Private vs Public Anesthetists
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19408
Printed Date: 12 September 2025 at 11:40pm
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Topic: Private vs Public Anesthetists
Posted By: denny25
Subject: Private vs Public Anesthetists
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 1:45pm
| Just wondering if anyone had any experiences, thoughts etc about anesthetists and wether public or private is the way to go if an epidural is needed. |
Replies:
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 2:38pm
If you need one you'll just be begging for it and won't care who does it
Rather than private vs public the thing might be the level of experience - you could ask for the most snr specialist available if the time comes. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lottieandharry
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 2:53pm
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I have had an emergency c section through the public system and an elective through the private system and I have to say the private anesthetist was way better. The epidural was totally straight forward but with the public anesthetist it took 5 goes to get it in. I can't say for sure that is was a public versus private thing or rather due to the 2 very different situations I was in?? Like DJ said it probably comes down to experience. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 4:04pm
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When I was gagging for an epi .. I wanted whoever could get to me first
I had it done by a public and it was sweeeeet as  ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 4:11pm
I had an epidural during my labour. Didn't actually get asked whether I wanted private or public. Ended up with public and the first anesthetist took 3 tries and still couldn't get it in This is while I am having contractions every minute!
However she went away and got her boss, who was sooooo fantastic and got it in within about 2 minutes!!!!!! So loved him  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 4:36pm
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honestly it dosen't really matter. The only difference is one is free and the other isn't. Private dosen't mean better or more experienced. Epis are hard to put in, it depends on your posture and spine etc. By they stage you want one, I doubt you will even care if your next door neighbours mechanic does it, lol! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 8:38pm
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I had a public one when I had my caesar - couldnt have asked for better to be honest.. ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: LittleBug
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 9:06am
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I had a public one and I was so out of it I didn't notice it even happening, really. Except I thought I was going to die trying to keep still to get it done, I was in so much pain, lol. But he was lovely and it all worked out.
As someone already mentioned, private doesn't necessarily mean "better" or more experience. However, does it make a difference when it comes to waiting time? Eg. if the public anesthetist is in high demand would you get quicker service if you went private? ------------- Chloe (4 years) and Oliver (3 years). |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 6:21pm
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I had a private one both times, Mum was impressed than in my notes with Maya it says 1.05am anaesthatist called, 1.10am anaesthatist arrives lol, it was really quick. With the gremlins it was prior to labour so we weren't in a hurry but he still came quickly. Was the same one (Graham Crooks) and he was brilliant. He did have trouble siting one with the gremlins coz of the scar from the previous one, and a previous back injury, and it ended up failing half way thru, but that wasn't his fault! He did the best he could.
My friend had a public one and he was a right jerk, but it was nothing to do with him being public, just his personality, and aside from his shonky bedside manner he was perfectly competent. -------------  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: khhast
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 7:21pm
| My mum's an anaesthetist (public), and she recommended that I ask for a "specialist anaesthetist" rather than a "registrar" if I needed an epi cos specialists have more experience, registrars are still in training, often a specialist anaesthetist doing epis does them all the time (my mum does heaps, but then does hardly any cardiac patients, they kinda specialise further) so are more likely to get it right first try. They're not the easiest of things to do with a woman in labour and having to have the site still enough for long enough to get it in and done. |
Posted By: tropics
Date Posted: 26 July 2008 at 8:27pm
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I would go for private I had public and it took 10 attempts to get it in over 5 hours!!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">    [/url]
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 26 July 2008 at 8:32pm
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I agree with Khhast re: registrars, I pretty much don't do registrars at all. I had a disastrous experience with a paeds reg at Starship when Maya was 9 months old so now I avoid them at all costs. I know they have to learn and get experience somewhere, but it's not gonna be on me and my kids! I pay to see a private consultant where possible, and when we are in the public system I make sure their care is overseen by a consultant. ------------- 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: denny25
Date Posted: 27 July 2008 at 2:06pm
| Maya - Graham Crooks is the one my midwife uses - i think i might go with him. |
Posted By: summersunshine
Date Posted: 27 July 2008 at 3:28pm
| I had Graeme Crooks - a private guy. When he walked in the room it was he surrounded by a white light! After 8 hours of difficult & very painful labour I thought I had died and gone to heaven - he was definately the best. My husband said he was the calmest, nicest guy - and never has anyone gotten an IV into me in under a minite without me feeling it! Incredible. Furthermore, the hospital staff said he has done more Epidurals than anyone in the world - over 3000! Definately worth the 500 bucks, I'm getting him for the next one - no doubt. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 27 July 2008 at 3:40pm
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He is an absolute legend! It is complete coincidence that I had him for both labours 3 1/2 years apart, but as soon as he arrived when I had the gremlins I was like "I remember you!" My midwife told me after I had Maya how lucky I was to have had him.
I agree summersunshine, I thought I had died and gone to heaven - when I wrote my birth story afterwards I said that I would have married the anesthatist LMAO! And he gave me a local before he put the IV line in, spoilt! ------------- 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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