Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

[sare_mac]

Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Hi Guys, I'm badly in need of some advice. I'm pregnant with my second child, and my first birth experience left much to be desired. I started out with the best of intentions, going to the birth centre, ideas of drug free birth etc, but really, I was in a dream world. Anyway, long story short, ended up being induced and having an epidural, and had a beautiful baby girl.

However, when I went to the Hospital this time and told them I would once again like to go to the Birth Centre I was told by my Dr (whom I am not happy with!) that I had a mild case of shoulder distocia with my first birth and that it was too risky to let me go to the birth centre. I have tried to convince him that I don't feel this will be a problem, as I certainly don't intend having an epidural with this birth and I think that laying prone for 9 hours during my active labour is what caused the problem in the first place, but he still won't budge!!

My real issue is that I really don't feel comfortable going into a room like I had once I was transferred into the labour ward. It was cramped and not very condusive to an ambient atmosphere. I am going to be using hypobabies self hypnosis program so I want a quite and calm environment for my baby to be birthed in.

I can't afford private health insurance, and this is the only hospital I can go to as the other public one I could try is about and hour away and I'm 2kms out of their 20km limit for intakes. (plus I'm not sure about an hour drive as opposed to a 5 minute one!). I have also considered birthing at home, but in South Australia the only government funded midwives that will do homebirths are in the northern suburbs and I live 17kms south of the city.

what are my options? any ideas? We aren't flash with cash so I guess hiring a private midwife is also out of the question.

looking forward to some sage advice!

[Meridith]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Can you arrange a payment plan with a midwife...to include the baby bonus?

[Bugboy]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Most private midwives are willing to take a small deposit until you receive the baby bonus.

Originally Posted by sare_mac

I had a mild case of shoulder distocia with my first birth and that it was too risky to let me go to the birth centre.

Honestly - this sounds dodgy to me, I don't see how that could be a reason to stop you birthing in the birth centre if you wanted to.

IMO the safest thing you could do is talk to some independent midwives about possible homebirth and see what the cost/payment system would be.
If that's not for you I would suggest hiring a doula (most student doulas will work for little or no money and can make a big difference to a birth experience)

[Heartwood]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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You can claim 20% of any medical expenses over $1500 with your tax (thanks JB)
That's $500 if your MW costs $4000, and as others have mentioned, you could pay for the MW out of the Baby Bonus.

Otherwise, you could hire a doula ($600-$1000), stay at home as long as possible and transfer to hospital to birth baby (I did this) You'll still be in an unfamiliar evnironment, and you'll still be met with negativity regarding your "previous history" but with your partner and doula advocating for you, you'll be able to stick to your guns and birth baby calmly and actively. Remember you can refuse treatment or monitoring (within reason). You don't need to get on the hospital bed at all.

[justincredible]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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I would ring the IMs, as I know that at least one of them travels large distances to get to birthing women. I wouldn't muck around with anything other than a HB mw to be honest.

[DePome]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Others have mentioned payment plans with private m/w already. We paid $200 booking in fee with ours then the balance once we had the baby bonus.

On the other issues though, no amount of shoulder dystocia will be exclusion policy in a birth centre. Exclusions are for medical conditions though unfortunately smost of them consider a previous caesarean a medical condition Don't let a ridiculous bloody GP keep you out of the birth centre when THEY would happily have you again.

You are absolutely right that the biggest contributors to shoulder dystocia are being flat on the bed and having an epidural. If your GP (or Ob) is too stupid to acknowledge this common knowledge then tell them to birth a baby uphill while paralised

[Ayla]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Originally Posted by DePome

Others have mentioned payment plans with private m/w already. We paid $200 booking in fee with ours then the balance once we had the baby bonus.

That's the arrangement I have with my MW too. I'll be birthing at home in September

[~Harmony~]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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You're less likely to have a natural birth in a private hospital anyway, so don't feel you're missing out there

I agree with the others, talk to some IM, look around for a doula, talk to the BC directly.

Best of luck!

[sare_mac]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Thanks Guys, (Deborah, your last comment got me laughing!! I will be calling the Birth Centre first thing tomorrow morning, but from memory, the Dr at the hospital has to OK you before they sign you over as this birth centre is in the hospital. I really don't like this Dr as some of the comment he's made seem to be to me make me feel like he's the all knowing Dr and I'm just some stupid stay at home mum! If I wasn't such a chicken, I'd try and unassisted home birth, but my hubby would have a heart attack! Thanks Girls for the advice, if the birth centre doesn't work out, I think I'll look into a student doula!

[DePome]

Re: Advice Needed - I'm stuck with the public health system

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Is that Dr at the hospital that you refer to in your last post the same one that you were talking about to start with?

All Birth Centres in Australia require Obstetric 'clearance' before you birth in them. As I said before, a minor case of SD, caused by an epidural and an uphill birth are NOT obstetric exclusion critieria. It is not a medical condition in any way at all. You DID birth your baby, uphill to boot! They can't argue that your bloody pelvis is too small when you got a baby out that way, yet that is what the first Dr you mentioned is implying. Oh, and there's no such thing as "pelvis too small" anyway, really Well, not in Australia. There is probably oodles of research results on SD posted on this site so I'd suggest you do a quick search and have such info up your sleeve incase that hospital Ob tries to rattle you. You only need mention that you've read x, y and z and you're well aware that it was the TYPE of birth last time that caused the SD, and nothing at all to do with your pelvis.