I cannot speak more highly of the labour experience at the Mercy hospital and will still tell anyone who listens how fantastic the staff are.
During labour i saw all different doctors at visits and didnt mind waiting as its a hospital and u need to be realistic that there will be a wait to see someone.
On the actual day my experience was fantastic, my labour was so long ihad that many different midwives as their shifts were overlappiing each others, after delivering my son they asked if i was breast or bottle feeding,being young and a first time mum i apprehensively said bottle feeding. no one judged me like iwas worried about and they were very respectful of all my decisions. up on the wards all the nurses, even the old ones, were amazing and patient and caring. the after care was terrific and i cant express anymore how much i recommend this hospital. the facilites, experience and level of service was fantastic. i actually enjoyed my labour and probably wouldnt be able to say that if i went somewhere else!

Approximate cost: $0

I was treated by inexperienced doctors and midwives that keep having to ask experience staff and making us wait a long time for a decision. I have been overdue and had booked in for inducement. The day came and was told to go home because the babies head was not engaged and told to come in the next day and check if the babies head was engaged. I came back the next day after much money spent going up and down and paying for parking and sure enough the babies head was engaged however I was knocked back again even though it was booked. I got upset and told staff that they are incompetant and cannot make up there minds. After much dispute the midwife told me there was not enough beds or staff even though it was booked. My husband and I have been so disgusted that he rang and spoke to a staff member and told them exaclty what he thought and that he was going to pull me out of that hospital so we can have our baby elsewhere due to their incompetance and lies. As soon as we got home the registrar from the hospital called and claimed that it was a mistake on their behalf and they should honor the booking made. So we started putting my bags in the car again as we were about to leave for the hospital we got another call from the registrar saying that its not in our best interest to induce the baby and to come again on monday and wait another 3-4 hours to see a doctor again for a check up. I thought this woman must be schytso and cannot make up her mind.. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH DO NOT GO TO THIS HOSPITAL THEY CANNOT MAKE UP THEIR MINDS POORLY RUN HOSPITAL.

I was not planning to have my first baby at the mercy but was transferred via ambulance from Mitcham Private because I was 31 weeks pregnant and my water had broke and the contraction were about 3 minutes apart. The birthing staff were fantastic except for the 10 people in the room at the time eg.. 6 for baby and 4 for me. The NICU staff nurses and doctors were fantastic and very supportive at the time of need. Once my daughter was transferred from NICU to SCN the support was alot less and not personal. Food was great for a public hospital. I was kicked out in 2 days which I still had not established expressing so needed a little more time. Parking is hell $18 a day add's up is you are there everyday and you don't get a discount until you have been there for about 2 weeks.

Approximate cost: $0

I was cared for by the wonderful midwives at the Family Birth Centre throughout my pregnancy. They were informative, supportive of me as a first time mum and ran a great antenatal class. When I went into labour I was transferred out of the Family Birth Centre for precautionary continuous monitoring. The midwife who attended the birth of my daughter was very special. She read my birth preferences and did everything she could to keep to my wishes including keeping the doctors from getting involved where it wasn't necessary. After the safe arrival of my daughter, she arranged a lovely private room upstairs where my partner could stay with me for the 2 days I was in hospital with my new baby. I was blown away by the warm, caring and supportive staff at the Mercy during my stay. The room was comfortable, spacious, beautifully decorated and made me feel great. As a public patient, I was left wondering why you would pay for private health insurance when you get such great care in the public system at the Mercy.
The after-care has also been excellent - two visits to my home by midwives on day 1 and 2 after leaving hospital, day-stays in the Mercy Breastfeeding Support Centre and a Physiotherapy class for my well-being.

Approximate cost: $0

I cannot recommend the Mercy enough. It is the best hospital I've ever visited in Victoria. I had my son at the Mercy in April 2007 and my daughter in August 2008 and will be returning there when this baby is due in February 2009.

With my first pregnancy I was originally going through the Birth Centre and it was great. I had my antenatal appointments there up until 35 weeks when I developed HELLP Syndrome and Pre Eclampsia. They don't admit patients with complications so I was transferred into the normal birth suite. I was disappointed at this because I thought it would mean a lower/less personal level of care. However I was wrong.

After being admitted through the emergency dept at 35 weeks I was induced and delivered my baby boy. He was healthy and big enough not to need special care so he stayed in the ward with me. The wards are beautiful. I was a public patient and the public rooms are all two patients per room. A lot better than many hospitals that have 4 women per room. It's all brand new and fantastic. The midwives and doctors were all lovely and very caring. I stayed 3 nights 4 days before being discharged.

With my second pregnancy I was classified as high risk due to previous complications. I was at a higher risk of developing the same condition again so I saw a team of obstetricians through the outpatients dept. They were all lovely but sometimes I had to wait a while. This is because there are less obs than midwives, the women seeing midwives didn't have to wait long at all. At 32 weeks I started getting symptoms of HELLP syndrome again and I was admitted to hospital in the ward so they could monitor me closely. They were very helpful, explaining everything to me in detail and always asking how I was. My condition deteriorated very rapidly on the 4th day when I was 33 weeks and I ended up seizuring which was a sign my condition had progressed into full Eclampsia. They stabilized me and rushed me off for an emergency caesarean. They explained everything to my husband, who was understandably stressed and worried about me. My daughter was well but needed some assistance in the special care nursary, which was also great. They allowed my husband to stay the night in one of the rooms designed for parents to stay the night before their premature baby is discharged (so they can get used to feeding at night etc) because it had been such a long and stressful day for him as well, and because he wanted to be near me because I was in and out of consciousness.

I was in hospital for all up 2 weeks, recovering from the complications. Everyone was amazing. The doctors took a lot of time explaining what happened and letting us ask questions. They were always available when we wanted them. They were also concerned about our emotional well being, and making sure we were ok and coping with the stress.

I'll almost certainly get the complications again this pregnancy, but there's no way I'd even consider going anywhere else other than the Mercy, public or private. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing hospital nearby. I highly recommend it to anyone.

I had my second child here under the public system and cannot speak highly enough of the hospital and its staff. The hospital is extremely clean, the staff are competent helpful and very approachable and generally make you feel at ease. I had my first child at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and whilst the birth was great the aftercare was terrible and the showers and toilets were filthy, Melbourne is very lucky to have such a great public service.

went there with a freind who was having a baby,,,, the girls were lovely,, if not overworked and understaffed,, not many staff to patient ratio there,, nevertheless the care she recived was wonderful,, the equipment was really modern,, and for a public hospital the food was ok,, great coffe shop downsairs,, fees for parking really high though

Approximate cost: $0.00

attended as an outpatient for hysterectomy. was seen to in a matter of 20 min by lovely doctor . was booked in for surgery within 3 days. had surgery was looked after by great compassionate caring staff all from nurses doctors pathology domestic you name them they were lovely. went home had follow up phone calls and out patient appointments all was professional and friendly . felt looked after and cared for the total time

Approximate cost: $nil

I was admitted with crippling stomach pain 6 weeks into my pregnancy. they did an ultra sound and told me I had lost the baby. They where very matter of fact and showed no empathy. I went home and woke in the middle of the night about 1 week later in the worst pain I have ever felt. My husband rushed me back to the hospital where I lay in emergancy for 36 hours waiting for an ultra sound. It was the weekend and there are no sonographers on on the weekend apparently. I was in and out of consienceness and was bleeding. I eventualy go t my ultrasound and was immidiatly rushed to the operating theater I had had an eptopic pregnancy that no one doing the ultra sound picked up and had burst my tube And I was bleeding internaly. I recieved 3 units of vlood in theater and another 3 in the 24 hours that followed.
I later found out that the doctor ( very young and in trainning) was not relaying the severty of my symptoms to her surperviser over the phone . I was very lucky to have serviced.

Perhaps during my earlier pregnancy months, I felt there was little support, but once I was very close to my due date (last month), the service was better than any I have encountered anywhere!. I honestly can't recall better service anywhere, which is amazing considering that I had so many different midwives and doctors during my stay. I always felt supported and reassured. The advice was always well delivered and reasonable. I was so pleased with the service.