Thinking of having baby in 'Mount Carmel', Dublin. Any experiences?

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I was born in the old Coombe and don't have any bad memories My two were born in the new Coombe and I certainly could not fault their care.
 
doctor from some private hospital on the radio yesterday ( could be mount carmel, and the discussion was about taking stem cells at birth for storage ( to be used later if necessary)and he performed the service free. might be worth considering.
 
If you wish to pay thousands for that bit of extra comfort - go for it. I had 3 in the Coombe, both public and semi-private private and as is the case in all public maternity hospitals, the level of care your baby recieves is not judged on what you have paid.
 
Are you terrified of anything in particular? If so you may be able to get answers to a specific question either from a doctor or some of the mothers on the above mentioned parenting websites! If it's nothing in particular (or everything in general!), then I can't give you any advice...
 
I'd say go for it if you are nervous, I have friends who have had babies there and it is so relaxed and quiet and the staff really baby the mother aswell. In the Coombe it is busier, but I enjoyed the chat and laugh with the nurses and other mothers, and I can't fault the care we got. The visits are different too. If you are private you get a set time where you are seen straight away, which is not the same for public and semi private. Most public and semi private doctors also prefer you to do the combined care scheme where you alternate your visits between the Consultant and you G.P. Also do you live near Mount Carmel?, I wouldn't fancy a long drive up a motor way if I was in Labour.
 
I have had a good look to the websites. They are very good.

I presume I am afraid of things like some of my irish friends have experienced:

One was told to "shut up and stop moaning, this is not about you anymore", just before labour;
another one wanted the epidural for her 2nd baby and they kind of forgot, and then it was too late (she couldn't believe it!!);
another had to share a room with a woman <snipped by ajapale> who decided to have sex with her partner the night after she had the baby (they didn't seem to mind the other people in the room!!!)...

I just want friendly people around me and good care for me and the baby in a nice environment. I'm planning ahead, so if that costs more, it will be well worth it for me.
 
adorado said:
; another had to share a room with a traveller that decided to have sex with her partner the night after she had the baby (they didn't seem to mind the other people in the room!!!)...
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The service is so good in that hospital, they were making sure to come back again soon.
 
adorado said:
another one wanted the epidural
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Hi Adorado,
Just curious, where are you from? Its much easier to get an epidural in Ireland than it is in countries like Italy or Holland for example. I wouldnt have considered Ireland behind on this kind of thing (just opinion!).
 
I'm not sure about that....It is easy to get an epidural, it's just that some doctors and nurses encourage people not to use it, and I wonder, why should we go through that pain having the technology we have nowadays?

I'm from Spain.
 
it's just that some doctors and nurses encourage people not to use it,
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there are advantages and disadvantages to having an epidural, the jobs of the drs and nurses is to ensure you are fully aware of the pros and cons before deciding upon having an epidural.

why should we go through that pain having the technology we have nowadays?
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a lot or people myself included who have had an epidural, would in hindsight not opt for it again , there are a lot of disadvantages to availing of an epidural.

Another site to checkout is www.magicmum.com.. the pros and cons of having an epidural are extensively covered there.


Good luck with the birth, where ever you may be.
 
I lived in Italy for a long time and it is not common to get an epidural. Certainly 5 years ago you couldnt get it, a good friend of mine is pregnant there right now and has to go through a gynaecologist and can only go to a certain hospital (far from where she lives) to get it, and she's still not certain its going to happen. A work friend living in holland couldnt get an epidural (this year) either. So Ireland is not behind on this point at all. I am aware that in Spain childbirth is fairly intensely medicalized but you will have no problem getting an epidural in any hospital here. No place will force you not to take it. I have friends who delivered babies in Holles St. and Mnt Carmel, all of them (thankfully) had positive experiences.

By the way, on www.magicmum.com there is an expat-mum forum and there is a spanish mum thread:
[broken link removed]
 
I hope it doesn't sound like I think there is no epidural available in Ireland and we are behind. I'm not saying that at all. Of course epidural is available.

I didn't know about Italy and Holland. What can I say? I think its is really bad that they can't get it if they want to!!

I also know there are pros and cons, but that's like everything.

Thanks anyway for your comments. At the end of the day I wanted to know if Mount Carmel would be a good place, and it seems like it is, so thank you everybody for taking the time to share your experiences!
 
It's a terrible thing to say but here goes...<sniped by ajapale, if its a terrible thing to say (about minorities) then we dont want to heaar about it here thanks, aj>.
The service in Mount Carmel is good but often this hospital seems to be name dropped and worn as a badge by the nouveau riche. Ant complications and the child will be rushed to Holles Street.
Holles Street private is the one to go for...don't let the fact I was born there put you off!
 
Andy Doof said:
Ant complications and the child will be rushed to Holles Street.
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Just curious, is this definitely still the case. I recently said this and was told that it was no longer the case that all necessary infrastructure for childbirth emergency is now in place at mt carmel?
 
Hahahaha. No, don't worry that won't put me off!!

I hear what you say Andy Doof. I hope people won't mind me next to them either!! There are cultural issues, that is true (and it happens in every country, Irish people are not better or worse).

So, "nuevos ricos" go to Mount Carmel..hummm...I'm not rich, old or new...
 
casiopea said:
Just curious, is this definitely still the case. I recently said this and was told that it was no longer the case that all necessary infrastructure for childbirth emergency is now in place at mt carmel?
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Could be different now...a friend of ours had her baby there early in the summer of 2005 and it was still the case
 
AFAIK (and I am not an expert) it depends on how early the child is born. Before 32 weeks (which is only 7 months, so it is very early) then the child will have to go to somewhere with very specialised equipment. However, if a child is born that early anywhere in the country they will still be brought to one of the maternity hospitals, again AFAIK. If there are other complications and the child is full term, they may be able to deal with it in MC, but the child may have to go to a childrens hospital (again, I know someone who's baby had to go to Crumlin imediately after being born, which was difficult as she was breastfeeding, but mother and baby are doing well). If the child had been born in HS, or one of the other maternity hospitals, then they would have had to be moved as well.

These stories of complications are rare, with a bit of luck it's something you won't have to deal with!!
 
what is the cost of mount carmel anyway? we had two kids in London on the NHS with no complaints. i come from a medical family but i would still advise you to consider the public route unless the cost is not a consideration.

i have to agree with the poster who mentioned the snobbery factor but when you consider what the mount carmel experience costs against, for example, the cost of educating you child privately for a year you may see this in a different light.
 
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