Having a baby in Hong Kong
Thu, 2003-07-10 21:12 — mrb
Although there are plenty of chances to grumble about bad service, that makes it all the better when you get great service.
Last Saturday Mrs B gave birth to our first Baby B (who shares a similar hairstyle to Mr B!). We went to the Matilda hospital by default, as that was our doctor's requirement.
We ended up spending six nights at the Matilda, and have nothing but praise for the staff there - from the admin staff, security guards and amahs through to the midwives and doctors, we were looked after very well.
Among the midwives, special thanks go to Angie, Orla, Sai, Julianna and Jenny who spent most time with us. Not only did they do their job very efficiently, but more importantly they spent a lot of time with us helping get breastfeeding underway (NOT as easy as it looks !), changing diapers, and washing baby without dropping her. They make it all look so easy, and it would make their lifes easier if they just got on with it, but instead they were willing to wait and watch us fumble around til we got it right.
We came home today, and though it's still a bit of a shock to the system, at least we feel like we have half a clue of what to do. We've spent time in the Adventist and Sanatorium hospitals over the last 24 months, and though I cannot fault their professional service, Matilda wins for the friendly touch.
Regards, Mr B
PS Plus you also get the great view, and tasty food too !
Re:Having a baby in Hong Kong
First of all, congratulations to Mr and Mrs B, for the arrival of Baby B!
I have seen the photos, and can confirm that the hairstyle is the product of strong genetic coding.
Also, I am very impressed indeed if the staff at Mathilda managed to teach both Mr and Mrs B to breastfeed. Miracle workers, they must be!!
I remember when Mrs Tall and I brought Baby Tall home from the hospital (St Teresa's, in our case -- the staff there were also pretty good, although it has bad food and even worse views). I was so scared of giving that child a bath that it's a wonder she doesn't still smell.
All the best, Bs!!!
Mr Tall
Re:Having a baby in Hong Kong
Saturday was vaccination day for BabyB, so the weekend was spent with a grumpy baby. We've had all the vaccinations done at the local government clinic, and it's all been very straightforward. You do have to wait around (we were there for about an hour and a half), but the nurses have all been fine, and all the injections are free. The alternative is a shorter visit to a private doctor, but I think the total cost for all the vaccinations is around HK$7,000.
Apart from the government clinics, a couple of other recommendations if you're having a baby -
Our doctor for the all the pre-natal stuff up to and including the delivery was Doctor Dawkins at Anderson & Partners in Princes' Building, Central, Tel : 2523 7036. He was very patient with all our questions, and looked after us well.
Then after the birth a friend who'd recently had a baby introduced us to Mrs Chee, a Lactation Specialist. I never even knew there was such a job, but she is the lady to sort out any breast-feeding problems. I was quite skeptical initially, but MrsB found her to be a great help, and feeding was definitely easier after she'd visited us a few times. Her contact number is 2705-9322.
There is lots more Hongkong baby-related information at http://www.geobaby.com/
MrB
PS Just noticed this on ante-natal classes http://simonworld.mu.nu/archives/007503.html. Completely agree, we missed ours due to SARs, and seem none the worse for it.
Breastfeeding
Our second daughter was born last week, and unlike her sister she has a full head of hair! Very happy again with the Matilda hospital, and our doctor, Robert Dawkins (he's moved since the earlier message above, and is now at The Surgical Specialists in Jardine House, Tel: 2715-4577).
But a special mention for Mrs Chee, the lactation specialist (Tel: 2705-9322). Last time we were introduced to her when MrsB had already been breastfeeding for several weeks, and was having a hard time of it. This time we asked her to visit us in the hospital, and make sure MrsB was taking the best approach to feeding BabyB2. It has made a big difference, and so far (touch wood), the breastfeeding is going very smoothly - less fuss from the baby, and a lot more comfortable and less tiring for MrsB.
MrB
Congratulations to you and
Congratulations to you and Mrs. B!
Enjoy the new addition and get as much rest as you can
Thanks skmama
Thanks skmama. I'm taking a long break between jobs now to have more time for the kids - and to be able to sleep whenever possible!
Regards, MrB
Cost of giving birth
Dear MrB,
Thanks for the informative site. Me and my husband just found out a few days ago that I'm pregnant and we don't have any idea at all how much giving birth in a private hospital would cost or government. Can you shed some light?
Thanks,
Pam
Baby costs
Congratulations, Pam!
If you choose a government hospital, and you're HK residents, the charges will be minimal.
If you pick a private hospital, the costs vary greatly depending on the hospital itself, of course.
Mr and MrsB chose Matilda, which is one of the nicest hospitals in HK. Daughter Tall was born in St Theresa's in Kowloon City, which was fine for us, and which offers 'birth packages' that seem pretty reasonable to me. I've just had a quick look at their website, and a semiprivate room with a natural birth runs about HKD21,000. This doesn't, of course, include the cost of the obstetrician, so you'd have to figure that in as well.
I guess if you googled around for some hospital names, you'd be able to find similar 'birth packages' from most.
Best wishes!
Baby costs
Congratulations to Mrs. B and Mr. B.
What a fool I am! I thought Mr. B, like me, is a retired senior spending his time only in front of the computer or in the library.
Great news indeed!
OldTimer
re: Baby Costs
Hi Pam,
Congratulations! To add to Mr Tall's comments, it's also worth looking at the Geobaby website - I know MrsB spent a lot of time there before and after our daughter was born, and found it helpful. eg this thread should help answer your question.
Regards, MrB
PS Oldtimer, thanks for the good wishes. The original message at the top of the page is one of the older ones on the site - our daughter's fifth birthday will be here in a few weeks. Time flies!
Baby costs
Thank you for correcting me, MrB. But my best wishes stand.