"Birth at Osborne Park Hospital"

For my first baby, I opted for shared care between my GP and the midwives at Osborne Park Hospital (OPH). The antenatal care provided by the midwives was of a high standard. I had the same midwife for the majority of my appointments which was great for continuity of care, but this changed closer to my due date as the midwife herself went on maternity leave. One downside of these appointments I would highlight was that I generally had very little options for the days/times for appointments, and as such did have to take time off work to attend on a number of occasions.

My partner and I took full advantage of the antenatal information sessions provided and I enjoyed attending the antenatal physiotherapy classes offered at the hospital. For the information sessions, my partner did state that they would have appreciated greater guidance on how to care for myself and the baby after birth, rather than most of the focus being on the birth itself.

On arrival at OPH when I was in labour, we were met by a friendly and calm midwifery team. I was offered a variety of pain relief, including gas, birthing pool and epidural. As nervous first time parents, my partner and I were grateful for the calming influence and reassurance of the midwives.

After many hours of labour and opting for an epidural, the attending doctor became concerned that my labour had stalled. They explained that my baby’s heart rate was fluctuating dramatically and there was also meconium present in my waters. I was told that I could wait a little more time, but that an emergency c section may be required. Eventually, we agreed with the c section to ensure the safety of my baby. I want to emphasise that this was not forced upon me- at all times I was told I could continue with labour if I wished, but that it would be at significant risk to my child.

Despite the theatre staff being called in during the very early hours of the morning, the tone in the operating theatre was friendly and calm. We were very impressed that all the theatre staff took the time to introduce themselves and reassure myself and my partner. My baby was safely delivered.

During our 3 night stay in the hospital, I was very happy with the standard of care that both I and my infant received. Staff were kind, attentive and helpful (particularly the midwives) and I was lucky enough to have a room to myself for the duration of my stay. I was also impressed in the follow up done by the obstetrics team, who met with me the day after my surgery to check how I was progressing and address any questions I had regarding why the c section was deemed necessary.

In my opinion, some areas of the hospital are ageing and would benefit from renovation, but I do not feel this impacted the quality of care I received. If we have a second child, we will definitely be returning to OPH. I would highly recommend OPH to others for their maternity services.