Twenty-Four Weeks. Four Days. Day 174 in the quest to meet our little miracle George
Earlier this year, much earlier this year, much earlier in my pregnancy, we had to face a decision – Private health care or public health care…
We made the decision to stick with public, to spare the expense and to believe that we would get the best care no matter what we paid…
And i have to say, i do not regret that decision, not at all, not one bit.
During the past few months i have been cared for better than i expected, better than i would have thought, but i do have to say that there have been a few situations that have lead me to think that maybe private health would have its advantages, maybe would have been better, but then i wonder, well maybe it would be the same?
There are a few things that i dont like about my hospital visits, a few things that may lead me to trouble for pointing them out, a few things that i wonder would be the same if i were waiting and being cared for in a little private doctors office.
Number one, is the waiting rooms… Back in the days of the IVF clinic i was privileged to have access to fruit, bottled water, and sandwiches… Now i dont want to sound like a snob – even though i know i am – but at the hospital they dont even have one of those water dispenses that go in a paper cup, they have a water fountain! Yes that is right, a water fountain, someone tell me what pregnant woman is going to bend over, splash water over her face, just to get a sip of water? And before you tell me to suck it up and buy a bottle of water, i always do!
My second thing that i hate about the waiting rooms is the video they play over and over and over again… It is about the importance of breast feeding, now i know it is important, but do we have to watch a movie about it, which of course has boobs poking out all over the place every second frame… hmm and again yes before you tell me to suck it up and look away, i do that already…
And the third thing i hate about the waiting rooms is the waiting time! I understand the system is busy, but argh… Last time i was waiting for hours! I almost thought i was forgotten about!
Now before i go on i have to admit these things are unimportant and in most cases i have had the best care i could have asked for in my situation, but there is a few things that scare me about the future, and i wish i knew what to expect, maybe i will find out soon, maybe it wont really matter, but needless to say it does scare me just a little bit…
As i go to a teaching hospital, some of the time i have a student looking after me, which normally doesnt concern me, however last month, the day where i was waiting for ages, i had a student look after me, it was the appointment after i had bad swelling, and i guess all i needed was reassurance, however after the student looked after me, reported to the registrar (which i heard every word of, referring to me as ‘the patient’) who basically told the student infront of me that the swelling means nothing… he didnt talk to me, didnt acknowledge me… just basically displayed a look that made me feel like i had overreacted…. and just to add to my fears, the registrar was very young looking himself…
My last appointment was with the head obstetrician, and her words were reassuring….
It just often feels like you are waiting for hours, just to see a doctor who has only seconds for you and your miracle… I just wonder if it is the same in private? Do the doctors have more time for you? Do they listen a little more, reassure you a little more… Did i make a choice because it seemed like the only option? Not becuase it was the best choice for us?
And what about the birth? Will there be adequate people to look after me, to look after my baby if something happens? I am sure my mind is just playing tricks on me, i have seen the public system and what it can offer positively, when i needed it most i have had people there to care for me – but it took hours to see someone, and it really has made me wonder, what if i dont have hours to wait?
Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever. Keri Russell
