Are mums too posh to push?

Rob Lockyear | 3rd July 2009

IPSWICH'S mums-to-be are joining a growing trend of private health patients who are proving too posh to push.

St Andrew's Private Hospital said the number of caesareans performed at the hospital was roughly on par with the national average, which stands at 42 per cent.

But outside the private system the rate drops dramatically.

Queensland Health district CEO Pam Lane said Ipswich Hospital had about 2600 births a year and about 1950 of them were vaginal births.

“We have a caesarean rate of 25.7 per cent which is well below the state average of 33.5 per cent,” Ms Lane said.

“This rate includes both elective and emergency caesareans and each is around 12 per cent.”

She said women needed to have a medical reason to request an elective caesarean, such as a previous breach or a difficult birth resulting in a serious tear.

“All women who request an elective caesarean are counselled regarding the dangers involved in surgery, and if there is no medical reason they are urged to consider a vaginal birth,” she said.

But the rate of caesarean sections is higher in the private system, St Andrew's Private Hospital CEO Chris Murphy said

“There has been a slow increase over the last years and some of that is patients requesting a caesarean section,” Mr Murphy said.

“It is up to the obstetrician to assess whether it is appropriate, but there is always a clinical assessment.”

“Our emphasis is to ensure clinical safety and best meet the needs of the patient, and the obstetrician, but we still do advocate for people to have a normal delivery where possible.”

Private obstetrician Dr Katie Taylor said the diverging rates between private and public health was a lot to do with the differences in care.

“Because we are seeing patients on a one-to-one basis for the last six months of their pregnancy, you can often pick up a potential problem earlier,” Dr Taylor said.

“Recovery from an elective caesarean is much better than from an emergency caesarean.”

She also said women were having babies later in life and caesareans were perceived by many patients as a safer means of delivery.

But she said they did not try to persuade patients to go against their wishes, and they could opt for an elective caesarean section if that is what they wanted.

“It is more about supporting the person's choice,” she said.