Pamela Youde

mazamarie

mazamarie

Registered User
Has any one given birth at Pamela Youde lately? There are lots of forums from a few years ago but none that I can find over the last few years.

Just hoping to get an idea of what your experiences have been.

Was baby able to room in? etc

There was also somewhere I read about being able to pay a little more for a private room (if it is available on day of admission) even though I am going the public system. Does any one know if this option is still available?

Thanks in advance.
 
I am registered to give birth at Pamela Youde but haven't given birth there yet so I can't comment on that.

However, yesterday I had my 37-week prenatal checkup and asked for information on the Special Accommodation Ward (it's not a private ward) and was given the charges sheet and application. You can't book this ahead of time but when you enter the hospital you can request it be arranged for you and if there is a space available then you may be able to get in--it's first-come, first-serve. They said it's actually one (or maybe two, can't remember) large wards. You have to be a HKID holder to apply for the special accommodation wards.

The charge is $2,400 HKD/day with a $14,400 deposit and $100 HKD/day extra for each extra bed (I assume for your husband or family staying with you in the room). You are billed ever 4 days and you have to settle the bill or will be sent to the public ward. The deposit is refunded by cheque within 10-14 working days after you leave the hospital (I guess, assuming you don't break anything in the room etc.).
 
I had an excellent experience at Pamela Youde for my 1st child in Jan2008 hence opted to go back there again for my 2nd baby in May2010.

The midwives are, in my opinion, fantastic. Since my first was an assisted vaginal delivery i had a doctor on top of the midwives during the delivery. Doctor was superb informing you of little details and had really good bedside manners and did a good stitching after (gave extra g.anesthesia without prompting when he saw me wincing while he did the stitching & i healed within the week after delivery) . All except one midwife were professional, encouraging, friendly and above all fluent in english (i cant speak/understand cantonese) - that one midwife just forcefully yank my legs open to see how far ive dilated in the midst of me having contractions and had a vicious i-got-run-down-by-the-bus attitude.

Second delivery needed just the midwives and had all the same midwives that assisted me from my first delivery (they even recognised me! lol) Midwives were encouraging and a midwife did the stitching for me after. Excellent experience overall.

All the nurses at the ward postdelivery were excellent in meeting all my needs. Pro breastfeeding. Encourage baby to be by your bed frequently. Really helpful in assisting you post delivery (assisting/teaching you the correct way of cleaning your wound etc). All the nurses that attended to me spoke & understood english really well. Inform you of all paperwork needed when you get discharge. Encourage you to attend any exercise classes available or inform you of video showing times in advance.

We did look into the Special Accomodation ward but the nurses were telling us there isnt much of a difference in service except having family stay with you. The normal ward was good on its own. For my 2nd, the wards were not very busy hence they did space everybody out so that in each ward although there were 6 or 8 beds (sorry cant quite remember) it was only half filled so every ward had like only 3 or 4 empty beds. Ive realised they put those who had Csection closer to the toilets and nursery but every ward is not too far to a toilet and/or a bathroom so it's not a problem.
 
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I am also reigistered to give birth at Pamela Youde and reading the above post from FShah made me feel so much better! Thanks.
We had our first daughter back in Sydney so I have been quite nervous about having to give birth in Hong Kong (due early April). The only negative thing I and my husband found so far was that the corridor of the hospital smelt of the urine when we went there for the checkup!! not pleasant at all!!
 
I only did the prenatal checkup with them towards the end of my pregnancy, but the building in which you get your checkup is different from the one for your delivery and post-delivery. The corridors at which the wards are, are pretty clean and hospital smelling :) (well at least the both times i was there)

I also wanted to add, that the nurses do try their best to meet your every needs. They checked & rechecked that i dont get pork in my meals whenever meals were being served. Also toddlers below 3 or 4 years are not allowed into the wards during visiting hours. The first day i was there, i was on bedrest and when my then 2half year old daughter came to visit they actually came to my bed, informed me that my husband and daughter is outside and actually asked if i would like to be put in a wheelchair and they will wheel out for the visiting session. The nurse then came when visiting hours ended to wheel me back to my bed. I was ever so grateful! :) And during this bedrest period, they frequently brought my baby to my bed for skincontact on top of breastfeeding times.
 
Hi F Shah,
I have another question! is it true that if you are in labour and there's someone else in labour next to you (I understand you are sharing a labour room with a curtain to divide up 2 ladies) the husband gets kicked out?? I was very 'vocal' during my first labour and I find the thought of giving birth to a baby with someone else next to me quite bizzare and embarrassing!
Also - if the labour is normal, are you allowed to go home after 1 or 2 days? I have been told you need to stay for 3 days which I really don't want to do!!
Many thanks in advance!
 
Violet A said:
Hi F Shah,
I have another question! is it true that if you are in labour and there's someone else in labour next to you (I understand you are sharing a labour room with a curtain to divide up 2 ladies) the husband gets kicked out?? I was very 'vocal' during my first labour and I find the thought of giving birth to a baby with someone else next to me quite bizzare and embarrassing!
Also - if the labour is normal, are you allowed to go home after 1 or 2 days? I have been told you need to stay for 3 days which I really don't want to do!!
Many thanks in advance!
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When you are in active labor (which I believe they define as 4 cm dilated or more here--but I might be wrong) you are in a ward with other women with a curtain in between you--how many women are in there with you depends on how busy it is. This is basically what the doctor told me at my last checkup last week. This was confirmed by another GeoBaby user who gave birth there. This bothers me. Also what bothers me is that you're not allowed to move around in labor--there's no room or privacy. However, the fathers are encouraged to be there in labor--the doctor at my last appointment said when the mother is in active labor being in there "is a must" (her literal words)--however I had been told by a nurse earlier that it is "up to the doctor on shift." However, documents from Pamela Youde there is an entire info. sheet explaining to fathers how important their role is to be there during labor so....
 
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Hi Ladies,

I am new to HK and I have booked a bed in Baptist Hospital which doesn't seems to be very friendly about breast-feeding. Seems like Pamela Youde is much better compared to many other private hospital in HK. Is Pamela Youde a public hospital? I am now at week 36. Do you think I still get a chance to registered to give birth there? Any recommendation on doctor and can someone give me an idea about the total expenses to give birth there?

Thanks in advance!!
 
PY is a public hospital and yes, ALL of the public hospitals have MUCH better breastfeeding policies than about 95% of the private hospitals here... A lot of private hospitals, unless you have a private room, you are NOT allowed to have the baby rooming in, which is extremely bad for breastfeeding... I think that Carang answered your other q's in another thread.
 
Hi, I thought I'd share my experience at the Pamela Youde - gave birth to a boy there last Thursday by an emergency C-section. I was induced and my husband got kicked out twice while I was in active labour (5 cms dilated with only gas for pain relief) - I thought this was horrible!!! The first time was to do a sensitive test on a baby as his heartrate was dropping and the second time was when the lady next to me was in active labour. I found hearing all the noises next door really strange - I of course tried to concentrate on my contractions but it was hard to ignore someone else right next to you also having a baby.
Anyway, after what felt like an eternity for the doctors to draw a small blood sample out of our unborn baby, they came back and said that the machine's broken and that I need to do an emergency c-section.
To cut the long story short, I hated the whole experience there (my first was natrual birth, born in Sydney); I wish I had waited and not induced at 39 weeks (doctor's recommendation as baby was around 3.7kgs at the time).
Also - when I was first admitted to the hospital, I was sharing the public ward and the ladies there were not hygenic at all; most of the time, there were blood spots on the toilet floors, on the seats and the toilets not flushed at all with pools of blood in them... really put me off. After the c-section, I moved to the special ward, which was a lot better as I only had to share the toilet with 2 other ladies.
Oh and lastly - I told the doctors there that I would like to walk around, move around when my contractions started but they basically told me that I couldn't do that because they wanted me to be strapped to the baby heartrate monitor the whole time and basically showed me a picture of a woman lying on the bed, pushing the baby out. I mean this is crazy! With my first, I was in the bath, walked around the ward, sat on the ball, tried lots of different positions which really helped pushing my daughter out in an hour or so.
I am slowly getting over the shock of it all but I still wish I had either waited until the water broke (even though I might have had ended up having c-section anyway due to the size of the baby) or went back home to Sydney for it!!!
Lastly, doctors ignored me most of the time when I had any questions - also, most of the time I was in labour, I was all alone as doctors/midwives were very busy.. I was crying as I was in so much pain and had nobody there with me, as I said above, my husband got kicked out twice; that was really tough.
Good luck everyone!
 
Violet A, that is a total bummer about your experience at Pamela Youde. It is true that the more interventions that happen the less say you have over things sometimes. I know that the lady next to me already had her water broken so she had to lay down on the bed.

But, I also gave birth at Pamela Youde (and basically when they told me to lay down I told them where they could go. When they told my husband to leave (even at prenatal appointments they also told him to leave sometimes) he refused to go. We found that if you just tell them "no" and refuse to speak to them in Chinese they can't really do anything. You do have to consent to whatever they do to you.

But, I feel really bummed for you because you had a natural childbirth the first go-round so you know the benefits of it and that it is possible for you--and you had the right facilities and support. That's why I was so apprehensive when at my 39-week appointment they handed me a sheet explaining how they induce at 41 weeks here. I happened to go into labor naturally on my due date so I am glad I didn't even have to look at the induction thing. I gave birth to a baby who weighed 3.965 kilos and actually pushing her out wasn't as painful, long or as much work as pushing out her brother who was 3.63 kilos. It all had to do with position because I was actually standing when she came out--I felt her head with my hand and I thought to myself, "Wow, that thing is BIG--much bigger than her brother's!" I also have a friend who gave birth unassisted in Australia in January to a 12 pound baby without tearing! It was her second child and she was so relaxed because of no interference that she said it was a breeze compared with her first son who was around 9 pounds. Man, I just don't like how doctors think they can predict weight and how that is going to affect birth. Anyway, I'm sorry.
 
Hi Ladies,
I am 35weeks pregnant, registered in PY for delivery. I would like to ask you, is there anything I am not going to need to bring to hospital? like diapers for baby, shampoo, lotion, baby clothes, sanitary towels for myself..?? My first delivery was in my home country in Europe and pretty much stuff we got in hospital, I just do not want to bring too big bag if not needed. Also, do I need to have chosen a pediater before my baby is born?
Many thanx in advance for your replies.
 
You need EVERYTHING, including a towel for you to shower. They provide you with a bed and that's it. You need to take your own tissues as well. Although they do have some cheap, scratchy toilet paper ;)
 
Jordana, I think they should have a list for you and yeah, you need to take a lot of stuff for public hospitals. Ask for the list at your next appointment. They do provide pajamas though and at least in the hospital I delivered, not PY, prefer you to wear those as they colour code them for mums who have not delivered and mums who have. They did provide baby clothes but diapers you have to provide. They bathe the baby so you don't need soap/lotion for baby but for yourself, yes.

Pediatrician, in the public system, they will have a pediatrician check your baby every day, whoever is on call. If there is a problem, they will arrange follow up treatment even when you are discharged. There are also a couple of regular visits to the MCH, where you can get vaccinations for free, breastfeeding advice, see a pediatrician etc. However, once you are discharged you can consult a private pediatrician too. You don't need to book one before you have your baby.
 
jordana said:
Hi Ladies,
I am 35weeks pregnant, registered in PY for delivery. I would like to ask you, is there anything I am not going to need to bring to hospital? like diapers for baby, shampoo, lotion, baby clothes, sanitary towels for myself..?? My first delivery was in my home country in Europe and pretty much stuff we got in hospital, I just do not want to bring too big bag if not needed. Also, do I need to have chosen a pediater before my baby is born?
Many thanx in advance for your replies.
Click to expand...

If you give birth at Pamela Youde you have the option of applying for the special accommodation ward. If you're put in that ward (costs more $$--see my post here for my experience at PY in March) then they will provide you with towels and the beds and area are a lot nicer.

You still need to bring everything though. At the public hospital they should give you a list of supplies you'll need before you give birth--stick to that list.

I brought underpads (make sure you have these with you--like carrying them in your arm when you go into the delivery room or they will give you a really hard time about it), maternity sanitary pads, clothes, toiletries, snacks/food (honey sticks). Toilette paper and soap is provided in the special accommodation wards. From what I hear, the general ward showers and toilets can be pretty gross (blood everywhere etc.) so definitely bring shower shoes/sandles.

The staff bathe your baby for you and use their own baby soap but it might be different in the general ward at PY. If you want the baby to use a specific type of soap you might give it to them. Bring diapers for the baby and wipes (but they actually gave us samples in the special accommodation ward). I brought clothes for my baby because I don't like the way the hospitals wrap them in multiple confusing layers so I preferred our own clothes.

You'll be assigned a locker for your belongings to keep any bags in.
 
Violet i am in a similar situation my son was born in New Zealand and im giving birth in early april in Pamela Youde. so far it seems fine (if not no frills!) only thing that worries me is i might have to deliver in a room with others if crowded so we may be neighbours in a whole new way!!
Violet A said:
I am also reigistered to give birth at Pamela Youde and reading the above post from FShah made me feel so much better! Thanks.
We had our first daughter back in Sydney so I have been quite nervous about having to give birth in Hong Kong (due early April). The only negative thing I and my husband found so far was that the corridor of the hospital smelt of the urine when we went there for the checkup!! not pleasant at all!!
Click to expand...
Vo
 
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