CS Delivery: My Makati Med experience

themhayonnaise

7 years ago

Content update:

Hey, guys! I see you visiting this particular page a little more often the past months. Google probably is finally doing me a favor! Also a shout out to MMC family for reaching out to me and acknowledging my blog post. Oh, and also FYI, I updated some parts of this article as of May 30, 2020.

Anyhoo, if you have some more questions, please know that I am just here waiting for you to ping my inbox. Comment your queries here or email me at: connect@themhayonnaise.com. I am more than happy to help!

I started looking for the best maternity/delivery packages in Manila when I was still six months pregnant. Here’s a learning – At six months, my belly was already too heavy, I can’t visit other hospitals. So I had no choice but gather all the infos thru the internet. Thanks that almost all hospitals already are maintaining websites and most of the needed details are actually there. One challeng, however, was that package rates are not usually available online because they are are consistently changing and obviously taken in a case-by-case basis.

Keeping the connection with your OB

Here’s a couple of tips from a fellow new mom:

1) Ask your OB. Don’t feel embarrassed sharing your challenges in finding more affordable yet good hospitals/clinics. Doctors usually have ideas on the rates and their changes. I swear most of them doctors are nicer than you think.

2) Get your OB’s mobile number, or their clinic assistants’. One thing I regretted was not saving my doctor’s number and I had no one to ask what I should do the day my water broke. Good thing I didn’t have an active labor like the ones you see on television. Wew. Or instead of “normal/cesarean package rates”, Google “OB clinic phone numbers in *insert area* instead. Here’s a link to Makati Medical Center’s online directory of trusted doctors, if it helps. > MakatiMed Doctors

Things to be considered when choosing your hospital

If you still can walk tirelessly, go to the clinics and/or hospitals. Better if you see their facilities to give you some ideas on where you are staying for days, just in case. If you have the convenience of calling their office, it’s also just fine. But for moms like me who only have her mobile phone and laptop, it isn’t easy. That is why I am sharing my MMC experience just in case you are an expecting mom and curious on how much I spent and maybe the rest of my delivery experience.

I considered St. Luke’s, St. Claire, PGH, etc. But then I found myself getting ready for the expenses I might incur at Makati Medical Center. Basically, almost all private centers and hospital ranges from 70-250k (at least during 2018). Public hospitals offer their services at 0-25k (also at least during 2018).

What I was looking for in a hospital/center where to deliver my baby was of course the comfort and most specially the confidence that I and my baby were in good hands. I’ve been a patient of MMC ever since (well except for my therapy at PGH for my dislocated knee back in HS). They have all the documentations of me, so they know my history and let’s admit it, their services are expensive. Here’s their package rates as of February 2018:

So yep, I was able to raise the budget to the highest possible rate I could get based on the list my OB gave me. Unfortunately, my bag of water was ruptured a month before the expected due and exactly the day we scheduled talking about my birthing plan.

FAQs

How much did you spend giving birth in MMC?

I gave birth on April 2018. And as of the said date, rates on hospital fees, doctors’s fees, and drugs injected to me summed up to more than Php260,000, on top of the hospital expenses incurred by my baby (phototheraphy, drugs, bassinet, etc.) which reached at least Php23,000.

Were you able to use your HMO/Health Card provided by your company for your delivery costs?

Unfortunately, no. HMOs/Health Cards covers only illnesses and pregnancy/delivery isn’t an illness. Though they also cover consultation expenses including laboratories and other procedures like ultrasound. It’s a big help, really, especially I do mine with a private hospital. Not sure if there are insurances offering pregnancy packages.

My labor and delivery story

I had an emergency CS the day after my sister got me to the hospital. Eh diba emergency nga, bat kinabukasan pa? Good thing she’s still safe with the level of water left inside my womb because they needed to inject some kind of steroids on me for my baby’s lungs. They gave me two shots within 24 hours and scheduled me for the operation at exactly 12 noon on the next day.

Funny how I was hoping she won’t come out until 18th just because I like 18 better than 17. Well, God indeed listens.

So yep, I stayed in the labor room for a day watching movies while there were monitoring devices attached to my belly. They knew I had a few big and strong contractions, but I didn’t felt those. Apparently, there are these things like early labor, active labor, and not-so-active labor. Wew.

I honestly had mixed emotions minutes before delivery – excitement, worry, fear, happiness, etc. I was so nervous I felt like I needed to poop. (Don’t worry, I didn’t.) I waited for I think 10-15 minutes in the operating room for the doctors with so many questions in mind like “omg, will I feel it when she starts slicing my belly” etc etc. Then they came, got me a shot of anesthesia, prepared my body for the operation then it finally started. I heard the nurse say “should I call the husband na, doktora?” few minutes later, he came (but FYI he’s not my husband) and honestly I finally felt relieved and safe.

Something (more) worth sharing

Good thing I did my homework and read few articles about going through CS. Though I had no enough time to prepare myself, I learned other things about the procedure. If you’re having one, it is better to read more and hear more stories so you’ll have ideas on how to prepare and get through it. Also expect the unexpected and research what else everyone is not telling you. And one more thing I had to Google the minute I got my phone back? The term didelphys.

Recovery was the biggest challenge. It’s already has been more than a month since I gave birth, but I still feel the numbness, I still feel tired, I was still worried my intestines would fall out. (Because yes, it felt that way!) Lucky I was in the hands of a fine doctor. Except from the stretch marks which was by the way super creepy, you wouldn’t notice the stitch or any scar. (Until two years from operation!) What’s also great is their nurse aides were super nice and very helpful. Salute to all our healthcare providers!

**All rates mentioned are in Philippine Peso, and as of 2018.