Private referral for antenatal care in pregnancy - any experiences?

[Chocolatemolehill]

Hi ladies,
I'm 7 weeks pregnant and had my GP appointment today. He said he'd refer me for a consultant care as a high-risk pregnancy (IVF pregnancy after previous miscarriages and recent bleeding).
I'm on my husband's private health care policy (I'm self-employed) and should be able to have a private referral. Could those of you who have done this explain how it works? I know a gynaecologist/obstetrician who is recognised by that insurance company so would probably go with him. Would I have a midwife as well or would it be consultant only? And what then happens with the birth? Would it be in a private hospital too or would I go to an NHS hospital for that? Where can I look for the relevant information?
I'd be really grateful for any info.

Are you sure it covers pregnancy, mine didn't

Neither did mine and I have a very large company policy. It only covered if I needed a C section. Everything else was payable as I did end up going private.

Sadly its not uncommon to have a IVF pregnancy and miscarriages. I would check with your insurance company before you go down this route. An average birth will be £5k and C section double

I know it covers maternity but I'm not sure what is actually included. It's AXA.

"Sadly its not uncommon to have a IVF pregnancy and miscarriages."

Helpful. Really helpful. To both the OP and other IVFers.

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Is there a reason why you want to go private rather than NHS?

I was referred for consultant care during my IVF pregnancy and I couldn't have asked for better care from the doctors and MWs (hospital and community) who looked after us.

Would all your pregnancy care have to be private if you are being treated by a private consultant? What about scans, regular check ups, home visits, if you need in-patient treatment due to blood pressure or similar? Sorry - sounds like I hae as many questions as you do.

Meant to say - my care was all NHS.

I am just trying to point out that having a high risk pregnancy is not that unusual. I had one....

It would be awful if the OP went ahead, ran up a large bill on maternity care and then found they werent covered!

I have AXA cover too and was not covered.

MrsCakesPremonition - so far I've had rather negative experiences of NHS. I found them very disorganised, waiting times are long and you don't have a continuity of care - every time you see somebody different who doesn't know your history. I'm not questioning their competence but they are really overstretched.
I was in hospital recently with post-IVF complications. In one day I was examined by 4 doctors, asked the same questions by each of them and none of that information was available on the system for the others to check. They lost my notes twice and messed up my blood tests (which had to be repeated).
I have absolutely no idea how private care would work. And neither did the doctor that saw me today.

Choclate - your experiences are not far off what its like.

Although you might be under the care of the consultant you wouldnt necessarily see them every time. One of the team would see you. When I was under their care at one point I asked to see him and waited nearly 3 hours as they messed up the appointment.

Just please be careful about running up any bills until you have in writing that you are covered.

I had two high risk pregnacies, one under the NHS and one privately.

Handcream - how did your two experiences (NHS and private) compare? What would you recommend? Assuming that I am not covered (which seems likely, after a bit of digging) are there any particular services worth paying extra to go private?

Well, it was a few years ago now but I believe you can have a mixture of private and NHS if you wish.

Private

1. No waiting around. Appointments run to time generally
2. Tests available that might not be available on the NHS
3. You see the actual consultant as opposed to any of his team
4. You have a private room and the consultant is almost definitely going to be the person at the delivery. They always say when on leave and give you a collagues name if that's the case
5. You do end up explaining time and time again what has happened so far

NHS

1. Its free!
2. You can have a private room (approx cost £300 per night)
3. You have a lot of waiting around to do. Tip - ask for first appointment in the morning or afternoon. That way things dont get backed up
4. Limited visting hours. Often no more than 2 at the bedside
5. You get whoever is in duty - good or not so good

I paid to have some scans privately when I used the NHS and also booked a private room as that was important to me.

Would look for a teaching hospital with a good reputation. I asked to go out of area and was allowed but needed to get permission from the GP which he gave.

Dont expect it all to go smoothly. I have heard awful stories about people having to have emergency c sections and then friends who have had elective ones that have gone very well.

I had two 'natural births'. Private hospital was the Portland. Great care. SIL used Lindo Wing at St Mary's for elective c section. She thought it was fab. Dont underestimate the costs though. Portland would be too expensive for me now. Remember there are the costs of scans, consultant fees and the room stay.

Generally private obstetric care does not include any midwifery care which is a big loss. Neighbourhood Midwives looked after my daughter and is a private provider of full midwifery care and can work with your consultant. You get a midwife with you for the whole time from booking through birth to 6 weeks after. If the Insurance is international it will cover maternity.

Private rooms here are 30quid a night, 100 quid locally.

Private care will not guarantee u your consultant at birth unless elective c-section here either. If you go into labour overnight eg they won't come in or on their weekend etc. Many people think they come running when they say they are in labour.

Holiday - are you in the UK? £30 sounds like an amenity room which cannot be booked in advance. My consultant was available regardless of when the baby came which ended up being lunchtime Sunday. They might have a deputy but who would come if not them?

Unless you are an expat living in UK, many private policies will not cover a 'normal' pregnancy or elective c section. If you have to have an emergency c section they will cover a proportion of the costs (I say proportion because often the costs of anaesthetist, consultant doing operation and room cost will exceed what the insurance co is willing to pay). However you often have to pay those costs up front then get them reimbursed by the insurers.
Private health cover also doesn't usually cover ante natal care by consultants/midwives during the pregnancy.
Basically you need to be a non Brit working here with full cover.

Also I'd disagree that private appointments run on time. They don't. Midwives/consultants are just as likely to be held up by emergencies or labours.

Thank you everybody for your comments and helpful information. turns out that, once again, MN is a better source of information than my doctor.
Seems like I won't be covered then (I'm not an expat), although I'll double check with the company.
Ah well, will look for other options. Maybe having some extra private visits/scans.
I just really need to feel that there is one person that knows me, my medical history, and actually cares. The journey so far has been stressful enough!

Maybe what you are looking for is an independent MW or a doula - who is experienced in childbirth and able to be your advocate? Someone to share the journey?

It's also important to distinguish between totally private hospitals like the Portland and NHS ones with a private wing like St Mary's. If something goes wrong or the birth is particularly high risk then I understand you are better off choosing the latter.

Just to provide another experience, I was on the NHS and referred to Consultant care for my DCs 2 and 3. I saw the same Consultant every time and she was fabulous - I could not have asked for better care and it would not have been worth my while paying privately. She was also available by telephone (via her secretary) when I needed her - and scanned me every time I went for an appointment.

chocolate congratulations and best wishes for the pregnancy, and I'm sorry for your previous losses and the early bleeding (the 2ww after ET is bad, then they tell you you're pregnant and the stress and anxiety quadruples, then add bleeding and aaaargh!! You hang in there).

I don't know if this helps as there may be other reasons you are high risk but as the pregnancy progresses you may find that if (fingers crossed) all is going normally then you can be reclassified as low risk and discharged from consultant led care. This happens to a lot of IVFers. In some areas, IVF doesn't make you high risk in the first place, we are treated as "normal" pregnant women once we're finally pregnant. I am 28 weeks pregnant after IVF, and had early bleeding, and am "low risk".

After a dire experience with the NHS and infertility investigations, I was nervous of NHS antenatal care and my initial GP appt didn't inspire confidence, but my community midwife and the consultant I saw have both been beyond amazing so far in their clinical care and in their emotional support and understanding for my post-IVF anxieties. I honestly cannot praise them enough. So the NHS may come good for you too, it's early days.

Best wishes for you and the embie, fingers and toies crossed.