Giving birth at Red Cross Hospital

Hi
>
> I gave birth to my first child at the Red Cross (Nisseki) hospital
> in Hiroo and am back there again for second due in December. I can
> highly recommend it.
>
> They did not offer pain relief, but I heard from a fluent Japanese
> speaker that it is possible if you know how to ask and are
> determined. She had 2 babies there both with epidural I think. They
> also now have a water birth facility which you can use if your
> doctor gives the OK and you take a course. They will also help out
> as much as possible with Aroma oils, foot baths and a hot tub if
> your (waters haven't broken). They were also very supportive about
> an "active labour" allowing me to wander the halls and stairs at
> all hours and had a lot of equipment such as birthing stools to
> help things along. Though I could not give birth standing if I'd
> wanted to.
> They are very pro natural birth and will not intervine if at all
> possible, though I had to ask several times to get a status exam to
> tell me how many centimeters I was dilated!!!
>
> They encouraged me to write a birth plan and tried very hard to
> stick to it, although I got an episiotomy, which seemed to be
> expected, they tried very hard to avoid it.
>
> Several doctors speak English, I was with Kasei sensei for Nick but
> am with Kido sensei for the next one, both are ladies. The midwives
> generally don't speak English but for the birth and labour I seem
> to have been assigned two English speakers who were extremely helpful.
>
>
> The cost is reasonable, it was about 700,000 but I had a private
> room and was in for 6 days due to a long labour. The quoted cost is
> about 500,000. By the way. Meguro-ku now gives 14 vouchers for
> discounted antenatal check-ups with Japanese insurance, my last
> visit cost just 1,500.
> With the private room the midwives were very flexible with letting
> my husband visit very late, though he could not stay over. The food
> was not bad at all.
>
> As it is a "baby friendly" hospital they encourage rooming in and
> are very helpful with breastfeeding and also after care for those
> unwanted cases of mastitis!!!! Theyare happy to take care of the
> baby for a few hours and for the first night if you want though.
> And they give the husband a lesson in baby bathing!!!
>
> All in all we were very satisfied. I Think theystill hold a tour
> Mondays at 3pm.
>
>
> Hope it helps
>
> Norma
>