Comments on: Private clinic vs Mater Dei http://maltamum.com/private-clinic-vs-mater-dei/ Elisavet Arkolaki 's expat blog. Thoughts on parenting, writing, travelling, books and raising citizens of the world. Tue, 06 Sep 2016 10:23:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: kelly http://maltamum.com/private-clinic-vs-mater-dei/#comment-7384 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 14:59:55 +0000 http://maltamum.com/?p=217#comment-7384 I just visited a local private GP for my prenatal care, she checked me and the baby over and charged me €15 a time (she also didn’t have a clue who I was until I was about 8 months pregnant and was seeing her every week! Its just how it is here. Once I turned up heavily pregnant and she asked if I was there for a pregnancy test!!). At the time, my local health centre in Mosta was closed so it was the easiest solution. I was happy with the care I received from her but freaked out a bit when at my Parent Craft classes we got asked who our Gynecologist was….Gyne, I should have a gyne?? But like Liza says, I would have been paying a fortune for a gynecologist to do the same a my local private GP.
I did pay for 2 private scans, €40 each but they were more for me than checking as I did have one at Mater Dei but never got a picture.
I made the manic visits to Mater Dei for the standard visits and it was chaos every time. Get there early to beat the queues, like 07:30!
In my last month I was supposed to go back to Mater Dei for my check ups but my Consultant was more than happy to let me continue seeing my GP as its a bit of a trek from mine to MD in rush hour. However, I had no complications in my pregnancy.

It was frustrating that every time I visited MD I had to go up to billing and produce my E111 card (better than paying I suppose!) but on D Day, I just breezed straight onto the Labour Ward!

I was given a Consultant on my first visit to MD, and even booked in for my induction when he was going to be on shift, but I saw him once I think on my second visit! I thought it was comical when I went for my initial appointment with my second baby and they asked me who I wanted my consultant to be! Like I’m ever going to see him!

MD has great facilities and for me was a pleasant (as much as it can be I suppose!) experience giving birth there. Mother’s are given recovery time as well, there’s no kicking them out several hours later to free up a bed. I was in for 2 days after delivery. On the first day, the midwives did everything for me, bought my son to me to be fed, put him back to bed, changed him, help me latch him on….they were great. On the second I was left to get on with it a bit more but they were still on stand by.

I was a bit confused about the after care….I did go to the Breast feeding clinic which they check on your baby’s weight after the first week, but the midwife visits were a bit random. The first midwife was really nice and checked every thing for myself and my son and gave me some good tips….the second was a bit harsh and the third was a nun who ask if “everything is ok down there….” meaning my stitches….
I’d read that you’re meant to have a 6 week post natal check (& it also say Post Natal Exam on the back of your blue card) up but didn’t know who or where to go for this so eventually went back to my local private GP who charged me €30 I think to check everything had gone back to normal and she also did a smear test for me.

You also get an appointment for the Well Baby clinic for your child where they check development and growth…this should be at your local health centre.
We were advised to get a Pediatrician, but so far have just gone back to the Local Private GP, or have gone to child clinic session that you get at the pharmacy doctors clinics…
Jabs we’re having done through the health centre, which is free but will probably pay for the extra ones they don’t provide just to be safe.

It can be confusing, especially if you’re used to every thing being done in one place, where they keep records of you! But the infrastructure is there, you just may need to hunt to find it!

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