The miracle of childbirth
 

Thought I’d just put down on paper what I’m not sure really happened to us. I was originally going to post a long discourse but I decided it was a bit much, so here’s the summary:

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What’s this got to do with moving to Oz? Well, two quite contradictory thoughts:

1. Apparently there is a shortage of 10,000 midwives in the UK. Surely the Oz health system can’t be this bad? I don’t care if I have to pay.
2. During the crisis, friends and family rallied around. And we’re going to Melbourne without any close friends or family? Are we mad?

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Congratulations on the new arrival guys. Sorry to hear you had such a rough time, but worth it in the end hey.

:beer:

Buzzy

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Hi There

Ist congratulations on your new arrival!

Secondly commiserations on your terrible ordeal....

As someone who has given birth in oz...can I re-assure you that I had 'THE BEST CARE' I

I never had to wait for any of my appointments

I had a very difficult birth but (without going into too much detail) I had the very best care from the staff.

When I ended up in theatre, thankfully I didn't need a c-section in the end, but I had 13 people in the room, including 2 peadiatricians, the Senior houseman who did the delivery, and the consultant who oversaw everything. I also had a consultant anheasatist!

I did not have any serious complications, like pre-eclampsia, to warrant this amount of attention...I simply couldnt get the bub to come out, baby got distressed. ALL STOPS PULLED OUT to ensure me and bub were safe!

Once he did appear he had breathing problems which could not have been pre-empted. So thank god for the two peadiatricians!

The hospital was extremely clean and modern.

I did not pay a penny for this service.

As for family....that will always be a toughie....but my husband was there, and my mum had flown out prior.

Melbourne is a fab city and oz is a wonderful place for kids...good luck!

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

That's a terrible ordeal your family had to go through. It's great that everything worked out for the best. Nothing surprises me anymore about the NHS - embarrassingly I work for them and what you find out working for them is even scarier than the stuff that's all over the papers!

Our friends had their first baby over in Oz and she had a ton of complications and, like mandoz, they were given the best of care. It's a shame our health system can't work this way.

My husband and I don't have any children together and I do worry what it will be like not having any family/friends around when it does happen. I don't think either of us is mad for wanting to go to live in another country hundreds of miles away from the people who care about us(!) You are giving your family a better way of life and family/friends will visit - it's not the same as them living around you but these things have to be weighed up. Remember why you decided to go in the first place. Good luck with everything. :thumbsup:

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

what a scary time it must have been, thank God you had some experience already and got things moving a bit. Congratulations!
I have had 2 babies in UK, excellent service,cannot fault it really,but I was left alone after 1st labour due to an emergency. I am happy to be having my third here.
If you are willing to pay you could pay here next time and have family around too!;)

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Not Northwick Park by any chance ?????

I hope your wife has recovered and you are all enjoying your new arrival. Congratulations :)

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Nope.
I'll give you a clue: As I was driving in to see my wife, the radio anounced that the hospital I was heading to had just paid out £600,000 to a husband whose wife died from blood poisoning six days after giving birth to their second child. She was discharged the day after she gave birth, even though she had low blood pressure, a fast pulse and a high temperature - all signs of infection.

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Congratulations! I had our 2nd child in December so the feelings are still quite fresh for me. I too had problems after a straightforward c-section so i know where you are coming from! To cut a long story short - i had a drain which was erroneously stitched into me - so 2days after a c-section had to go back down to theatre to have the wound re-opened so they could locate the error and remove said drain! Then due to dangerously high BP i wad not allowed home and finally 5 days later after they decided to check my urine they discovered protein - and decided that i had the form of pre-eclampsia that you can get after giving birth! All this was going on in a new hospital which for which the maternity unit had opened up for business only 2 days prior to my arrival (so many teething problems and staff didnt know whether they were coming or going). I threatened to discharge myself at one point because i was supposed to be having my BP monitored every couple of hours both day and night and was meant to have 2 lots of BP pills at certain times (always given them late). After rowing with a doctor (something i would never do normally but was driven to it) - it was agreed i would stay as long as possible to get my BP manageable - on the condition that they kept their end of the bargain (which didnt happen). After being told that i could have fits and convulsions and die - i was then released from hospital just 24 hours later - because they needed the beds and told me that i would be ok - a midwife would do home visits daily to check my BP!
Lets just say i'm fine now - but i'm in no rush to go back into hospital in the UK!

i am hoping and praying that the hospitals in OZ and Tasmania (where i'm hoping to go) are much better!

Saying that though - you look at your kids - and all the pain and misery is so worth it!!!!!

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Congratulations on your new arrival!! :thumbsup: I am a very experienced midwife, currently working in a large NHS hospital here in England. Unfortunatly, although I am embarrassed to admit it, your experience is not an isolated incident.:o However, it is NOT from lack of experience/care/compassion etc from the staff, it is because this government seems to think it is ok to run our hospitals on skeleton staff! I trained hard for three years to become a registered nurse and then a furthur 18 months to become a registered midwife, I and my colleagues spend all our working hours desperatly trying to give good professional care to all our patients, in conditions that are at best adequate, but usually are atrocious! We constantly work 13 hour days or 11 hour nights, in a very stressful job, with no meal breaks! We very rarely leave on time! I could go on and on, but I am not after a sympathy vote, after all I chose this profession, but suffice to say I, along with loads of other midwifes and nurses, have finally had enough, and are off to better places to practice, where we can give the level of care that we trained for and that is every women's right! ROLL ON AUSTRALIA!!!!!:thumbsup:

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Congratulations on your new arrival.

I have had Pre-Eclampsia so know what a dangerous condition is.
Ive experienced similar treatment and also wonderful treatment.

My youngest is only two and I had a nasty fall while pregnant. Had to go to the nearest hospital (was in the UK). The place was lifting! The women in the opposite bed had no table for eating etc. So had to put her plate on the bed. No problem she could manage, well if it wasnt for the two day old blood all over her sheets! Yuk!

She kept asking staff to change but nobody available. She told me no cleaners for whole week!

I was due to have a c section in 2 weeks time at my hospital. Was panicking about catching germs (flesh eating bugs!) so rang my mother quickish.

To make the story short, it ended with my mother coming in and me discharging myself. We made a very hasty exit with me in a wheelchair and my poor mother running down the corridors to get me out as quick as possible!!

Two weeks later I had my baby, the hospital was great and staff wonderful. However these two hospital were in the same area.

One obviously had serious shortages with staff. The other didnt.

Im sure any future births will go ok. I had terrible first birth and now daft enough to have four kids!!

Midwifes are generally great but staffing is a big problem.

Congratulations

Gems

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Yes, I probably didn't make this clear but I do think the problem is one of not enough staff and beds. There were a lot of tired faces. I heard from one midwife that all the "on call" midwives were working full time.

I also noticed when I was wandering around the wards looking for coffee and food that I heard a lot of "Do you know ?", "Where is ?", "How do you fill in this ?". Sounded like a staff retention problem.

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Do a search for "Flynn rollercoaster" - you'll be right;) :thumbsup:

BTW, congratulations on the new arrival. That's quite an entry to the world.

Now go sleep:p

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

God, that puts things in perspective. Makes our little episode look like a walk in the park.

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

Sound's like a nightmare. I had both my daughters in West Sussex (St Richard's to be exact!) and I had no complaints. But, I had no REAL problems, only minor...
I have heard similar stories like yours and it is scary. I hope you wrote a formal complaint. Thank God all was well, and baby and mum and .... dad are ok:)
I found expertise in Oz to be on a par, but MORE staff around, therefore, the pressures off somewhat. Make your own mind up;)
Whatever happens, you will always miss family support. Whether things are going well or s#!t you will always miss family and friends, depends what your priority is I guess?!
Anyway, all the best on the new arrival:thumbsup:
DLM

Re: The miracle of childbirth
 

I agree and yes we are leaving in droves..............The NHS is desperately trying to deal with budgets, cuts and money saving exercises and money rather than patient care is the priority:thumbdown: I used to love my job - now I go to work because I have to pay the bills
I only hope one day that I can do my job again and enjoy and love the job that I was trained to do (at British taxpayers expense - I migh add)
Not at the moment and certainly I dont think again in the UK - had we not being heading off I would have headed out the door - yes we do still care about the patients (nothing changed there) but no one cares about us - working in scary situations where short staffing is an accepted occurance.
I am truly sorry about your experience - but it is not an isolated incident, and will continue to happen on a daily basis - Unfortunately:(