Birthcare?

Hi Ladies

I have just joined the board and am 12 weeks pregnant today! We will have a 12 year gap so its almost like having a first baby. So much has changed.

Has anyone here given birth at Birthcare? Been to their Ante Natal classes? How did their services compare to National Womens.

you can go for a tour around both - birthcare from around 14 weeks pg i think (or sneak on like we did while visiting someone) and nat womens around 26 weeks (cause they go into skbu and nicu etc)...def go on a tour...i wish i was going to birthcare it looked awesome...but hospital for us....and we havent done that tour yet (OMG!!!)....
we are booked into postnatal stay at Birthcare (just in case we can) - all prices etc will be given to you when you go on the tour.

BTW congrats on your BFP!!! You will find lots of help on here too!

Well you already know what I think I was so stoked to be able to go there again after I had the twins, and they were great. I wouldn't ever birth there just because I feel more secure knowing that there are emergency facilities in the same building, but postnatally I found they didn't even compare to National Womens (and as you know I had quite a lengthy visit to Nat Womens when Maya was a couple of weeks old... )

I did my antenatal classes there tho and all I got out of them was a sore butt from sitting for so long. They focussed the entire time on labour and delivery when what I really wanted to know was what to actually DO with the baby after I got her home, and I had a bit of a social clash with the other Mums as I was 21, unplanned baby etc. whereas they were all professionals, married, in their 30's etc etc.

But then I don't know that the Birthcare classes are any better/worse than the National Womens ones coz they both have pretty much the same course material.

I to am 12 weeks preg yesterday and there is a 13 year gap for me as I have re-married.
I will be having a c-section but my specialist says that I can go to Birthcare and for a room with one other is free but by myself is $250.00. I will stay at Womans Health (National Womans) as can when having a c-section.

I am pretty sure Shelly is right, the shared rooms are free, but private rooms extra. My cousin was in there a few months back. Worth paying for an extra room if you can afford it I reckon.

I toured both the delivery suites and the other rooms when we were there, I had to see everything LOL

One of the perks of having twins was getting a solo room at no charge - more I think because no one else wanted to share with me at TWO screaming babies!

If they have women who are booked in to the private rooms and have paid (but not necessarily birthed there), then someone who births there but is getting free care might end up in a shared room... make sense?

I will book in for antenatal classes at Birthcare and do a tour while there. Thanks Bombshell, I'll also book in for a tour of National Womens. If I birth at NW then I will still transfer to Birthcare. I'd like the single room but I'd rather we had a weekend away now than pay $280 per night after the birth.

My due date is now in the July school holidays so hopefully we'll have lots of big kids around to help at home once I get out.

I was looking forward to going to Birthcare, and had booked a private room. But as labour didn't go as planned (mwhahahaha, cos they ALWAYS go to plan ) I had a c-section and stayed at NWH for 5 days. I was pretty happy with the care I received there, although the food was boring (but edible), and downside was my DP could not not sleep over with us. I was told I could transfer to Birthcare after 3 days, but decided it was pointless to do so.

As for the actual care during labour and birth - totally outstanding. I had the most amazing experience with all the medical staff and my own midwife, and would definitely recommend birthing at NWH. Absolutely wonderful and kept me informed about what was happening every step of the way. Fantastic.