By Casey Neill
Naomi Taylor knew her birthing experience at Healesville Hospital would be a very personal one – and very basic.
“At Healesville it was always very clear: if in doubt they would not proceed,” she said.
“They know their capabilities.
“That’s why we had confidence in them with every decision.
“It was always really reiterated at every kind of check.
“They’re very up-front about what your options are.”
There was no anaesthetist on staff, an epidural wasn’t an option – and they’d put her in an ambulance in an emergency situation.
“When I was there they told me they basically had one every three years that they had to airlift,” Ms Taylor said.
“At Healesville you go in knowing it’s basic.
“It’s what you need.”
She had her first child at Knox Private under an obstetrician.
“All my appointments had been at the private obstetrician,” she said.
“I didn’t know which door to go in.
“I’d only been there for one prenatal class.
“By the time I had them at Healesville I knew every midwife because I’d had my appointments there.
“They knew who everyone was, whereas I think the bigger the hospital the harder it is to get that kind of attention.”
She had her second and third children at Healesville, in 2008 and 2010.
“We had midwifery care,” she said.
“Every birth’s different but my obstetrician said with my first that my body was really efficient at having a baby.
“I had no drugs with my first because it was so quick.
“We got to the hospital and it was like ‘push’ and he was born.
“When I had my second we went ‘well, the obstetrician wasn’t there anyway, the midwives delivered our first’ and we knew the chances were that I’d have a pretty good birth again.
“I did consider going a birthing suite at the Angliss, or a home birth.
“In the end, Healesville felt like a good compromise.
“It was a personal experience but in a medical environment.
Ms Taylor’s second child had “a more traditional birth”.
“He was six hours of actual labour,” she said.
“I remember with our third, she was another quick one – she was an hour.
“I’d been at the hospital for a 3pm check-up. I left at 4pm.
“I had two contractions between Healesville and Wandin, went back and had her at 5pm.”
At the appointment she’d joked with the midwife that she was the one who’d delivered their son and it’d be great if she could deliver their daughter.
“She said ‘well you better hurry, because I knock off at six’,” she laughed.
“The way that my kids were born, I would have had at least two of them in the car.
“Even up here you’re not guaranteed an ambulance super-fast.
“The valley is growing so much.
“We’re putting more and more people here, but we don’t even have a hospital in the Yarra Ranges.
“I don’t know what the solution is
“Healesville’s the easy go-to because it’s done it before.”
