Antenatal checkup in public hospital

V

Vanille

New member
Hi,

Can anyone share her experience going to public hospital for prenatal checkup?
What is the normal routine check-up (ie: urine, weight, scan...)
Will they offer the down syndrome and anomaly test scan? How much do we need to pay for those tests?
How frequent are the visits ?

Any experience in Prince of Wales Shatin?

Thanks so much for your replies/sharing experience.
 
almost 3 years ago i went to public for pernatal checkup. The normal routines are: Urin, weight, b/p check, heart beats and some questions from the doctor or nurse and then next appointment. Yes, they do scanning but not frequent and they do down syndrome and other tests like blood, sugar level and other neccessity if they think you need it. It is very thorough one and NO CHARGE except for special request scan and the initial payment of $60 or $100, can't remember. If the doctor thinks that you are all right with the pregnancy, they will refer you back to the nearest Mother and Child Clinic for the rest of the check-ups until closer to your due date. The frequency is every month until 7+ months, then alternate week and then, weekly one month before due date.

It is really OK to have it done in the public. They only set back is you have to wait - sometimes can be up to an hour or MORE. Make sure you bring some books/magazines to read or do something useful there while waiting. However, I had also check-up at private and the wait most of the time is almost an hour. One time, my OB-Gynea have to go to help deliever a baby at hospital, i waited for 1 1/2 hour.
 
the down syndrome test is about $1000 unless you are over 35. then, i believe, it's free.
 
My son, now 16 months, was born at Prince of Wales and I will give birth there again this March. I loved my experience there.

There were a few things I was concerned about... 1) only having two hours of visiting time... but it turned out to be a great thing as I felt very well rested by the time I returned home and felt that I was able to connect well with the baby 2) I was told baby would not be with me all day but this wasn't true. My son was with me the whole time except at night so that I could rest 3)communication.... I only had one minor communication issue

I ending up having to have a c-section and couldn't believe my total costs for everything were just 550HK dollars. 500 for me and 50 for the baby.

I guess you are a bit more pampered in private hospitals... with rooms and food, etc.. but as far as care, I thought POW was great. If you deliver naturally, you're not there for very long anyway.

The only complaint of the whole pregnancy for me was how they were constantly concerned about my weight gain and comments were regularly made about how big I was and how I need to watch what I ate/etc. This was from the Ma On Shan clinic nurses and I just had to keep reminding myself that I'm not the size of Chinese women. But it was a little depressing after awhile when I was trying to keep it minimal.
 
I saw a private obstetrician throughout my pregnancy but delivered at POW Shatin. I registered with POW at about 3 months into my pregnancy. Had my major milestone check ups at POW which meant that I saved on expensive screening tests plus POW had my test results in their files.

The major drawback is the waiting time, for which you have to be prepared. Otherwise the care is good and thorough. I would say that they practise conservative medicine. Personally there were a couple of times when I would not have been too concerned about some things that cropped up but they ran extra tests etc to be on the safe side.

Had planned a natural birth but ended up having an emergency c-section due to complications when labour started. Medical care was excellent, although no-frills. Post delivery I was in a ward with almost 50 other mums. All the staff worked really hard and did their best, one nurse sat down with me for an hour to help me get started on breastfeeding. If you are not after a 5-star pampering, then you will be fine. ANyway with a c-section you stay for 4 nights and shorter if you deliver naturally.

We paid a princely sum of $450 for the c-section and hospital stay. In a private hospital the bill would have been >$100K!

I would go back there for my second!
 
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I actually delivered my 1st baby in POW 3 years ago, I was pretty much happy and will go back to deliver my 2nd BB. However as I have no experience going to public hospital for prenatal checkup, your experiences gives me a better idea.
For the blood test, I will need to get the toxoplasmosis done regulary because I am not immune. Do you have any idea how much they charge?
I will go and register there and see how it goes. Thanks a lot.
 
I'm using the Antenatal clinic in Ma On Shan.

Toxoplasmosis wasn't something that they regularly screened for, but I would ask when you go in.

More likely than not, you'll be transferred to a Mother and Child clinic after you register with the hospital.

You get two free ultrasounds. One at 12-ish weeks and one at 20-ish. But you don't get any pictures.

All the maternity care is free, except for some things like the birth, if you are under 35 and want the downs test.

I was a bit baffled by what exactly I was supposed to be doing at some points, because the nurses kept assuming I knew what was going on. At the clinic I went to there was lots of going to one room, getting my weight checked, then going to another room to talk to a nurse, then going to another room to go to see the OB...

Good luck!
 
at the tsan yuk clinic they had a little sign that you had to tell them BEFORE you went in and that it was $60 (but that was years ago).
 
I think it's more expensive to get the pics now... or maybe it's $60 per pic? I can't remember... I was at tsan yuk too... but in '08 they did have signs (or maybe it was on the million sheets of paper that they love giving you) that you can buy them...
 
i remember the sign. it was on the front of the desk, about knee level...i remember it because i only noticed it when i was sitting down on the chair waiting.
 
carang said:
the down syndrome test is about $1000 unless you are over 35. then, i believe, it's free.
Click to expand...

Is it free? Damn, and I just had it (the OSCAR test) 2 weeks ago in a private clinic so I would not have to bear with the waiting.... Well, I hope it will be covered by my insurance!

About cost, I am going to the antenatal at TKO Hospital. It is free unless they do scan on you. So far I had 2 appointment. First on week 7 with the midwife. Second with a doctor on week 10, and will have my next one on next week at week 15.
 
i gave birth last year and got free ultrasound scans done in QMH, referred by tsan yuk clinic. since i wanted dvd and photos too, i contacted lady helen woo women's diagnostic & treatment centre (http://www.hku.hk/obsgyn/clinicalServ/lhww/main.htm). their charges are mentioned on the website. they are nice over the phone and also in clinic so just call them up for an appointment/enquiry. the doc does the scan and gives you a dvd (with mini-clips and photos) after making the payment. hardcopies of the photos follow by post.
 
aava, please don't type in blue.... it's very difficult to read.

gataloca, the local gov't system is VERY VERY cheap. for two troublesome pregnancies, i was hospitalised 13 times. spent about 2-3 months in hospital total, had scans at EVERY appointment, and extra appointments just for scans...

i paid less than $4000 TOTAL (two pregnancies... not each)
 
carang said:
aava, please don't type in blue.... it's very difficult to read.

gataloca, the local gov't system is VERY VERY cheap. for two troublesome pregnancies, i was hospitalised 13 times. spent about 2-3 months in hospital total, had scans at EVERY appointment, and extra appointments just for scans...

i paid less than $4000 TOTAL (two pregnancies... not each)
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. I was hospitalized in TKO hospital when I m/c 2 years ago, and also when I got a molar pregnancy and had to go through D&C last year. I think the bill was like 300HKD each. And I don't have anything to complain. Hospital was neat and clean. I think it was even better than when I got hospitalized in St. Paul Hospital years ago.

I still go to antenatal appointment at TKO Hospital...But if I choose to deliver in a public hospital, I will have to go to United Christian Hospital in Kung Tong. Don't know how things are in there...
 
So, if you get your scan done at the POW...you can't get your pictures. I went today and was told that they don't print out pictures or do dvds.
 
huh... that's REALLY strange! i know i got mine at tsan yuk. maybe they have different rules for different clinics?
 
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