Its incredible how this topic turns divisive and nasty whenever it is aired.
Exactly. I was extremely shocked and sore at the overwhelmingly negative reaction I encountered from some colleagues when I was asked where we were having the baby, who are all intelligent and well-educated people.
If you tell people you are "going private", some of them have no qualms about giving you their uncalled for opinions: "well, my children were delivered in Holles Street (e.g.) and I've only good things to say about them. Mount Carmel's a waste of money etc.".
On the other hand, if I, on hearing that someone was going public offered the same kind of "advice" without being asked: "I wouldn't have my child delivered in The Coombe, the place is a bloody shambles", I'd be
hung out to dry...
I'm sorry to have offended anyone, but I've seen some truly horrific sights in a couple of the public hospitals over the years and have heard a few horror stories about the public maternity hospitals also. On the other side of the coin, I've NEVER heard anyone give anything but praise to Mount Carmel. Yes, it's expensive, but not that much than going private in say Holles Street or The Coombe.
You hit the nail on the head when you talk about "more comfort and more personal attention and better food". My wife and I happen to think this is money well spent. We wouldn't, for example, spend a huge amount of money on a car that some people would, but we are happy to spend it on a higher standard of healthcare for the new mum. (I have no doubt that Irish
babies are given the very best of care regardless of which hospital they were born in. Care of the
mother is another matter...).
Um, yes I do know what I'm talking about actually as a member of my family did exactly that in Mt Carmel - many of my friends too.
Incorrect, my wife did 'elect' in 2008 and it was so! She attended a very good obstetrician in a reasonably well know private clinic and had the baby in Mt Carmel
If your friends/relatives "elected" to have C-sections, fair enough. But, my understanding is that obstetricians are not officially allowed to do this, certainly not on a "first" baby. From my own experience, our obstretrician told us the C-section would only be considered with good reason.
It's also a fact that C-sections are more prevalent in Mount Carmel because Mount Carmel (being a private enterprise) will not take any chances in the event of a difficult birth.
C-sections cost more money: obstetrician obviously must be present, longer recovery time hence extra nights in hospital. This is why the public hospitals are under orders to avoid C-sections if at all possible.
There also seems to be a view that Mount Carmel is ill-equipped to handle
certain medical emergencies. This is correct. But it's also a fact (according to a Mount Carmel midwife) that they send no more than 5 babies a year to the neo-natal unit at Holles Street. That's an extremely small percentage of the babies born in Mount Carmel (one of days I was there, six babies had been born that very day!), so you and your baby would have to be extremely unlucky to suffer this fate.
It's true, this topic seems to divide people more than any other. It just galls me to hear the same people who regularly lambast our hospitals (A&E etc.) deride anyone who dares to have their new baby delivered privately. Unfortunately, the begrudgers are everywhere. I know lots of people who have had positive experiences in the public maternity hospitals, but unfortunately, some people are too ready to criticise my healthcare choices.
That's all I have to say. I wish all of you parents and expectant parents well, whatever your choices.
The Dublin 4 must be wearing off in my old age.