How do you choose which private pregnancy facilities are right for you?
If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, and are considering having your baby privately, there are a lot of choices for you to make. You will need to find a Consultant Obstetrician to lead your care and other crucial members of your birth care team such as a private midwife. You will need to decide where you want to have ante-natal appointments, where you will give birth and what tests and scans you will have during your private pregnancy. You may decide on a home birth and want to find an independent midwife. There are lots of choices and it can be a little scary, because you have to make all these decisions yourself. This is a far cry from the NHS birth experience, where many of the choices are made for you.
Do some homework in our Resources section to discover what’s near you for fertility, IVF, maternity care, pregnancy, birth, scans and blood tests for pregnancy. We also have some useful links to help you make the right choice for a happy and healthy private pregnancy.
You may decide that you want to have your baby in an NHS hospital but that you want private pregnancy care of other kinds – from hypnobirthing and private ante-natal classes to exercise classes suitable for pregnant women, to a private room in an NHS hospital, a night nanny, doula or home help. Whether you choose to go private all the way or pick elements of private pregnancy care, it’s important you choose what’s right for you.
Why should I consider having my baby privately?
There are many reasons why women choose to have their baby in a private hospital
- Choice: You get to choose who will lead your care through your pregnancy, labour and birth, whether it’s Consultant-led or midwife-led care, or a combination of the two.
- Quality of care: many top Consultants in private facilities also hold top positions at NHS hospitals
- Hotel-like facilities: there’s no doubt that having luxurious surroundings and top quality food makes your birth experience more pleasurable. You may also be able to have your partner stay overnight with you
- One to one care: not only will you see the same team members at each ante-natal appointment but you will also have one to one care through your labour and birth
- Good facilities: private birthing facilities are furnished with the latest medical equipment for both normal, complication-free births and for those that require more interventions or a Caesarean section. They also offer ultrasound and 4D scanning
- Extra services: many private birth facilities also offer ante-natal, post-natal and fitness classes and have access to other experts such as dieticians, breastfeeding advisors and nursery nurses
What to look for
Private pregnancy facilities, clinics, hospitals and wards should be CQC (Care Quality Commission) registered.
Your Obstetrician must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). He or she must undergo annual appraisals and have completed the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
Private midwives must be insured.
How much does a private birth cost?
Costs vary according to the location you choose, where you live and what kinds of care you choose; However, as a guide the following is a guide to the cost of a private birth.
Obtetrician: £3,500-£8,000
Scans and blood tests: £500
Additional scans: up to £1,000
Additional blood tests: up to £2,000
Hospital charges: £1,600-£5,900
Midwife-led care: £8,500