What was your HK birth experience like at Matilda or any other private hospital?

S

spockey

Registered User
Hi!
I had a wonderful birth experience with my first bub at the North Shore Private Hospital in North Sydney. I had a wonderful OB and a wonderful team of midwives looked after me.
DH and I are considering a second baby but I am apprehensive after such a wonderful natural birth experience.
I was induced, got my epi, gave birth 4 hours later, bub was vacuumed out and I walked away with only 2 stitches.
I am wondering if anyone has any good stories to tell about their birth experience here in HK and if so, who was your OB?
My OB in Sydney was a wonderful man with fantastic bedside manners and had a sense of humour... even when he was called in at 11.45pm and has had to deliver a bub just before he delivered mine.
 
I have given birth twice now at the Matilda and once in the UK on the NHS. The Hong Kong experience was a million miles away from the UK one. They don't call it The Hotel Matilda for nothing.

My OBGYN was fantastic (Sally Ferguson) and I can't praise her highly enough. She stepped in at the last minute with our second baby, as my doctor was called away on a conference. I first met her mid-contraction and she was brilliant. Very calm in the delivery room and very clear with her information. We also hired Hulda from Annerley midwives to act as our doula, as I had heard that HK doctors like to perform C-sections and I was determined not to have one. Hulda was absolutely brilliant and came up with the most amazing advice just when it was needed. She's also a lovely person.

Needless to say when I found out I was pregnant with our third, Hulda was the first person I called, closely followed by Sally. The third birth was even better than my second. My first two children were ventouse and suctioned out. I discussed this with Hulda and exlpained that I had never had the 'urge to push'. She spoke to Sally, who agreed to stay outside the delivery room until Hulda called her in, giving me enough time to get the 'urge to push'. Boy when you get the urge, you really get the urge and our third child was born after three pushes. I can't thank Sally Ferguson enough for being willing to stay outside. I wanted a natural birth and that is exactly what I got. I know that once doctors enter the room they feel the need to intervene; at the end of the day they are being paid to deliver your baby. Sally Ferguson allowed me to deliver our baby in the way I wanted to and for that I think she's fantastic.

I should also point out that I have delivered all my children, using Entinox (gas and air). The last one was 4.3kg (9lb 9oz) and I know it was the support of Dr Sally Ferguson and Hulda that made this one the easiest birth out of all three.

I can thoroughly recommend Hong Kong as a place to give birth and with any luck the fourth one that we have planned will also be born here too.
 
Thanks Jools. I will definitely be considering Hotel Matilda and Annerly midwives. I'm quite the sookielala when it comes to birth. But good to know someone has had a great experience in HK.
 
My first birth was in Matilda w/ Dr. Lucy Lord. Fine & happy, but at the end of the day the price ($$$$$) made me feel a bit dissatisfied, thinking "maybe I could have been just as happy w/ someone else".

2nd baby, did private patient at public hospital (Prince of Wales). Dr. Fung is fine, th birth is great & I'm pleased w/ the service. So, I was just as happy w/ the public hospital as w/ the private in terms of quality & I was happier w/ the price. But, I seem to be getting more basic at every birth. I think if I had a 3rd baby, I would go public system the whole way.


spockey said:
Hi!
I had a wonderful birth experience with my first bub at the North Shore Private Hospital in North Sydney. I had a wonderful OB and a wonderful team of midwives looked after me.
DH and I are considering a second baby but I am apprehensive after such a wonderful natural birth experience.
I was induced, got my epi, gave birth 4 hours later, bub was vacuumed out and I walked away with only 2 stitches.
I am wondering if anyone has any good stories to tell about their birth experience here in HK and if so, who was your OB?
My OB in Sydney was a wonderful man with fantastic bedside manners and had a sense of humour... even when he was called in at 11.45pm and has had to deliver a bub just before he delivered mine.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Loupou. I don't think I'd have the courage to go public. Our insurance policy covers the birth at Matilda and OB costs. So I'm hoping it won't be too great a pinch.
 
Just wanted to share my positive experience at the Matilda. My son was born there in October and I can't recomend it enough! The nurses are fantastic- not only obviously experienced but with senses of humour too- very easy to get on with and very, very helpful!
I hate hospitals and have a real fear of them but being at the Matilda isn't like being at a hospital at all- everything is so comfortable and the food is great!!!!
My ob was great (Clement Chan), he is very, very cautious....like a lot of Doctors in HK, but that worked for us as this was our first baby- so we wanted cautious!
Expensive, yes- but well worth it....am also too much of a coward to go public (I know the medical care is first rate but still not for me.....)
My husband was able to come and go as he pleased, which we really appreciated- as were guests etc.
 
Just arrived home today!

The Matilda was fantastic - even compared with The Adventist. Yes, it's expensive, but if you have insurance, that;s not an issue anyway. Some of what you get in terms of extras are tangible ie food and TV, and some are not ie breastfeeding support and freedom of hubbies to be there for you 100%.

I can't recommend it highly enough.
 
Congratulations Kashismum!

Congratulations on your little one. What did you have? You can tell me what it's like to have two little ones so close together. Mine will have almost the exact same age difference when I have my second in June.
 
Aussiegal,

Gave birth at Matilda and everything is excellent! Chose semi-private (3 in a room) but it's very spacious and when I was there it wasn't full and had the room all to myself for 3 days. Nurses and midwives were excellent and very supportive. During labor, 1 on 1 support is given to you. That means a nurse/midwife was with me the whole time I was in the birthing room, even when I was sleeping. I had a bout of postpartum depression during my stay and the nurses were really supportive and understanding as I was a first time mom. They also made sure my husband & I learn the basics in caring for our newborn (bathing,changing nappy, making milk and breastfeeding). I have a friend who gave birth at Adventist and when we compared notes, nurses in Matilda is definitely more supportive especially with breastfeeding. Food is at par with a fine dining restaurant.

Granted, it's more costly than the other hospitals but I felt I was at the most comfortable place to give birth in HK. And I feel it's worth it as it's not going to be a yearly place to visit. lol!!!
 
spockey said:
kashismum
Congratulations! I hope everything has gone as smooth sailing as can be!
Click to expand...


Thanks, Spockey! 12 days in and feeling on top of it now. My boy's a champion sleeper!

Agree that the breastfeeding support at the Matilda is far better than that at the Adventist.
 
Sorry, I'm probably out of the loop these days but is an induction followed by epidural, episiotomy then vacuum delivery really considered to be 'natural' these days? I really wanted to avoid the experience of being flat on my back, unable to move from the waist down while someone yanked my baby out then stitched me up. Iwas fortunate to have two beautiful experiences with my daughter and son and would like to be able to repeat this. Is epidural and forceps/episiotomy what people consider to be a 'normal' delivery here? We are considering a third baby, but I'm really scared of having unnecessary intervention just to fit in with a doctors schedule. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Sophwillsmum, I really get the feeling that here in HK there is a huge amount of intervention but I think a lot depends on the doctor so by doing your research you can get the outcome you want.

I had my first baby in Australia and went 10 days overdue before being induced. Here people are routinely induced before they even get to their due date which I find bizarre. And as for the number of women having c-sections it definitely seems that doctors look for any excuse to perform them.

I guess you should take heart that you're not a newbie at this so you know what you are doing and what you want. When you are pregnant for the first time you listen to your doctor as if they were god believing they have your best interest at heart and not theirs. If you get a good doctor this happens but if you don't well that's another story.

If you want a referral for a doctor who seems to be pro-natural (i.e. vaginal birth, induction only after you pass your due date, epidural only if you want it and certainly forceps only after you've tried everything else) try Dr Dawkins at the Matilda.
 
Thanks for the advice. My two bubs were also born in Australia at the birth centre at the Royal womens. I just love it there as their philosophy was always that 'birth is not an illness' and that the majority of women are able to give birth without any help just as they have been doing for centuries. Yes caesarians can save lives, but when the statistics are now saying that one in three births are caesar, you have to wonder how many were acyually necessary. Thanks so much for the heads up.
 
Your doctor should honour your birth plan/wishes as far as it is safe if you deliver at a private hospital. In HK it is not just the doctors which are pro-intervention for natural and other births but sometimes it's a patient preference. Early inductions are routine for births on 'auspicious' days or to meet Chinese new year cut offs, and i guess with the private system (much like in other countries) there is the option to request c-sections to avoid painful labour/delivery.

I had a little girl with Dr. Sally Ferguson at the Matilda in November and found her and the midwives totally supportive of my birth plan through a long labour. I ended up with an emergency c-section as my labour did not progress and bub showed signs of distress but I did not feel coerced into anything.

Find a doctor with a good reputation for being pro-patient (like Dr Ferguson) and I'm sure you'll have a good experience.
 
I agree with Slamdunk, you also have to realise one of the reasons behind the high elective C-section rate is due to the appalling level of maternity leave the working mums in Hong Kong receive. So many will work right up to the date of their C-section to ensure maximum time with their baby after the birth. If they wait for nature to take its course then they can take a huge chunk out of their maternity leave and be left with little time with the baby afterwards. I'm not saying I agree with this, but I can understand their thinking.
 
I have to counter the positive comments about Sally Ferguson...! I did not have such a nice experience. She was in a hurry (and told me to hurry too!) and forgot to top up my epidural so I ended up giving birth without any pain relief at all. I liked her all through my pregnancy but I think I was unlucky with the birth as she seemed to be very very busy. She did not make me feel very comfortable at all and seemed to want the birth of my 2nd daughter on her agenda.
 
Sorry, but I was just reading this thread and one of the posters said something about being induced, having an epidural and the use of a vacuum (plus stitches) not being 'natural'.....and insinuating that this would somehow equate to a 'negative' birthing experience!! Well, that's exactly what happened to me and I certainly don't think I had a negative birthing experience. Quite the contrary!!! Just because I didn't do it 'drug free' and needed intervention does NOT mean I am traumatised or feel I've had a negative experience. I am sure the first sight of my daughter and the wonderful treatment I was given by my OB/GYN was equally as wonderful as that person's experience. Does taking drugs during the birth somehow make me a wimp...I think not!

CK
 
Matilda was great....i had a private room and it was pretty spacious. They have a pull out sofa-chair for my husband...didn't look too comfy. Only real complaint I have is that every midwife has different opinions on breastfeeding and seemed quite animate about their way....so it was confusing as a first time mother.
 
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