Limerick maternity private public

[Newparent2022x]

Hi we are due end of December 2022, in 29weeks. We availing of joint midwive/gp care. Midwive i see like every 4 weeks from 20 weeks on. Doctor same 2 week before and after midwife. Midwife is great, doesn’t do scans but does the doppler for heart beat. My doctor is useless when im with her she ruses me, the nurse take my BP and checks my urine thats about it. If i have any issue like ear pain and i need something she charges me as if it was a normal appointment. What I want to ask did you go public in limerick maternity. How was your experience. Did a midwive deliver the baby or a consultant in the maternity, can you pick or what happens. Did you get epidural or just gas and air, some say get it others say dont. im so scared of the labour like really scared sorry i didnt have kids when i was in my teens it be all over with and im worried about ripping something down there.
Can you go public then use private health insurance to get a private room in limerick maternity if you go public.

Not from Limerick but the rules are basically the same wherever you are in Ireland. You cannot use your health insurance for a private room unless you are a private patient. Even when you are a private patient private rooms are subject to availability. At 29 weeks and doing combined care it is probably not while moving to private now. Antenatal checks are free with your gp but any illness not pregnancy related will be charged for by your gp. Most babies are delivered by the midwives unless you are private or if there is any intervention required. Mention your worry to your midwife at your next appointment and I am sure she can answer any questions you have.

Thanks, what is the difference between a midwife and a consultant when it come to the actually delivery/Labour.
I basically dont want to get any less care then a private patient gets when it comes to giving birth and after care. I don't want the baby ripped out of me. Do consultants have a different method for delivering the baby??

Generally speaking as a public patient the midwives deliver the baby and a doctor would only step in if there was a problem or intervention was required. As a private patient the midwives do all the looking after and monitoring during labour and then your consultant will probably show up for the last bit but may or may not be hands on. Honestly in your position I would stay public. You will be well cared for by the midwives. The baby will not be ripped out of you.

Oh FFS they won't "rip the baby " out of you because you're public. As PP said, you can't have a private room if you go public, but you will still get the same level of care. The difference is that you will see different midwife/ consultant at each appointment if you're public, but if you're private you pay for one consultant to tend to your care. When you arrive in labour usually the midwife will tend to you until it's time for delivery, if you're private they'll call your consultant in time for delivery. However your consultant is in holidays when you go into labour you will get whoever is on duty.
Re the private beds; essentially if you think of it as the consultants pay for their patients to have access to the private rooms in the maternity hospitals, so if you don't pay for a private consultant then you can't have a private room.
I always went public, in fact I chose midwife led care so no consultant, and the standard of care was excellent - no ripping involved. I think midwife led care leads to less intervention, but that's only my opinion of Dublin maternity hospitals.

Oh FFS you hear stories so thats all i have to go off FFS forgive my ignorance. Thanks anyway

Thank you very much, il stay public

What about the labour.
Who voted for epidoral, can you list pros and cons.
Who votes for gas and air, can you list pros and cons.

Thanks

I think go in with an open mind. See how you feel on the day. I was induced on my first so had a little gas and air and then an epidural. On my second I went into labour myself and had a few hours with gas and air and then decided on an epidural.

Do you not have to book the Epidural in Advance??

No. You can decide on the day. You tell the nurse and then they page the anaesthealogy team and they come and do it. Might have to wait for a bit depending on how busy they are etc.

I'm at limerick too, I'm public, and they have been unbelievably good. I'm 22 weeks and didn't feel the baby for about 10 hours, I called them this morning, they said come straight in, and within 20 minutes of arriving I was seen by a midwife who checked the heartbeat, BP and urine, and a doctor who did a quick scan. I'm from the UK and I definitely feel like the maternity care here is better than home so I never even considered going private. Considering they banned home births and water births due to a very small number of issues, I very much doubt they are in the practise of ripping babies from wombs. But, that said, if you want a private room and you have the cash, go for it! The care you get definitely wouldn't be worse going private, but other than the room I don't see how it could be much better.

Also, I'm glad you said that about the doctor... I haven't seen my doctor since 5 weeks, I'm just having my midwife appointments🤷‍♀️ maybe I should call them. I just assumed the appointments would be posted to me the way they were by the midwife, he never mentioned I'd need to call them up, so I just assumed I didn't need to go in. I better call them tomorrow and make sure I'm not missing anything 😅

@Daisychainsx I think we're supposed to book GP visits ourselves in between each consultant/midwife visit. That's what I've been doing anyway!

@Newparent2022x do you have any books on pregnancy? Are you going to attend antenatal classes? I think they might help you.

Thank you all for your help.
I have another question. Can you pick when you want to have the baby or is that only for private patients with consultants

The baby decides that 😆
If a consultant thinks you need to be induced, or a section, they'll talk to you about it regardless of whether you're public or private.

Thanks, oh no i don't have a consultation i have only see a midwive so far, when will i see a consultant?? Thanks