Private Birth vs. NHS

[TheGentleMoose]

AIBU to ask your experiences on giving birth please whether private or NHS? And if you've given birth on both what were the differences?

I started looking at amenity rooms yesterday, and someone raised giving birth privately. I was under the impression that no health insurance covers birth unless for a medical caesarean. However, DP looked into it last night [our insurance is through his company] and thinks we could claim a vaginal delivery on the insurance. We've never used the insurance before so have no idea what it's all about really.

I'd contact the insurance company before getting too far down the line with your research. I've yet to come across a UK insurance employee benefit that covers pregnancy and birth at a private hospital.

My sister recently had her baby at the midwife led unit in Chorley and the care was amazing. Afterwards she was able to stay in a private room with a double bed for a couple of days to bond with baby and rest - truly 5 star treatment on thr NHS

Actually lionsleepstonight DH and everyone he works with can pay a small premium to get AXA insurance which covers private maternity services. All his female colleagues use this and have almost all had private births. So there are UK employers who provide this.
We didn't take it up since it didn't suit our particular circumstances.

Also, I get that many many people love their midwife-led births, but this isn't an option for me and the OP has repeatedly said it isn't an option for her. So we're only discussing consultant-led births and various options around them. Not having a go at anyone lucky enough to have a low-risk pregnancy, just saying I'm not being precious, I'm just not one of the low-risk ones.

We have private health care through BUPA, the top level cover and they don't cover or offer anything at all relating to pregnancy they said they just don't have any infrastructure relating to pregnancy. I looked into it and spoke to them at length when I managed to conceive our much longed for DS.

@lionsleepstonight Yes, we are covered. The insurance company has already assured me of that.

@MuncheysMummy Clearly you don't have the top level of cover then; we are covered worldwide for maternity. I would look into upgrading your policy if you think this is something you would like.

That's great then, I just didn't want you hear all the great benefits of private then find out your reality is a shared ward of 8!

Thanks @lionsleepstonight - we have triple checked.

Bupa only cover pregnancy under their expat policies as far as I could tell and at ridiculous cost. Axa and Aviva both have options for pregnancy cover.

Bupa cover private delivery if there is risk to maternal life.

@LapinR0se and @RadarLoveBug You are both misinformed. BUPA do cover it on our policy. We have BUPA global as residents in the UK. I've previously copied the details to this thread of what is covered.

Sorry I was agreeing with you that bupa will cover it??

I'd go for private if at all possible.

Isn't Bupa Global the international package for expats? Sorry if I got it wrong.

Bupa Global was for residents of the UK that are not British. Or at least that was how it was explained to us but either way you've got it so you're covered!

@LapinR0se Ah, my mistake, I'm sorry. I thought you were saying I'd only be covered in a medical emergency.

Maybe they've changed the Bupa Global policy; definitely says at home and abroad on there now. Just need an itemised bill to make sure they categorise things correctly.

The bottom line is that NHS care when it works is great but pressures on the staffing and sheer numbers going through the units mean that it can go either way. If you go private then you guarantee continuity of care. As I mentioned before, I had my third privately but in an NHS hospital and it was like night and day from NHS care. I haven't had mine at the Portland but they do have a good special care unit and if you have private health care then you can usually have the baby covered as soon as it's born so if that's an option then it avoids huge bills. Likewise, plenty of NHS hospitals have full special care units and have to transfer babies. In the very unlikely case of this happening then UCL and St Mary's are just round the corner

The continuity of care on the NHS was a huge problem for my high risk pregnancy. Every single time I had to explain the entire thing etc. I never felt very safe and some of the registrars gave me flat out wrong information. When it finally came time to deliver I had the most incompetent midwife possible who hid behind the computer trolley for most of it only to emerge in a complete flap when the transfusion pump for the epidural ran out of batteries. 45 minutes of faffing about and a consultant is never met appears and says I have 15 minutes to get the baby out or they are going to do an episiotomy and use forceps. I was so confused as neither the baby nor I was in distress and I was pushing well. Apparently their policy was you get to push for 1.5 hrs only! No one told me! 45 minutes of my pushing was taken up by the midwife trying to sort the pump. In the end they cut me/pulled DS out with forceps. They collapsed part of his sinus doing it and to this day he has trouble with that side. It was awful.

Second time round I went private had the same doctor all the way through who knew me and my history and he allowed me in the pool (something NHS said no to because of high risk). He stayed with me and monitored me. I had the most relaxed intervention free birth. We had it covered by insurance so it was relatively cheap. The experience was night and day.

Continuity of care mattered enormously to me for my second birth. I was unable to explain what happened in my first birth and reasons for wanting an ELCS without crying. The idea of having to explain it again and again to each MW and junior doctor I met really distressed me. Going privately meant I only had to explain it once to my consultant. His only question was "did you sue them?" and he immediately agreed to an ELCS. Then I saw him and his MW the whole way through.

We were NHS at UCLH. Emergency c section. Top team of on hand and overall good experience. You can pay for private rooms.

You can pay for a private room at many NHS hospitals but you will still receive NHS care i.e. patchy

Honestly, it's a no-brainer if insurance covers it to go private

If you're low risk and near the Whittington I really recommend the birth centre. Had a lovely water birth in my own room with ensuite and double bed so DP could stay. I also saw the same midwife for all my appointments (a different one delivered DC but was excellent) and even received acupuncture. I wasn't that keen on what I saw of the labour ward but I think it's been extensively refurbished since.

If you're low risk and near the Whittington I really recommend the birth centre

Is anyone actually reading this thread before posting? Anyone?

AIBU to ask your experiences on giving birth please whether private or NHS?

Erm...

queen
So you read all the multiple posts from OP where she has said she is high risk, before posting your option for a low risk birth?

I would go for private care in wing in NHS hospital - best of both worlds with access to pleasant surroundings and all life saving necessities. I had this for a gynae op at the Lindo and it was amazing.