Best Sydney Hospital to Birth in

[Moomin]

Hi all,

A lifelong plan to homebirth is looking to be dashed due to a cyst my 20wk gest baby has in its pelvic region, as the home birth midwife I had planned on engaging feels it best I deliver in hospital if the cyst doesn't disappear. This may even ruin my chances of a birth centre birth, especially given I have epilepsy.

Thus, if I'm forced to birth in a hospital, I'm wondering if people could recommend any public Sydney hospitals - or warn me against any.

Even better, if you know of a homebirth midwife who'll deliver for someone in my situation I'd love to hear although I know most midwives are booked out in December.

Ideally I'd like a natural, water birth.

Hope to hear from you!

Thanks.

[aussiemidwife]

Hi Moomin - I am so sorry you plans for a homebirth have gone array. Typically the smaller hospitals have lower intervention rates. You can check out all the statistics of individual hospitals in the NSW Mothers and Baby's Report. If you baby does need special care after birth - the larger Sydney hospitals such as RPA, Royal North Shore, Royal Hospital for Women and Westmead have the facilities that may be needed. The experience you have depends very much on the staff members you get on the day and how busy it is - so it is difficult to say one hospital it better than another. Ideally you'd have a private midwife that has visiting access to support you in hospital (if that is where you end up giving birth). Most hospitals offer waterbirth now - though you may need to check out the policy on waterbirth (some are more restrictive than others).