A couple of weeks ago, major cuts to the NHS maternity care were proposed with the suggestion to move maternity care away from hospitals and into community-based care systems and let me tell you something, the country was in outrage.
In response to the proposal, www.myvouchercodes.co.uk conducted a survey to see what the country really thought and the results are quite obvious: The majority of Brits are worried about potential cuts to maternity care and the effect it will have all across the country. Almost 7 out of 10 Brits don’t agree with the proposal, many of them scared that it would put mothers and babies at risk while a staggering 92% of Brits are certain that they couldn’t afford to cover their maternity costs (ca. £3200 – £57000) if it wasn’t for the NHS.
Could you afford giving birth without the NHS?
I don’t know about you, but seeing the costs involved in maternity care was a real eye-opener for me and it really made me appreciate the NHS on a whole new level. I’m sure that without it, there’s no chance I could have afforded to give birth.
I mean, you might think that you could easily save up £3200 but who says that you’ll be lucky enough to have a straightforward birth? Who says that your baby or you won’t require specialist care or have a prolonged hospital stay? Health, physical and mental, is such an unpredictable thing that you can’t ever be prepared for all eventualities and that’s when I think an institution like the NHS becomes invaluable.
How would you have coped without the NHS?
Not having to worry about your and your child’s healthcare and knowing you’ll always be looked after is an incredible relief to every new parent. Can you imagine giving birth and having to worry about every extra question you ask once you leave the hospital? Every little bit of help you need? If you can afford to see a lactation consultant, attend parenting classed or ask someone about weaning?
I know that I couldn’t have done it without the NHS and I think, especially for first-time parents or those without a support network, this proposed development could quite frankly become really dangerous. Being pregnant or being a new mum can be a scary time and without support and reassurance, I worry, we’re walking towards a generation of parents that will be eaten up by mental health problems like anxiety, post-natal-depression or PTSD.
Do you think you could have coped without the NHS or even afforded to have a baby? I would love to know your thoughts…
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Scary really. I know most don’t need medical intervention, but you don’t always know what help you will need. My baby is 26 now, healthy and beautiful. Sh was a 9lb 4 footling breech I had a dvt, so they couldn’t attempt to turn her, and I had an emergency C-section. Three weeks in hospital before the birth, and one week afterwards. And then more appointments to watch my bloods go back to normal. Care to add up the cost of all that?
I’ve read stories from America about how much maternity care costs. After having three caesarean sections, two which didn’t quite go according to to plan I can’t imagine what my bill would have been.
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No way.
My first was a planned section, she spent her first day in an incubator in my private room with me and we spent a total of 5 days in hospital.
My 2nd was an induction at 34 weeks and she spent 4 weeks in the nicu.
The cost would have crippled me and left me bankrupt