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If you’re a first-time mom, everything, including labour and<br />
birth will be new to you and just the thought of all these<br />
might seem overwhelming. They’ll seem to be neverending<br />
decision-making too, for your partner and you would<br />
have to decide on your baby’s name, an insurance plan, the<br />
colour and style of your baby’s nursery, and even what kind<br />
of diapers to use; but the most important decision would be:<br />
which hospital to give birth in.<br />
The choice of where you will have your baby can have a big<br />
impact on your precious birthing experience. There are of<br />
course a number of options available to you and it’s up to you<br />
to decide on the most ideal one.<br />
However, if this is your first baby, chances are you might be<br />
still clueless. When you have your pregnancy confirmed, your<br />
GP may lay out some options for you, but it may not be easy<br />
to make a choice. Take your time don’t rush into it; instead<br />
do some research at your own pace. Have a look around; get<br />
some ideas from women with children or people you trust.<br />
In this article, we list down some things you should consider<br />
when choosing the best hospital for you plus we provide you<br />
with a list of eight popular hospitals in the Klang Valley.<br />
NAME?<br />
INSURANCE<br />
What kind of hospital birth do you<br />
want?<br />
The first question to ask yourself when choosing a place for<br />
delivery would be; what kind of birth do you want? Would<br />
you prefer having a very relaxing environment with little<br />
intervention or drugs for pain?<br />
Another option would be to have your delivery in a hi-tech<br />
environment with latest technology and access to all types<br />
of pain relief. This would be in a modern day hospital that<br />
provides you with the latest technology, plus you would be<br />
given the option for an epidural for pain relief if you wish.<br />
Some hospitals, despite being high-tech, will still allow you to<br />
attempt an an-natural birth if that’s what you want.<br />
Private or Government?<br />
One obvious deal-breaker on whether to<br />
go for public or private healthcare is the<br />
cost factor. Our local healthcare is heavily<br />
subsidised by the government which makes<br />
it free for government officials and<br />
inexpensive for others. For instance<br />
it costs up to RM800 approximately<br />
for a caesarean birth at a government<br />
hospital, but you’ll need to put down<br />
from about RM15,000 for the same<br />
procedure at a private hospital.<br />
You’ll need to consider antenatal and<br />
postnatal doctor visits too. Where you<br />
have those check-ups however, need<br />
not be the same place you deliver.<br />
There is also an in-between option<br />
called the Full Paying Patients<br />
(FPP) Scheme which is available at<br />
Putrajaya Hospital and Selayang<br />
Hospital, where you get a private<br />
hospital-like service in a government<br />
hospital, for a cost of between<br />
RM2,000 and RM5,000 depending on<br />
the kind of delivery.<br />
16 <strong>Baby</strong><strong>Talk</strong> | <strong>January</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
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