Hospital Birth

The majority of the babies born in Australia are born in hospitals.  In some countries of the world having a baby in hospital is only for those pregnancies that have medical or obstetric complication, but in Australia it is the ‘norm’.

Choosing to birth your baby in hospital is a choice as is birthing at home.  When you are making your decision on care provider and place of birth, it is important to research all avenues to ensure you are making the ‘right’ decision for you, your family and your baby.  I’m more than happy to support women and their families to birth in hospital, and together we negotiate for you to achieve a birth that reflects your choices.  Just as with homebirth, the relationship I develop with you is one of trust and support.  The journey you travel during your pregnancy and birth is one in which I walk with you.  Whether that is a vaginal birth or a caesarean birth – what’s important is that you are the one in control, not the system.   The key element to any birth is to feel you have retained the control over the decision process, and not been pressured into making a decision without being well informed. Even if it is for a medical emergency - which is rare if labour is spontaneous, informed choice should still apply.

Public hospitals and private hospitals are very different in many aspects not just how they look and the food they serve, but the level of negotiation with you.  The staff to client ratios, and the resources available are often better in the public health system, but the biggest factor is the intervention rates.  It is well published that maternity care in the private system is double or triple the rate of intervention verses the public, with no improvement in outcomes to mother or baby (Ross, 2006).  It does however increase the caesarean births, vacuum and forceps births and babies requiring special care nursery after birth due to breathing difficulties.  When you’re choosing a hospital for birth it is important that you do your homework on what you’re actually getting that may be hidden physical and psychological costs to you and your family.  Find out about the culture and philosophy of birth in that hospital, especially relating to topics such as VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) before you commit yourself.  The terminology they use is often a guide.  If they refer to a VBAC as a “Trial of scar” and the doctor says they are happy to ‘allow’ you to ‘try’ to labour, this is a red flag.  VBAC in most cases is quite safe and this is supported well by current research. Remember ‘having a baby is not about the birth of a child, but is the birth of a family’ (Johnson – 1980).