Hi Jayne,
Perhaps your friend could try seeing her obstetrician as an
"insurance policy". Worth paying the money for in case a problem
arises, but otherwise not required to do anything until a
complication actually arises. An analogy I use is that paying for a
doctor is like paying for house insurance. Wonderful when the roof
blows off as it means and instant fix is available, but in the
meantime, I don't want a roofer coming around every so often to see
if he can help out with anything on the roof!
When labour starts, she can ask the midwives to call the doctor only
if needed. Most doctors won't come anyway until second stage, and
then only for the shortest time possible. If all is going well, your
friend can ask the midwives to catch the baby, but she will have to
make it clear to the doctor in advance that this might be the
case. Another idea would be to hand him the camera to take the
photos - keep his hands busy elsewhere!
Tell her to remember that as she is paying the bill, she is entitled
to ask him to do anything (within reason!)!
Best wishes,
Andrea
At 10:06 PM 19/01/2006, you wrote:
I have renewed hope in our maternity system! My friend - 41yo, 1st
time mum 29 weeks into pregnancy seeing private ob and planing on
birthing in private hosp (you know, she only wanted the BEST) - said
to me today "....if I get the chance to have a 2nd child I will by
pass the ob and only use a midwife. The ob has done NOTHING! He
has barely felt my stomach yet a girl from work is seeing a midwife
and she is learning so much from the midwife about her pregnancy. I
look forward more to hearing about her midwife visits than I do my ob visits.
So I casually suggested that it wasn't too late to 'sack' the ob and
go with a midwife! She said she would if she hadn't of already paid
the ob the $3,000 out of pocket expense!!!! I'm not sure if she had
to pay up front or if she was just being financially organised as
she is prone to do. I sarcastically told her that chances were he
would do something at the birth to justify his fee :(
My friend still likes the idea of birthing in the private hosp
because if she has a 'natural' birth she is moved to a swish 5 star
motel for days 3 to 5 pp funded by her health fund. She wants to
know if you have to have an ob when birthing in a private hosp?
Regards
Jayne
-----
Andrea Robertson
Director
Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: www.birthinternational.com
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