What if Birthcare is full?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22509
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Topic: What if Birthcare is full?
Posted By: ginger
Subject: What if Birthcare is full?
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 8:35am
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The husband and I did a tour of Birthcare during the weekend as part of our general antenatal class recommendations.
One thing that I thought of as we were going around is that we are due in January - January is apparently chaos (LOTS of babies due) and Birthcare isn't really that big. So, I asked the person conducting our tour if they ever get full, and if so, what happens to us if there is no room? First, she looked gobsmacked that I'd asked, and second she didn't seem to know how to answer me. What I got in response was a 'Um, well, hopefully you'll get to wait in the lounge at the hospital until we have some room, but we might not have room .... oh! and this is where you can cut flowers, and there's the visitor's toilet ..." 
So, what I kind of got from that is that you get discharged from hospital as normal in the 2-4 (or 4-6 depending on who you're talking to) hours time frame, and if you can't get into Birthcare (I mean, what are you going to do? Spend a day or 2 possibly in the lounge at the hospital IF you're allowed? ), I guess you just go home ( ).
Has anyone not been able to get into BIrthcare? If so, what did you do? I was feeling perfectly happy until this little possibility raised itself!  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Replies:
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 8:54am
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Ginger ..
I would have thought if you cant get into Birthcare they wouldnt transfer you and they would send you up the ward at the hospital (which isnt as swanky) .. but as a first time Mum you would still get the opportunity to learn the ropes from the nurses. I wouldnt think they would just send you on your merry way home. ------------- 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: Nefertiti
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 8:56am
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I would say the obvious thing is you have to go to the hospital....or home for a homebirth. Pretty straight forward really. They can't exactly kick someone out if they are in about to give birth.
When you phone your midwife to say your ready to go to the birthing centre, they generally call the centre to say you are on your way. If there is no room you will get called to say go to the hospital. Edited: Oh are you meaning afterwards? You should get your 48hours then if all is ok with you and baby, then you will be discharged. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 9:09am
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I had this happen to me but down in Christchurch, the hospital wanted to transfer me to burwood but it was full so i stayed an extra night at the hospital and then transfered the next day. She was probably only meaning you would hang out in the lounge for a bit if someone was leaving Birthcare and they were getting the room ready for you. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 9:09am
Oh and I just had another thought ... maybe lots of Jan Mums are 2nd timers .. so they may in fact go straight home .. leaving room for you  ------------- 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: ginger
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 9:45am
Oh. I hadn't even thought of that!  
I would have assumed that you'd get to stay in the hospital if Birthcare was full, but the um-ing and ah-ing and changing the subject threw me a bit ... still, Mr Man seems quite keen to come out via c/s at the moment, so I have bigger problems than whether I'll miss out on my Birthcare creme brulee 
And, I suppose bearing in mind that the tour person also managed to tell us that a private room is $280 for your stay (instead of $280 per night) which would be quite lovely thank you very much, I probably should have just written her off or actually, got her to sign something to that effect now that I think about it ... ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
lilfatty wrote:Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 10:00am
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Well you can still transfer to birthcare after a c/s .. I think (off the top of my mummybrain) .. you can stay two days on hospital then you can transfer birthcare for the three days (But dont quote me .. I unfortunately had a bad reaction to the painkillers they gave me and had to stay in hospital the entire week .. so I didnt get any creme brulee either!) Maybe this time ... ------------- 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: peanut butter
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 10:11am
| creme brulee!!!!! DOnt get that down here.....( pouting now and stomping my foot...life is so unfair) |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 10:33am
*sticks fingers in ears* La la la la la la la things never go wrong in childbirth la la la la la la and the story I heard yesterday about a girl rupturing a lung pushing is complete bollocks la la la la la la la ...
(and the two day transfer thing is right - you stay in care for 5 days apparently, 2 nights at the hospital and 3 at Birthcare )------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 12:59pm
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When I had Nyah I was told two hours after she was born that I wouldn't be able to transfer to Birthcare because they were full.
So I stayed at National Womans and had a room to myself, which was great... I was bummed at the time, and at no time during my stay at NW was any offer made to transfer to BC once there was a free bed. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 2:12pm
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Interestingly I asked the same question when we did our tour of Birthcare, and was told that it very rarely happens, but when it does you either stay at the hospital until a bed becomes available or you go home. We had a private room at Birthcare, (luckily we got the one with the double bed so DH stayed the whole time!!) and we ended up staying 5 nights as we were having problems feeding, and because the paediatrician recommended we stay - the room continued to be subsidised.
------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 2:28pm
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That was a really good question Ginger - but what a lame answer for them to give you
I am still considering whether I want to have Birthcare lined up as my 'plan B'... ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 6:58pm
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I asked my midwife what happened and she said it never happens, birthcare is booked well in advance and a lot of people end up not going to birthcare, just straight home from hospital. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Nefertiti
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 7:18pm
You have to pay???? Wow...we don't here! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 7:54pm
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Oh, I missed my own bed and my hubby too much to even consider staying in hospital/birth care.
I went home after one night. But if I had the offer of creme brulee I may well have stayed longer
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 17 November 2008 at 8:36pm
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I know down here that if your first choice isn't free, they see about transferring you elsewhere, or otherwise keep you in hospital, as they have to give you the 48 hours for a vaginal birth at least, more for a c/s obviously.
When abouts in Jan are you due? I couldn't be induced when I was supposed to be (at 39 weeks, between Xmas and New Years) because they were on skeleton staff down here, and I think the longer wee bub stays in after New Years the better as they don't start putting full staff back on in most places till mid Jan. But... you obviously will get proper treatment lol. I didn't really care about where I was, I just cared that I got the drugs *woohoo drugs *
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Posted By: Nic01
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 9:19am
Only if you want a private room - shared rooms are fully subsidised. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mrshouse
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 9:31am
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but if you give birth there private room is free ------------- http://www.baby-gaga.com/"> 
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Posted By: Mrs_B
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 9:59am
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It is still free here (Hamilton). All the rooms are private and you don't have to give birth there just have to transfer from hospital within 12hrs. And your husband or partner can stay for free too. They don't get meals though. -------------  
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Posted By: TraceyA
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 10:31am
I thought that's how it worked in Auckland too. If you wanted to stay a few nights longer then they started to charge you per night for the room. ------------- TTC #2 |
Posted By: TraceyA
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 10:33am
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Also, Ginger if your having a scheduled C-section, then I'd call birthcare and tell them that and then they know exactly when your coming and will be ready for you. ------------- TTC #2 |
Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 2:09pm
| I so had this panic a few months back. had visions of turning up screaming in labour and being told there was no room. But thats just me being paranoid (fingers crossed) MW has reassured me plenty now that there will be room for me lol. BETTER BE!! |
Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 2:58pm
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I had my c/s on a Thursday afternoon and was chomping at the bit to go home on Saturday morning. They made me stay one more night so I left first thing on Sunday. It seemed pointless to transfer to birthcare when I was basically ready to go home after two days. Plus my specialists practise was just up the road, so it was very convenient for him to come and see me at the hospital (north shore). Also, I thought because I'd had a c/s I might get a private room, but I ended up sharing with a lady who just had her third c/s. It ended up being an absolute GODSEND! She had so much helpful advice with regards to c/s recovery and routine with baby, I am so thankful. ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 3:31pm
Also North Shore and I think Waitakere people pay $480 per night if not birthing there. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 18 November 2008 at 5:52pm
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Well, that's the other thing of course - if his nibs continues to hang out upside down (or, the right way up, but upside down to where he's supposed to be ) there'll be no point in worrying!
As it was, I talked to the person taking our antenatal classes last night which is affiliated with Birthcare and she said that it hardly ever happens that they're full - there are people rotating there constantly. I'm back to relaxed now Well ... kinda ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 19 November 2008 at 8:37am
Thats awesome! Wish they had something like that on the North Shore. 3 hours before DS was born they were asking if people wanted to go home straight after birth or be transferred to Waitakare. Luckily for us, the time DS was born, I was stictched and showered etc, it was about 9am and someone was getting discharged so I got a room.
My MW had said that if North Shore was full, then we would get transferred to Waitakere, Warkworth or Waikato Hospital! That happened to someone I knew but very very rare. Ginger - I can't believe you are 31 weeks now! Where has that time gone? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 3 Angels - Dec10 / Mar11 / Dec11
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 19 November 2008 at 9:20am
You can't believe it? Imagine how I'm feeling! What has this baby been? Four years? More? in the making? I've completely lost track!
I did say to the husband the other day after doing a huge wash of all baby's things - bedding, clothing etc (early I know, but just in case ...) that our washing line really did *not* look like our washing line at all! I just kept staring at it!
Also, it's a hell of a lot easier to hang out big people clothes than newborn ones!! ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: Lanata
Date Posted: 20 November 2008 at 7:58pm
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I got my confirmation from NW that i'm booked in to have baby there, does that automatically book me into Birthcare or is that seperate as Birthcare do send out confirmations like the hospital does?? ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: 11111
Date Posted: 21 November 2008 at 8:06am
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Well we only have 2 chioces in new plymouth Hospital or home would love something like birthcare. Would have been nice to stay away for a few day's to get a break, but certainlity not at the hospital the room's are small. As it was we were told they were really busy up stairs after I had Ems so we left hospital at 11pm. ------------- Deborah Mum to:   
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Posted By: Nic01
Date Posted: 21 November 2008 at 9:23am
If you want to transfer to Birthcare, you also need to book in there, as they're separate to NW. Apparently Birthcare don't send out confirmations any more though - you just take it that you're booked. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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