Your Thoughts Please....

[mika561]

Hi all,

I am starting a topic which i am sure has been discussed already (again and again) - but the latest thread i was able to find on the subject goes back to 2008...

I decided having a natural birth (with epidural) in bangkok. after nerrowing down the options i think it will be between bumrungrad and samitivej (i still don't understand which one is better for labor - sukhumvit or srinakarin).

I don't live in bangkok but I have been to bumbungrad several times (for other reasons) and was very much pleased with their level of care - but never visited their woman's center, although heard it is very good.

Never been to samitivej - but heard great things about their women's center.

Anyone had any experience with one of the two hospital? Any thought or recommandation will be very helpfull... and also if there are any older threads please reffer me to them.....

Thanks and have a lovely day! Mika

[bkkjames]

firstly check the family and children thread on TV.

Heard many a good thing about Sametivej for births, we used Rama 9 cause it was convenient for the Mrs during pre-natal stuff. No complaints. All around the same price for 3-4 days.

Natural birth is the first option but often it seems not the outcome - C section will cost you more.

[RedNIvar]

My son was born at Samitivej Sukhumvit. Excellent service. I would however recommend that your sign up for the birthing package (Natural birth or C-section). It will cost you a lot less(half the price) as compared to ala carte birth.

When we asked for the package. the doctor we had gave us some BS story of it being only for the locals. We threatened to move to another hospital that offered us a package and he signed us right up.

The package is a fixed price deal that covers everything from medication, room, nursing care, Dr's fees and also pediatric charges.

[mika561]

My son was born at Samitivej Sukhumvit. Excellent service. I would however recommend that your sign up for the birthing package (Natural birth or C-section). It will cost you a lot less(half the price) as compared to ala carte birth.

When we asked for the package. the doctor we had gave us some BS story of it being only for the locals. We threatened to move to another hospital that offered us a package and he signed us right up.

The package is a fixed price deal that covers everything from medication, room, nursing care, Dr's fees and also pediatric charges.

Thanks for that info! I can't believe they still do that seporation and diffrent pricing between locals and foreginors...so annoying.... a package is a good idea, will be sure to ask about it when visiting the hospital.

[tpiety2]

I delivered 5 babies at home without cutting or medication, I thought that was natural. I know many women who have had epidurals and complained of numbness for many months and even years from the epidural. That was why we did it natural.

[mika561]

Thank you all for your input... I think i will pay a visit to both bumrungrad (Dr. Napadol) and Samitivej sukhumvit (Dr. Sankiat) - read wonderfull things about both of them.

I also understand they support women who wish to do natural birth...

Also i am going back and forth about the epidural - after reasearching it i found out a few things that changed my mind - maybe all natural is the best way to go ..we'll see

tpiety2 i respect your opinion about home birth and i am glad to hear all went well with 5 (!) children... personally i feel more comfurtable being in a medical facility, surrounded by proffetional doctors ...but that's me - I think every women should be comfortable while delivering her child.

[Kilgore Trout]

Keep in mind that most Thai doctors will have no experience whatsoever with non c section births.

[jdinasia]

Keep in mind that most Thai doctors will have no experience whatsoever with non c section births.

Not accurate. Many will have not ever done a C-section. An Episiotomy, however, seems the standard answer here.

Edited January 12, 2011 by jdinasia

[Kilgore Trout]

Keep in mind that most Thai doctors will have no experience whatsoever with non c section births.

Not accurate. Many will have not ever done a C-section. An Episiotomy, however, seems the standard answer here.

Interesting, when my wife was pregnant they wanted us to have a c section and were very reluctant to do otherwise (unfortunately we miscarried)

[jdinasia]

Keep in mind that most Thai doctors will have no experience whatsoever with non c section births.

Not accurate. Many will have not ever done a C-section. An Episiotomy, however, seems the standard answer here.

Interesting, when my wife was pregnant they wanted us to have a c section and were very reluctant to do otherwise (unfortunately we miscarried)

One hospital and an easy upsell. The average Thai hospital performs an episiotomy with vaginal birth as the standard. You may have been advised (rightly) for reasons other than the upsell as well. Small woman and a mixed race baby with a higher birth-weight, larger head etc than is normal in Thailand might have suggested a C-section. I liiterally had this conversation with 8 nurses and another foreigner lass than a week ago.

[mika561]

Keep in mind that most Thai doctors will have no experience whatsoever with non c section births.

Not accurate. Many will have not ever done a C-section. An Episiotomy, however, seems the standard answer here.

Interesting, when my wife was pregnant they wanted us to have a c section and were very reluctant to do otherwise (unfortunately we miscarried)

One hospital and an easy upsell. The average Thai hospital performs an episiotomy with vaginal birth as the standard. You may have been advised (rightly) for reasons other than the upsell as well. Small woman and a mixed race baby with a higher birth-weight, larger head etc than is normal in Thailand might have suggested a C-section. I liiterally had this conversation with 8 nurses and another foreigner lass than a week ago.

This is one of the reasons i am travelling all the way to bangkok for the delivery - as here 4 of the 5 hospitals advised me very strongly against a natural birth, and if i am insisting on a natural birth i will have to sign some documents that should anything happens it is my responsability, which is absolutly rediculaous one nurse even told me a horrible story about a women who did a natural birth in the hospital and why it is not recommanded

I have a friend who is a nurse at one of the hospitals here, and she explained to me - as JDINASIA wrote - the Policy of c-section here is due to thai women being more small and mixed babies do tend to be heavier.

she even admited that - and this is her OWN WORDS - the reason the doctors don't want women to do a natural birth - even if she is foreigner -is simply because they don't have enough experience in natural birth and the staff is not qualified enough. She said that very often the doctors prefer c-section because it is more convenient for them - they have a specific time and date for the "operation" so no one wil call them in the middle of the night cuz she is in labor, also because it is more expensive and better for the hospital

From the information i got so far - Samitivej and bumrungrad have some doctors who very much support natural labor, and preform them very often. The hospitals have speacial rooms with tubs and other equiptment to make the women as comfortble as possible.

[jdinasia]

Sorry, but I did NOT say that c-sections are standard. I said that vaginal births with an episiotomy are most common.

Samitiwet (Suk or Sri Nakarin) would get high marks from me over BH. (I do use BH for my personal medical needs when in BKK if at all convenient.) However, the 6 or 7 women I know that have had children while I have lived in Thailand have ALL chosen samitiwet -- even though 4 of them use BKK Christian for pediatric care.

I would think that Bangkok hospital would be acceptable in most places they have facilities (though I would pick BNH,BH or samithiwet in BKK itself.) I would also think that in Chiang Mai, both Sri Pat and Chiang Mai Ram would be fine (possibly McCormicks as well. The thing that is most important is to get a good raport with the Dr and make sure your wishes are fully understood. I would also suggest you not be too shocked if the Dr does an episiotomy if he is at all concerned with timing or other complications during childbirth. It really is the common practice here.

(Note --- it is worth mentioning that I am a gay man, not a woman. I do, however work in an allied field with medicine/nursing here in Thailand. -- so I am NOT an expert. I just deal with experts almost 24/7!)

[mika561]

Sorry, but I did NOT say that c-sections are standard. I said that vaginal births with an episiotomy are most common.

Samitiwet (Suk or Sri Nakarin) would get high marks from me over BH. (I do use BH for my personal medical needs when in BKK if at all convenient.) However, the 6 or 7 women I know that have had children while I have lived in Thailand have ALL chosen samitiwet -- even though 4 of them use BKK Christian for pediatric care.

I would think that Bangkok hospital would be acceptable in most places they have facilities (though I would pick BNH,BH or samithiwet in BKK itself.) I would also think that in Chiang Mai, both Sri Pat and Chiang Mai Ram would be fine (possibly McCormicks as well. The thing that is most important is to get a good raport with the Dr and make sure your wishes are fully understood. I would also suggest you not be too shocked if the Dr does an episiotomy if he is at all concerned with timing or other complications during childbirth. It really is the common practice here.

(Note --- it is worth mentioning that I am a gay man, not a woman. I do, however work in an allied field with medicine/nursing here in Thailand. -- so I am NOT an expert. I just deal with experts almost 24/7!)

thanks for your commants - will take the fact that nearly all your women friends choose Samitivej for the labor into considuration.

right now i am still comparing between Bumrungrad and samitivej...although based on what i am reading and reseaching i will probably pick samitivej sukhumvit also - i'll know for sure once i'll meet with the doctor and see the facilities by myself both in samitivej and bumrungrad.

BH you mean "Bangkok hospital"? i know it very good (my friend had an ortophedic surgary there which was done extreamly well) and i am sure they are fine for labor, but they don't have the facilieties i am looking for.

I know i few thai women who gave birth in BNH and were pretty pleased from the level of care - but all did c-sections by choice.

Anyway, whatever hospital it will be It's SOOOOOOO true what you mentioned about making sure you are being fully understood by the doctor and the relavent staff.

By the way Its the first time i hear that doctors here perform episiotomy commonly...but i can understand why, especially in smaller women.... thanks for mentioning that so i wouldn't be surprised.... hopfully it wouldn't be neccacery