Pamela Youde

[mazamarie]

Has any one given birth at Pamela Youde lately? There are lots of forums from a few years ago but none that I can find over the last few years.

Just hoping to get an idea of what your experiences have been.

Was baby able to room in? etc

There was also somewhere I read about being able to pay a little more for a private room (if it is available on day of admission) even though I am going the public system. Does any one know if this option is still available?

Thanks in advance.

 

[thanka2]

I am registered to give birth at Pamela Youde but haven't given birth there yet so I can't comment on that.

However, yesterday I had my 37-week prenatal checkup and asked for information on the Special Accommodation Ward (it's not a private ward) and was given the charges sheet and application. You can't book this ahead of time but when you enter the hospital you can request it be arranged for you and if there is a space available then you may be able to get in--it's first-come, first-serve. They said it's actually one (or maybe two, can't remember) large wards. You have to be a HKID holder to apply for the special accommodation wards.

The charge is $2,400 HKD/day with a $14,400 deposit and $100 HKD/day extra for each extra bed (I assume for your husband or family staying with you in the room). You are billed ever 4 days and you have to settle the bill or will be sent to the public ward. The deposit is refunded by cheque within 10-14 working days after you leave the hospital (I guess, assuming you don't break anything in the room etc.).

 

[FShah]

I had an excellent experience at Pamela Youde for my 1st child in Jan2008 hence opted to go back there again for my 2nd baby in May2010.

The midwives are, in my opinion, fantastic. Since my first was an assisted vaginal delivery i had a doctor on top of the midwives during the delivery. Doctor was superb informing you of little details and had really good bedside manners and did a good stitching after (gave extra g.anesthesia without prompting when he saw me wincing while he did the stitching & i healed within the week after delivery) . All except one midwife were professional, encouraging, friendly and above all fluent in english (i cant speak/understand cantonese) - that one midwife just forcefully yank my legs open to see how far ive dilated in the midst of me having contractions and had a vicious i-got-run-down-by-the-bus attitude.

Second delivery needed just the midwives and had all the same midwives that assisted me from my first delivery (they even recognised me! lol) Midwives were encouraging and a midwife did the stitching for me after. Excellent experience overall.

All the nurses at the ward postdelivery were excellent in meeting all my needs. Pro breastfeeding. Encourage baby to be by your bed frequently. Really helpful in assisting you post delivery (assisting/teaching you the correct way of cleaning your wound etc). All the nurses that attended to me spoke & understood english really well. Inform you of all paperwork needed when you get discharge. Encourage you to attend any exercise classes available or inform you of video showing times in advance.

We did look into the Special Accomodation ward but the nurses were telling us there isnt much of a difference in service except having family stay with you. The normal ward was good on its own. For my 2nd, the wards were not very busy hence they did space everybody out so that in each ward although there were 6 or 8 beds (sorry cant quite remember) it was only half filled so every ward had like only 3 or 4 empty beds. Ive realised they put those who had Csection closer to the toilets and nursery but every ward is not too far to a toilet and/or a bathroom so it's not a problem.

 

[Violet A]

I am also reigistered to give birth at Pamela Youde and reading the above post from FShah made me feel so much better! Thanks.
We had our first daughter back in Sydney so I have been quite nervous about having to give birth in Hong Kong (due early April). The only negative thing I and my husband found so far was that the corridor of the hospital smelt of the urine when we went there for the checkup!! not pleasant at all!!

 

[FShah]

I only did the prenatal checkup with them towards the end of my pregnancy, but the building in which you get your checkup is different from the one for your delivery and post-delivery. The corridors at which the wards are, are pretty clean and hospital smelling (well at least the both times i was there)

I also wanted to add, that the nurses do try their best to meet your every needs. They checked & rechecked that i dont get pork in my meals whenever meals were being served. Also toddlers below 3 or 4 years are not allowed into the wards during visiting hours. The first day i was there, i was on bedrest and when my then 2half year old daughter came to visit they actually came to my bed, informed me that my husband and daughter is outside and actually asked if i would like to be put in a wheelchair and they will wheel out for the visiting session. The nurse then came when visiting hours ended to wheel me back to my bed. I was ever so grateful! And during this bedrest period, they frequently brought my baby to my bed for skincontact on top of breastfeeding times.

 

[mazamarie]

Thanks ladies for your replies.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Violet A]

Hi F Shah,
I have another question! is it true that if you are in labour and there's someone else in labour next to you (I understand you are sharing a labour room with a curtain to divide up 2 ladies) the husband gets kicked out?? I was very 'vocal' during my first labour and I find the thought of giving birth to a baby with someone else next to me quite bizzare and embarrassing!
Also - if the labour is normal, are you allowed to go home after 1 or 2 days? I have been told you need to stay for 3 days which I really don't want to do!!
Many thanks in advance!

 

[thanka2]

Hi F Shah,
I have another question! is it true that if you are in labour and there's someone else in labour next to you (I understand you are sharing a labour room with a curtain to divide up 2 ladies) the husband gets kicked out?? I was very 'vocal' during my first labour and I find the thought of giving birth to a baby with someone else next to me quite bizzare and embarrassing!
Also - if the labour is normal, are you allowed to go home after 1 or 2 days? I have been told you need to stay for 3 days which I really don't want to do!!
Many thanks in advance!

When you are in active labor (which I believe they define as 4 cm dilated or more here--but I might be wrong) you are in a ward with other women with a curtain in between you--how many women are in there with you depends on how busy it is. This is basically what the doctor told me at my last checkup last week. This was confirmed by another GeoBaby user who gave birth there. This bothers me. Also what bothers me is that you're not allowed to move around in labor--there's no room or privacy. However, the fathers are encouraged to be there in labor--the doctor at my last appointment said when the mother is in active labor being in there "is a must" (her literal words)--however I had been told by a nurse earlier that it is "up to the doctor on shift." However, documents from Pamela Youde there is an entire info. sheet explaining to fathers how important their role is to be there during labor so....

 

[mavislohsp]

Hi Ladies,

I am new to HK and I have booked a bed in Baptist Hospital which doesn't seems to be very friendly about breast-feeding. Seems like Pamela Youde is much better compared to many other private hospital in HK. Is Pamela Youde a public hospital? I am now at week 36. Do you think I still get a chance to registered to give birth there? Any recommendation on doctor and can someone give me an idea about the total expenses to give birth there?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[nicolejoy]

PY is a public hospital and yes, ALL of the public hospitals have MUCH better breastfeeding policies than about 95% of the private hospitals here... A lot of private hospitals, unless you have a private room, you are NOT allowed to have the baby rooming in, which is extremely bad for breastfeeding... I think that Carang answered your other q's in another thread.