Some families believe/assume that using private health care will be financially beneficial for their birth experience but this is not necessarily the case – due to the high intervention rates that CAN occur in a birth and given the private health billing system, many families believe that using their private health will save them money, but many are surprised at the high cost of their birth once all bills are settled.

Statistics show that women who birth at private hospitals actually end up with more medical interventions. It is very very rare for a woman to achieve a natural physiological birth when she hires a surgical and high risk specialist for her birth. Ask questions and always, in any setting, seek professionals that have a reputation for natural birth support success. Ask your OB their stats?

here are many women who think if they can just find the right place to birth or the right careprovider, they will be helped to birth well. But birth ANYWHERE can be positive and birth ANYWHERE can be negative too!

It is FAR more important to get great education and support than it is to choose your favourite "place of birth" or "favourite doctor, midwife or program"

Women also need to be careful not to assume that using insurance is going to be unquestionably linked with best outcomes.

No matter where you birth, I suggest you get a birh doula AND enrol in private, specialised birth education, face to face.

Important Note: I (Natalie Meade) consider it my duty of care to mention that although it is not indicative of all experiences or of all women.. there is a general trend of concern with private hospital birth outcomes as stated in the Mothers and Babies Report 2016 publication.2016 MOTHERS and BABIES REPORT:

FINDING: “Operative and instrumental births are more common among privately than publicly insured mothers.

Are you interested in looking at the statistics for this hospital? Your individual circumstance will not necessarily reflect the stats, but the stats may help you have an understanding of what is happening to women birthing at this hospital as a general outcome.

Statistics gathered from the publicly available and easily accessible website: http://www.healthstats.nsw.gov.au

Statistics – Data Table: Newcastle Private Hospital, NSW 2008 to 2017 (latest stats to be added soon, when I have time).

Outcome of selected primipara (mums birthing for the first time),

Clinical indicator: Caesarean section
Year, Per cent
2013, 28.0
2014, 33.9
2015, 33.8
2016, 34.9
2017, 39.7

(TREND: Caesarean Section has been INCREASING)

Clinical indicator: Spontaneous vaginal birth
Year, Per cent
2013, 42.9
2014, 38.8
2015, 40.8
2016, 34.9
2017, 35.2

(TREND: Spontaneous vaginal birth has been DECREASING)

Clinical indicator: Induction of labour
Year, Per cent
2013, 39.4
2014, 41.7
2015, 46.3
2016, 50.2
2017, 50.1

(TREND: Induction of Labour has been INCREASING)

Clinical indicator: Instrumental vaginal birth
Year, Per cent
2013, 29.0
2014, 26.7
2015, 25.4
2016, 30.1
2017, 25.1

(TREND: Instrumental vaginal birth is staying around level)

This will depend on your definition of "waste". If you birth with other options, e.g. private midwife, or some of the very great, one-one continual midwife care, public health programs, you technically won't utilise private health fund to it's maximum potential of money. AND by choosing carefully and finding a a birth care team that suits you best, then you may even GAIN a whole lot more than you could ever "lose". Especially when you consider rewards emotionally, physically and mentally. This process of thinking, questioning and decision making, is really MAINLY about you getting clear on exactly hat you desire from your birth experience. And then exploring the evidence based literature to find out what care will suit you best.