Prev Page 3 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 Next Please log in to reply 124 replies to this topic

[luluanator]

chanchao, on 2007-06-29 12:23:32, said:

First of all, giving birth isn't exactly state of the art medical science.   Most women give birth in the city where they happen to live, unless it's really a deserted island.

Where do you live?   I live in Chiang Mai where there's many fine hospitals of course.

I would recommend you doing check-ups at/with the same doctor who will be doing the delivery, then you can make it known early to not pull that crap of speaking Thai when there's a Thai person present (your husband).

Can give a recommendation for Chiang Mai, but let's hear where you live then people can perhaps recommend a doctor / clinic / hospital.

Could you please refer me to a good Obgyn in Chaing Mai?  Just found out I am pregnant.
Thank you- Lulu

[mearkat75]

hi,i had my Daughter at Vejthani hospital,Bangkok, the doctor was fantastic,asked if i could speak thai,i said no,i want everything in English   he spoke to me first in English,then to my other half inThai.
At the birth he spoke English ,only took me 5 hours!

the staff where slightly odd,suppose they didnt get many farang women in there!

3 days/2 nights[i think]
32,000 and i had a normal birth,just a bit of pethadine to help me along!

i now live near Phattalung,im in Ron Phi Boon[god knows why!!!]

i feel for you,i wouldnt have another child down here,no way,i have only just found an English speaking doc for my Daughter[shes 12 months]
i had another doc before,who could speak English,but she decided she didnt want to talk to me,just the thais..............

i really hope you find someone,and if you do,let me know!!!!!

[Moebius87]

Sorry another male posting in this forum.

Just wanted to put in a good word for Vichaiyut Hospital located along Rama 6 Rd., a special mention for Dr. Phiboon. Our son is now ten months old and is in excellent health.

My wife is Thai and myself being an expat, I was pleasantly surprised at how our doctor was so sympathetic to the language barrier by switching languages without prompting and having the patience to explain things over and over again and in great detail. This being our first child, we were pretty clueless and it was a godsend to have a doctor that was very experienced and possessed a fatherly disposition.

From the time we first found out my wife was pregnant (12-weeks) till a month after she gave birth (post-natal check-up), we were constantly at the hospital receiving excellent care and attention. We felt that it was the entire family (myself included) that was getting the care and support from the hospital.

All told, including all the tests and check-ups over the pregnancy term, the ultrasound, the additional supplements, the actual delivery and a 4-day stay at the hospital, we ended up with a bill for approximately 85,000 THB.

My wife's entire experience was perfect, so much so that she sometimes asks me to drive by the hospital because she misses her doctor and the staff.

Just sharing. Hopefully someone will find this useful.

— Möe

[torrenova]

Can you break that down a bit please ? How do you get to 85k ?

[BillyDeno]

RueFang, on 2007-07-15 09:21:34, said:

Wow...30 grand for all that! Is that because she's Thai do you think? I hear a lot of stories about hospital fees being quite expensive for the birthing package (3 days + procedure, etc) . Anyone else have any prices for comparison?

My wife is Thai cost 10'000bht £150.00 sterling she had C section was in for one week 08/08/07 no problems Chaiyaphum Hospital. Hope you find good Dr+ Hospital good luck for the future.

[terf1]

Hi

My biggest concern was how up to date and knowledgable our doctor was, and how into medical intervention they were oh and english speaking was a must.  

I had been to see a doctor who did not speak excellent english and i left in tears (was pregnant though!) due to miscommunication(and didn't go back).  I am also really concerned about the level of knowledge - eg i went to see doc (ob/gyn but not my normal doctor or hospital) the other day about breast feeding infection and his recommendation was to stop breastfeeding which by all account is the worst thing you can do - it just stopped me in my tracks - i couldn't believe waht i was hearing.  

Anyway no matter where you are in the world you want to be able to go to a hospital where you feel safe, not at the mercy of a doctor or nurses and feel you can have a say in what happens.  So i would shop around for a doctor that you feel really comfortable with - to me that it the most importnat thing and believe me when you are about to pop out a baby it matters alot!  Moebius is right to point out specific doc not just hospitals becuase as I amsure you know you can have a range at any hospital (anywhere in the world).

FYI I had our baby at Samitivej and it was 70000Baht for natural birth (does not include check ups etc).  I know this is alot but I can tell we had an excellent experience and thoroughly recommend it.   the nurses were excellent our doctor was excellent and they are very conservative in the use of medical intervention but have everything at hand in case.  i think this also made it much easier to have a natural birth - it was all very safe feeling.  our Dr was Dr Sankiat - he is great but every practically every expat goes to see him - there is a woman doc there who is also very good sorry can't remember name.  

Anyway hope all goes well with trying!

[torrenova]

Bt70,000 for natural birth is a joke. I doubt its even that much as Bumingexpensiveograd !

[g00dgirl]

torrenova, on 2008-02-10 04:58:26, said:

Bt70,000 for natural birth is a joke. I doubt its even that much as Bumingexpensiveograd !

Well if that is the money it takes (for those women who do need to give birth in a hospital)
to have the priviledge of having a natural birth without interventions, then one should be glad that the option is still offered today in hospitals where it is reported that some doctors did never let a natural birth progess without interventions in their entire career[1] and with c-section rates of up to 90%!

If I had to give birth in a hospital then I would much prefer to pay a hospital 70k to allow me to spend all the time I needed in their rooms and to allow me to take the time of their staff, the time it takes for a natural labour to progress, in order to have a natural birth without the risks of being induced, having labour artificially sped up for the convenience of the staff, doctor and their timing, without being drugged and induced which itself leads to 'failure to progress' which will then allow the doctor to talk me into a c-section, an abdominal surgery with all it's risks and disadvantages, just so that they can charge me more, process me, and get me out of there as soon as possible to make space for the next customer.

If a natural birth would be more expensive than a c-section at least many women might be able to avoid the trauma of being talked into a completely unneccessary c-section for the convenience and profit of the hospital. I would even go as far as suggesting to women who can afford it to offer doctor and staff bonuses if a natural drug and intervention free delivery is achieved, more than they would earn if they charged for a c-section.

With the situation in Thailand the safest and healthiest option in my opinion would be to stay at home or at least spend the time to educate oneself about homebirth and unassisted childbirth, read as much as possible and be aware of the fact that birth does not need to take place in a hospital and that it is a natural process that women are capable of carrying out without assistance and usually with a much better experience and outcome than with people interfering.

[onethailand]

In my wife's case, 60-70K for each of three births may have been high - but peace of mind for both of us was priceless.

[torrenova]

I agree with the above two comments regarding what is best for the mother but my comment regarding the amount was based upon the fact that the price for delivery in Thai hospitals, certainly in Bangkok and Pattaya, is purely down to how much the doctors think the family can pay. Whereas there should be a scale of charges, there is not and nearly every instance reported here and elsewhere comes in with a different figure for the basic delivery. Profiteering is the name of the game.

Whether Bt70,000 was or is a fair price is not the issue, the issue is that the price is lower and only ramped up when they think they can get away with it.

[onethailand]

torrenova, on 2008-02-11 12:35:38, said:

I agree with the above two comments regarding what is best for the mother but my comment regarding the amount was based upon the fact that the price for delivery in Thai hospitals, certainly in Bangkok and Pattaya, is purely down to how much the doctors think the family can pay. Whereas there should be a scale of charges, there is not and nearly every instance reported here and elsewhere comes in with a different figure for the basic delivery. Profiteering is the name of the game.

Whether Bt70,000 was or is a fair price is not the issue, the issue is that the price is lower and only ramped up when they think they can get away with it.

I don't believe Samitivej discriminates - they charge everyone the same high price!

Nevertheless, I could've chosen a more down-to-Earth Thai hospital - but when I thought about how much it would cost back in the US to have a baby, I didn't even blink at Samitivej's prices.  On top of that, it was the first one... no amount of money would've been too much as far as I was concerned.

Strangely enough, we moved to the Pinklao area not long after, and then the little one got gastroenteritis and non-stop diarrhea.  We took her to a nearby hospital, which had some good doctors from Siriraj and other "name" hospitals, but ultimately they couldn't hold a candle to the Samitivej doctors.  We spent a week in hospital without the baby getting any better - then I got fed up and took her to Samitivej, stayed one night, and all was well.  What drives me nuts is that I knew exactly what was wrong but wasn't willing to challenge the doctor on it.  They basically gave the baby nothing but saline for 7 days, with a lamp on her butt trying to dry it out.  At Samitivej - doctor confirmed diagnosis, added one shot, and that was that.

Since that day, I don't even consider other hospitals, though I personally had to go into Bumrungrad for pneumonia once, simply because I couldn't breathe and Samitivej seemed too far away.  They were fine but more expensive.

[torrenova]

OneThailand

I am a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and in your shoes I'd have headed back to Samitivej as well. Too many places here just look at the $$$ and how long they can string it out for.

As for challenging doctors, I consider it my duty and if they don't like it they can lump it or I'm off. Glad to hear your little one was ok in the end.

[onethailand]

torrenova, on 2008-02-14 02:18:13, said:

OneThailand

I am a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and in your shoes I'd have headed back to Samitivej as well. Too many places here just look at the $$$ and how long they can string it out for.

As for challenging doctors, I consider it my duty and if they don't like it they can lump it or I'm off. Glad to hear your little one was ok in the end.

LOL... if only I had started somewhere cheaper

The little one in question is now 14... and thankfully she's done very well in school without my help    Cheers...

[wineaux]

torrenova, on 2008-02-10 04:58:26, said:

Bt70,000 for natural birth is a joke. I doubt its even that much as Bumingexpensiveograd !

Not sure about natural birth costs but a friend of mine just had a c section there and with extras came to 250k.

Another poster commented that his wife took the 40k c section package at Bangkok-Pattaya and his final bill was 100k as they needed to give his baby oxygen.

My wife has just had a c section at Phayathai 2 in Bangkok, the package is 55k but my son also need oxygen for 6 hours so not sure of the final tally yet.

The service at Phayathai 2 Hospital has been excellent.

[bkkmei]

Hi

wow 250K for a c-section at Bumrungrad!  I ended up with a semi-emergency c-section at Bumrungrad and we were charged the 'package' price (around 60K if I remember correctly) plus a few other bits & pieces, came to about 65K.   We had already made it clear we would go for a package and that this was NOT on insurance.

[torrenova]

250k for a c-section ? There must be far far more to this story, like about another Bt180-200,000 explanation.

A few extras does not come to 200k even at that place.

[technocracy]

Following my our experience (AEK Udon Birth package review thread) all I can say DO NOT go to AEK Udon if you want a natural birth.  There 'treatment' consists of sticking you in a room alone and leaving you to it - it you want a 'nurse' you have to call them . . . no such thing as observation!  They'll also leave any decisions up to you and your wife/husband - decisions such as if you need an emergency section or not and offer absolutely no advice . . .  

Edited by technocracy, 2008-02-27 16:22:47.

[gunnyd]

Another post from a future dad,

I am wondering about the Thai attitudes toward fathers being present during in the delivery room.  It will be our first child and we don't want to be separated, and of course I want to be there to support my wife and greet our child coming into the world.

Me and my wife are both RNs in the US and it is standard that the husband, and sometimes close family members are welcome during delivery.

Any info on dad friendly/unfriendly hospitals in BKK

Thanks,

GunnyD

Edited by gunnyd, 2008-02-28 19:58:16.

[gunnyd]

As an addendum technically this is not our first experience in childbirth.

Me and my wife had IVF treatment in BKK at Vejthani and she got pregnant in July,  We went back to the US because we figured we would get a decent doctor and my insurance covered it.  In Oct 2007 my wife had a "silent" miscarriage 20 weeks in.  The doctors we had wouldn't listen to us about my wife needing hormone support and totally ignored our requests for tests, etc.  It seemed they didn't care.  Us being medical professionals and then being ignored was infuriating..

If they would have said I wasn't allowed to be with my wife in the hospital when they induced labor and delivery of our stillborn child they would have had to call the police, have me physically removed, and throw me jail.  I couldn't imagine not have been there to support my wife, as heart breaking as it was.

So anybody with experience with private hospitals policies on dads being present during delivery, especially if anyone has experience with Vejthani Hospital, it would be greatly appreciated.

GunnyD

edit:  I did speak with the rep at Vejthani and got a wishy washy answer of, It's up to the doctor.  I'd hate to pull a hospital switch during the last trimester but I will if they refuse to let me be there.

Edited by gunnyd, 2008-02-29 08:04:46.

[bkkmei]

Hi
I wanted to say sorry to hear about your wife's previous miscarriage...

I don't know about Vejthani - if you've already chosen a specific doc, what did he/she say?

At Bumrungrad, my husband was present through my c-section.  I had Dr Noppadol - he was great.  If I'd had natural, I could have had 2-3 relatives/friends in the room.  If I'd had an epidural, just one.  Having husband in the op theatre during the c-section was up to the doc.

All the best to you & your wife!

[gunnyd]

Thanks for the kind words.

I ended up starting a separate thread since this one is pretty quiet

[wineaux]

torrenova, on 2008-02-20 21:25:23, said:

250k for a c-section ? There must be far far more to this story, like about another Bt180-200,000 explanation.

A few extras does not come to 200k even at that place.

Like I said b4 another gentleman had a bill of 100k at Bangkok-Pattaya just for some additional oxygen so that puts it into context.  

This baby needed treatment for jaundice and was in a incubator for some time (the whole bill was  covered by their insurance)

My bill from Phayathai 2 was 73,000 including upgrading to the international ward, oxygen and an xray.

I recommend that anyone thinking of having a baby in the future gets a good insurance policy. Our policy covers childbirth after the first 12 months and costs only 35k. My wife already had 3 nights in Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital this year for food poisoning whilst pregnant and the bill was 55k.

Yes I hate insurance companies like the next man but for us in Thailand it has been very worthwhile.

[torrenova]

Want to tell the membership who your insurance company is, which policy, etc.

[wineaux]

LMG (which I bought from AIA Insurance in Pattaya)

http://www.lmginsura.../healthcare.htm

[alex_4000]

gunnyd, on 2008-02-28 19:57:54, said:

Any info on dad friendly/unfriendly hospitals in BKK

when my wife delivered in samitivej bangkok in 2004, i was allowed into the delivery room during epidurial c-section.