Aek Udon - Birth Package Review

[technocracy]

I thought I would share our experience at the AEK Udon International hospital for the birth of our first son last Friday.

First off - pre-natal care - all in all very good nothing that can be grumbled about the service is fast and efficient regardless of the day you attend. I don't think we ever were in the hospital more than 1hr even on a Saturday morning. When we changed the appointments to Friday we were barely in for more than 15 minutes! The scans were done with a minimal of fuss and you were given piece of mind. General costs for a standard non scan vist with vitamins was around 350baht and around 800baht for a scan visit - monthly visits and bi-weekly in the final month. My wife wanted a natural birth - so the c-section was never discussed or arranged. From the size of her stomach and all the routine checks everything it was agree and natural birth was possible.

The big event - well it started sometime thursday morning while my wife was in bed around 3am. But at the time she didn't think much about them as she'd been having regular fake/practise contractions for sometime and these didn't feel anything different. Anyway about 8am as I was sitting in my office having my morning coffee she came in and said she was still having contractions and they were stopping and starting. She sat in the office and we timed how often the contraction were coming for 2 hours and they were relatively frequent (about every 8-10 minutes), but not overly long 30-40secs. Calmly said we should lock up the house, she should phone her family and tell them that we are going to Udon (we live Vientiane). This done we got in the car and headed off - bring a bit of falang know how to the occasion we'd had a emergency bag and the baby seat in the car for the past 2 weeks, so there was no drama involved. Phone the doctor and told him the situation as we set off and he agreed that we should come to the hospital to check on things.

Being a Thursday mid-morning breezed through immigration at the Friendship Bridge and were at AEK for about 11am-ish (exact times are a bit of a blur now!). Anyway went in and as every very little wait in hospital and the doctor checked inside for dilation. 2cm was the count she was in early labor we were told she could be admitted now or we could wait and come back later in the day when the contractions had progressed. Fair enough we thought the contractions weren't painful just a bit uncomfortable so we went off did a bit of shopping and around 4pm-ish booked into the Charoen hotel just down the road from the hospital to wait. The contractions were gradually get stronger and longer as the day progressed and around until around 10pm they were getting to the excruciate level which was the point we had been told to go to the hospital. We rolled into the emergency ward at about 10.30pm-ish, the contractions were now every 5 minutes and lasting a good 5 minutes each. The nurse which was on duty came in a check again for dilation still 2cms. No change.

At this point my opinions of the hospital went downhill somewhat - the 'young' nurse/doctor who check my wife didn't really seem very bright! My wife was just told it'll get more painful yet and we should be admitted. At this point we were asked what room we would like, standard, executive or vip - 1,200, 1,500 or 2,000 baht per night. We asked the difference and the only real difference between the standard and exec was an electric adjustable bed, the vip however had two beds. We took the standard purely because neither of us were bothered about anything else and they had perfectly comfortable couches which I could sleep on. Up we went to the room and I have to the actual facilities in the room are very good complete with TV, fridge, ensuite and shower room and they are spotlessly clean. In the meantime the contractions were getting stronger and longer at one point more blood came out I called the nurse. The previous mentioned dim nurse/doctor came in and checked my wife for further dilation nope still 2cm - the night staff nurse receieved a bollocking from her for not calling her sooner. She stood looking confused at the blood that had come from my wife - I can tell you it doesn't fill you with confidence when she is stand there looking like a lost puppy and playing with it between her fingers!! The bollocking she give the night staff also concerned me - all done in Thai obviously thinking the falang wouldn't understand - and my wife was in too much pain to think straight.

Come 2am my wife was in agony and the contraction were nearly 10minutes long and basically 1 minute intervals. Whilst all this was going on the nurse/doctor just buggered off to somewhere - no one was monitoring her other than me. I was starting to lose my temper not to mention getting very concerned about the health of my wife and baby. Again we had to use the emergency button to call the nurse to ask her opinion. She gave the choice of an epidural but my wife rejected it (as things progressed this was a very lucky choice). The contraction were still the same come 2:30am my wife at this point was writhing around in agony. She was checked again - still 2cm dilated.

I know how much my wife wanted a natural birth but at this point I said to her I want her to ask the dim nurse about a c-section. The nurse had apparently said it was up to her!!! Hold on a minute - upto her . . she had been told previously that when her contractions get to 10 minutes long every 1-2 minutes the baby will basically be coming, she had already been at this point for 2 hours and had only dilated 2cm in the space of 24 hours! At this point I told my wife to have a c-section as something obviously isn't happening inside - the dim nurse had already said she her cervix was small (why in gods name her mental capacity couldn't put 2+2 together and work out that the babies head was obviously too big I don't know!).

So anyway we told them we want a c-section now! I was still panicked as there was a total lack of concern or positivity coming from the dim nurse. What pissed me off further was then at this point they were shoving consent forms under face to sign - she was in so much pain she didn't know which way was up let alone read a form!

She was taken down to the theater and prepped I then went in and watched through the window - my confidence was boost when I saw that our regular doctor was performing the c-section.

Happily the c-section was completely successful and all went to plan - he was 3.4kg and the doctor said afterwards he was surprised by his size as my wifes stomach didn't show that big -everyone always commented about how small her bump was - this point I can actually forgive. But the proceeding 4 hours were absolutely shocking and the supposed emergency staff were very poor.

I am sure if it had taken place during our normal doctors shift things would of been very different. However this one individual nurse was nowhere near the normal standards we have experienced.

Aftercare - The aftercare to summarise was fantastic and completely put both of us back at ease. The nursery staff were great they took care of him at night so we could get some sleep and handheld us through the first days of mother and fatherhood. So this part couldn't of been better all the nappies, cleaning stuff etc etc were supplied and even given a basket of goodies.

Unfortunately the emergency staff spoiled the overall standards of the hospital upto the point it had been great, the c-section was done in perfect time, the aftercare was great. The bit in the middle not great!

The package cost of the c-section staying in a standard room for 3 nights was 34,995baht which to be honest I thought was good value. Unfortunately we also had to pay an out of hours premium of 8,600 baht due to the c-section being done at 3am. Which is fair enough since if we'd of arrange the c-section we wouldn't of paid this and the 10 or so people in the theater have to be paid.

The also are taking care of all the paper work and translation for the birth certificate which we'll recieve on Sunday for our next visit.

So take it however you want - I aren't going to recommend or not recommend the use of the hospital I am just providing a report for you to make up your own mind.

[torrenova]

I am glad everything worked out fine in the end though I am sorry for the discomfort your wife suffered. I would like to comment on one thing.

In the early days of my wife's pregnancy (baby delivered last July), we were recommended a doctor at his private clinic though the birth was to have been at the hospital. Some time through the pregnancy we changed to a more professional operation at the Pattaya International hospital in Pattaya. Now in another thread I mention my disatisfaction with tier accounts department and management but I cannot fault their staff.

Specifically, their up to the minute almost 3 dimentional colour ultrasound scanner meant that the specifics of the baby and her dimensions were very well understood. We knew her head size, length and weight (3.83kg at birth) and with a lack of dilation and a rapidy growing baby (I was told they grow at 600/800g per week at the end) then we were left with no alternative but to have an elective caesarian. I personally think more could have been done to assist dilation but the medical views of whether such assistance through drugs is good is balanced at best. Manual stimulation was carried out.

In essence, I suspect your baby was too big unless dilation occurred rapidly and your wife achieved full dilation. The potential need for a caesarian seems not to have been discussed and that is a fault of your medical team, primarily your doctor. It is necessary to think ahead, just as you had a bag in the car, to plan for any eventuality. With a baby there are only two possibilities and to ignore one is just wrong, whatever your wife or you wanted.

We desperately wanted a natural birth but we could not have one. I cannot think how we would have coped in your situation but we did go through emergency procedures with the hospital. I am glad for all three of you that you made it through and thanks for sharing your story.

[technocracy]

Torrenova,

Thanks for you reply. With reflection on the events and the event which just occurred on Sunday I have to change my final comment about recommending or not recommending using the hospital. I will say now - UNLESS YOU CANNOT FIND ANY OTHER HOSPITAL IN THE AREA DO NOT GO TO THE AEK UDON HOSPITAL - the life of your partner and baby is depending on this decision!

Why has my opinion changed? Well Sunday we went back for the removal of the stitches from the incision. The doctor inspected my wifes incision and reported she had an infection and needed IV antibiotic treatment to resolve it. The reason why this infection occurred (well as much as they refuse to admit it is the reason) they only gave my wife a total of 7 days worth of antibiotics following surgery. They didn't even give sufficient antibiotics to cover her upto her first return appointment!

The day after my wife had finished this course she started to have pains around the region of the incision. I didn't put 2+2 together although when I saw the amount (or lack) of antibiotic tablets they had prescribed my wife on discharge from the hospital I thought I was expecting far more. From the minor medical procedures I've under gone I had always been given at least 2-4 weeks of antibiotics to ensure no infections occur.

So 2 more nights and a further 12,000baht my wife is now back at home and thankfully all seems ok.

We will NEVER be returning to AEK Udon and I implore anyone who goes to take the decision VERY VERY carefully and question EVERYTHING. Even though they'll do there best to ignore you!

I am also considering taking this story to the press to publicise the kind of negligence that takes place at this hospital - I would never want anyone to have to suffer in the same things we have.

[moneyshot]

Technocracy,

Firstly congratulations on the new arrival.

My wife will be undergoing a caesarian in April and although we are in Chiang Mai, I appreciate your story especially concerning the lack of antibiotics. It just shows you that we should question the doctors on their decisions. If something doesn't seem right, there is a good chance that it is indeed not.

Goodluck and I hope your wife has a speedy recovery.

[torrenova]

One problem in Thailand is that you, the father, have to constantly challenge and question the doctors because the Thais will no do so. They revere them and as such do not question what are obvious faults.

[technocracy]

One problem in Thailand is that you, the father, have to constantly challenge and question the doctors because the Thais will no do so. They revere them and as such do not question what are obvious faults.

So very very true. I am no fool around medicine and fully understand the treatments and types required (human biology was a favourite subject of mine in school) unfortunately being sleep deprived the antibiotic prescription slip past my radar. A painful mistake both financially and for my wife.

The same doctor attempted to give my wife muscle relaxants when she was 7 months pregnant due to have constant ache in one of her legs (following a long road trip) - these relaxants were not safe for pregnant women and one of the side effects was lengthening of labor (and another which I forget)!

I didn't allow my wife to take any of the prescribed medicine through the course of her preganancy until I had check it's safety status.

Like I say DO NOT USE THE AEK UDON HOSPITAL UNLESS YOU HAVE NO CHOICE - question and check EVERYTHING.

If I'd of known what I do now I'd never of wasted the time or money in using the place.

I am still waiting for a response to my official complaint I have made - if I do not receive one in the next week it'll just be more ammunition when I contact the Bangkok Post/Nation etc.

[torrenova]

I've caught doctors trying to farm out all kinds here and even my missus was conned the other day because she went alone to the doctor. Some Bt600 for a diagnosis and another Bt700 for some cheap drugs which you could buy for a fraction of the price in a pharmacy.

The reason why she was conned ? It was two fold. Firstly because she took our daughter and her friend and thus it was obvious that a westerner was or had been on the scene and secondly because she remains somewhat deferrential to these parasites and more so when I am not there. If I were to go for something, I will get a lower bill than she does. It does cause arguments between us which should be unnecessary.