The days of dropping your bundle in a barn among the farm animals and hay are long gone but if Mary learnt anything from that night, it was to plan ahead.
The options for giving birth are many and varied but predominantly fall into three categories – at hospital, at a King Edward Hospital’s medical clinic or at home.
It is worthwhile doing your own research and getting several medical opinions.
Useful websites are www.cmwa.net.au and www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au
King Edward Memorial Hospital’s Midwifery and Nursing Director, Margaret Davies says some issues to consider include:
*Medical history and any underlining health issues that might impact on the pregnancy and birth.
*Where you would feel most comfortable giving birth.
*If you have private health insurance or will be a public patient.
*Whether you want midwifery-led care or would prefer an obstetrician.
*What maternity providers are in your local area.
*What kind of pain relief, if any, you might want access to.
*What kind of postnatal care you might want, such as a longer stay in hospital or an early return home with follow-up care provided from a midwife.
Kiera Pedley is a 25-year-old Perth mother of two. She had her son Connor two and a half years ago as a private patient at the Joondalup Health Campus and later experienced a home, water birth when her son Oliver was born this February.
Her preferred experience was the home birth since she had no reason to believe she would suffer any complications and could do it within the comfort of her home.
‘(The hospital birth) wasn’t a negative experience but there were a lot of things I would definitely change,’ Keira said.
‘I would be more proactive about the foods I ate and exercise I took and do all the alternatives to the medical way, with things such as blood pressure tablets.’
She was brought to hospital at 38 weeks to be induced because her blood pressure was so high.
However the number of women giving birth meant she had to wait a further three days.
‘The day that Connor was born I trudged down the hall and the midwife said to me “let’s see how brave you areâ€,’ she said.
‘It turned out I was not very brave.’
‘I couldn’t seek any natural pain relief like taking a shower because I was hooked to monitors so I was confined to the bed or sitting on top of the bed.
She had an epidural which relieved the pain but also reduced how much she was able to experience Connor’s birth.
‘I was breast feeding straight away and we spent an hour and a half getting to know each other which was by far the best part of the labour, which was just lovely, but I was left feeling really unhealthy and it was not the same experience as when I had a home birth.
Afterwards Keira had to see a chiropractor and it was through his wife’s decision to have a home birth that she got in contact with Community Midwifery.
‘It fell into place the second I met my midwife – I knew it was meant for me,’ Kiera said.
During her first appointment with her midwife Melissa, they discussed their philosophies on birthing and Kiera felt in full control over the decisions she could make about her body.
‘(Melissa) came every six weeks and when I first heard my baby’s heart beat was in my own home, on my couch and having a cup of tea with my midwife.
‘She always answered my questions even the stupid ones.’
The night Oliver was born, Keira took a bath and later walked with her husband Adam around her usually quiet neighbourhood, making ‘quite a lot of noise’.
When she knew it was the real thing they prepared the birthing pool in the dining room and called Melissa.
‘The second I stepped in it was like “Ahhhâ€, all the muscles in my back relaxed, which was very relieving.
‘I kept thinking how awesome it was that I got to feel this. It is the difference between smelling a rose and being pricked by one.
‘This time my body was getting breaks and I could feel my baby moving down and feel him kicking, which was really reassuring.
‘Melissa arrived at 5am and did a quick check of the baby’s heart rate.
‘I was labouring by candle light and she held my hand and told me I was doing a wonderful job and she supported Adam, telling him he was doing a wonderful job, which meant a lot to me.’
When Oliver was born into the water she said he was wide-eyed and had his arms spread like ‘an angel’.
‘I scooped him up and breast fed him. It was magnificent and in a second the whole world became incredible because I was having this awe inspiring hormone high.
‘With Oliver I had an instant bond while with Connor it took a while longer.’
However Marnie Foxley and her partner Leonie had an excellent experience at St John of God hospital, giving birth to their son Quinn.
‘We had a difficult time conceiving and we wanted to stay with the specialist who helped us finally get there and and as he delivers at St John’s, it made the decision very easy,’ Marnie said.
‘When we had a scare at 22 weeks and the baby stopped moving, we were rushed straight in to hear our baby’s very reassuring heartbeat.
‘During the pregnancy we attended birthing classes there – where we caused some confusion over exactly who was having a baby together when our son’s father came with us, but everyone was very welcoming and supportive.
‘We also did a hospital tour as part of this, and that helped us to understand where we would be going and what to expect.
‘The staff were very capable and looked after Leonie (and myself) very well.
‘Josh (the father) and I were able to cut the cord and take the all important photos while Quinn was weighed and measured and then the three of us stayed in the delivery suite for a couple of hours getting to know our son.
‘We stayed in the hospital for a week, as Quinn lost a little too much weight in the first couple of days.
‘We were left to do our own thing for most of the time but it was reassuring to know that someone was always there if we pushed the buzzer.
‘In fact, the only downside about our hospital experience was that we’d had the car seat installed but I didn’t adjust the straps to fit.
‘So Quinn’s first experience of life outside the hospital was lying on the front seat of the car while two frazzled mums tried to sort it out and held up a queue of cars waiting for our parking spot. Luckily, we have learnt a lot since then!’
Home Birth:
*Less than one percent of WA women choose a homebirth.
*The Community Midwifery Program is free and if you require a transfer to King Edward Hospital your midwife will go with you.
*Research shows that homebirth is just as safe as a hospital birth and the midwife is trained to be on the alert for anything out of the ordinary during your pregnancy and labour.
*Your midwife will also visit you at home for up to four weeks after your baby’s birth.
Things to consider:
*The Community Midwifery Program currently does not provide maternity care for women wanting to birth at home after a caesarean, or those with a breech presentation or twins.
*Independent midwives are currently unable to access insurance and care costs approximately $4,000.
*There is no access to pharmacological pain relief.
*If you are planning to birth at home and would like the option of a water birth you will need to rent or buy a birth pool and liner and test it before the due date.
*Pools can be bought from www.simplybirth.com.au for approximately $195.
Hospital birth:
*Advantages of a hospital birth include the ability to perform intervention or caesarean sections, when deemed necessary.
*It is a very good option for women with a high risk pregnancy and some women feel safer in hospital than at home.
*Doctors are in residence 24 hours a day, seven days a week at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
*There is ready access to specialist obstetric care if required and ready access to pain relief such as epidurals.
*A midwife visits you at home for up to four days after your baby’s birth.
Things to consider:
*The ratio of midwives to women postnatally is better in public hospitals than in private hospitals as they are regulated by the Australian Nursing Federation.
*However in private hospitals, you know your doctor and have continuity of obstetric care through pregnancy and some of your labour.
*After the birth you get a single room, you can stay up to 10 days, and in some private hospitals your partner can stay too.
*Generally private hospitals provide good food.
The Family Birth Centre:
*The Family Birth Centre at King Edward Memorial Hospital is a free service that aims to create a home-like environment for women to labour and birth in.
*Midwives work in a team of eight and you meet these team midwives throughout the course of your pregnancy.
*You can choose to labour in water but you cannot give birth in water.
Things to Consider:
*About 40 percent of first time mums transfer from the centre to hospital.
*While women are not able to give birth in the birthing pool, KEMH is finalising a new water birth policy that may allow it in the near future.
*You go home within 24 hours of birthing.
*courtesy of www.cmwa.net.au
Aja Styles
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