Some info for an aussie mom, please?

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Permalink Reply by minnemom on November 4, 2009 at 6:17am

We have many options available here in the US, but I'll tell you how my births went. (I have four children.)

I saw a family-practice doctor throughout my pregnancies, and consulted with or switched to an obstetrician if there were complications. Prenatal checks were at the clinic, but ultrasounds were done at the local hospital (routine ones) or at a specialized clinic (more in-depth when complications arose).

For regular births (my first two), I had a room in the hospital where I delivered and stayed until discharged. My doctor, a nurse or two, and my husband were there with me; if complications arose, another doctor (OB) came in to assist. There was a nursery for the babies, but they could stay in the room with me as much as I wanted. Hospital stay for a regular birth was 2-3 days.

My last two babies were scheduled Caesareans. My third child was breech and they attempted to turn her, but were unsuccessful, so I was scheduled for a C-section. There, the surgery was done in the hospital surgical area by an obstetrician, with either my doctor or a pediatrician there to care for the baby, in addition to nurses (2-3?) and an anesthetist. My husband was in the room as well. After surgery and recovery, I was moved up to the OB ward for the remainder of our stay, 3-4 days.

After discharge, we usually had to see our family doctor in about a week, and after that checks were done periodically--I can't remember the exact intervals, but 3-4 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and then yearly sticks in my mind. Height/weight are checked at each of these "well-child" visits, and that's when immunizations are usually given as well.

Sleeping school is something I don't know about. Can you tell us about that?

Let me know if you have other questions, and hopefully others will chime in as well.

Linda

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Baker on November 9, 2009 at 5:54pm

Thanks Linda! I really appreciate your personal perspective and experience. You saw your family doctor for post natal checks? Do you have a maternal/child health nurse or support?

Sleep school! That's a common name for a Day Stay / Baby Sleep Clinic where you go (with your baby) to learn how to teach them to sleep. I have been a 'graduate' of day-stay programs twice - I 'passed' with my first baby but failed miserably with my second! Its not a compulsory thing, but rather a government or private hospital service for those (like me!) who are having trouble with settling their baby.

Thanks again, Linda

I would love others to chime in too - particularly if you used different services or support than Linda.

xxx Lisa

minnemom said:

We have many options available here in the US, but I'll tell you how my births went. (I have four children.)

I saw a family-practice doctor throughout my pregnancies, and consulted with or switched to an obstetrician if there were complications. Prenatal checks were at the clinic, but ultrasounds were done at the local hospital (routine ones) or at a specialized clinic (more in-depth when complications arose).

For regular births (my first two), I had a room in the hospital where I delivered and stayed until discharged. My doctor, a nurse or two, and my husband were there with me; if complications arose, another doctor (OB) came in to assist. There was a nursery for the babies, but they could stay in the room with me as much as I wanted. Hospital stay for a regular birth was 2-3 days.

My last two babies were scheduled Caesareans. My third child was breech and they attempted to turn her, but were unsuccessful, so I was scheduled for a C-section. There, the surgery was done in the hospital surgical area by an obstetrician, with either my doctor or a pediatrician there to care for the baby, in addition to nurses (2-3?) and an anesthetist. My husband was in the room as well. After surgery and recovery, I was moved up to the OB ward for the remainder of our stay, 3-4 days.

After discharge, we usually had to see our family doctor in about a week, and after that checks were done periodically--I can't remember the exact intervals, but 3-4 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and then yearly sticks in my mind. Height/weight are checked at each of these "well-child" visits, and that's when immunizations are usually given as well.

Sleeping school is something I don't know about. Can you tell us about that?

Let me know if you have other questions, and hopefully others will chime in as well.

Linda

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Permalink Reply by minnemom on November 9, 2009 at 7:38pm

Yes, I saw my family doctor for pre- and post-natal checks, as well as the kids' well-child visits. Our hospital/clinic is rather small, so there aren't a lot of specialists like the maternal/child health nurse you mentioned.

The sleep school idea is something I've never seen here in the States. It's an interesting concept!

Linda

Lisa Baker said:

Thanks Linda! I really appreciate your personal perspective and experience. You saw your family doctor for post natal checks? Do you have a maternal/child health nurse or support?

Sleep school! That's a common name for a Day Stay / Baby Sleep Clinic where you go (with your baby) to learn how to teach them to sleep. I have been a 'graduate' of day-stay programs twice - I 'passed' with my first baby but failed miserably with my second! Its not a compulsory thing, but rather a government or private hospital service for those (like me!) who are having trouble with settling their baby.

Thanks again, Linda

I would love others to chime in too - particularly if you used different services or support than Linda.

xxx Lisa

minnemom said:

We have many options available here in the US, but I'll tell you how my births went. (I have four children.)

I saw a family-practice doctor throughout my pregnancies, and consulted with or switched to an obstetrician if there were complications. Prenatal checks were at the clinic, but ultrasounds were done at the local hospital (routine ones) or at a specialized clinic (more in-depth when complications arose).

For regular births (my first two), I had a room in the hospital where I delivered and stayed until discharged. My doctor, a nurse or two, and my husband were there with me; if complications arose, another doctor (OB) came in to assist. There was a nursery for the babies, but they could stay in the room with me as much as I wanted. Hospital stay for a regular birth was 2-3 days.

My last two babies were scheduled Caesareans. My third child was breech and they attempted to turn her, but were unsuccessful, so I was scheduled for a C-section. There, the surgery was done in the hospital surgical area by an obstetrician, with either my doctor or a pediatrician there to care for the baby, in addition to nurses (2-3?) and an anesthetist. My husband was in the room as well. After surgery and recovery, I was moved up to the OB ward for the remainder of our stay, 3-4 days.

After discharge, we usually had to see our family doctor in about a week, and after that checks were done periodically--I can't remember the exact intervals, but 3-4 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and then yearly sticks in my mind. Height/weight are checked at each of these "well-child" visits, and that's when immunizations are usually given as well.

Sleeping school is something I don't know about. Can you tell us about that?

Let me know if you have other questions, and hopefully others will chime in as well.

Linda

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