)Then after i had birthed I went back up to Warkworth Birth Centre and I cannot speak of them highly enough. DH was allowed to stay one night for free, i had lovely meals I could have anything i wanted (and as much as i wanted hehehe 3x desserts plse) and the showers were divine. I had a private room as well just had to share a bathroom no major. the midwives are really supportive and looked after you well. I ended up going back to NSH (the only thing that went wrong was that i got an abssess from an IM pethidine injection) and had a room of my own. The midwives were pretty nice & friendly and helpful and i again had a private room with a shared bathroom. This time i intend to Birth at Warkworth Birthing Centre (no epis etc) unless my pre-eclampsia shows up again so it will be back to NSH and then transfer up aftewards.. ------------- Tristen - 24/06/07 Rylan - 11/12/08 Angel Babies -14/08/05 & 21/01/2010 Curtis - 26/02/12 |