Sir, – I write to congratulate the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, for standing up for all of the Rotunda Hospital’s patients, not just those in certain socioeconomic brackets, and for the principle of single-tier healthcare provision (“Rotunda told funding could be pulled over public-only consultants providing private care”, Politics, June 3rd).
I gave birth to both of my children in the Rotunda under the public midwife-led Domino scheme and the care we received was exemplary. Teams provide maternity care, not consultants alone. Some people need to check their privilege, methinks. – Yours, etc,
MYRA DOWLING,
Phibsborough,
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Dublin 7.
Sir, – I am writing in response to Fintan O’Toole’s article, “Rotunda’s defiance of public policy shows us how some are born more equal than others”, Opinion, June 5th).
As a woman who has given birth twice in Ireland’s private maternity system, I feel compelled to challenge some of the assumptions underpinning this piece. My decision to choose private maternity care was not about status, privilege or some notion that my children should be “born more equal”. It was about medical necessity, reassurance, ease of access and continuity of care.
O’Toole appears to dismiss the argument that private maternity care can enhance women’s sense of safety. Yet feeling safe in pregnancy is not solely about clinical outcomes. For me, the greatest benefit of private care was not luxury. It was seeing the same consultant regularly, having someone who knew my history in detail and having the opportunity to discuss concerns with a familiar face at each appointment. That continuity brought reassurance during what can be a vulnerable period.
I also object strongly to the use of the phrase “posh push”. It is a lazy, deeply misleading and sexist term. A labour push is every bit as difficult regardless of how your care is funded. The phrase serves only to caricature women who make private healthcare choices and to reduce complex personal and medical decisions to a sneering class stereotype.
There is nothing remotely “posh” about labour. Whether a woman is public, private or semi-private, childbirth remains painful, messy, exhausting and, at times, dangerous.
It is also important to recognise that many women who choose private care are not wealthy. In my case, the cost was covered through a combination of health insurance and savings.
The columnist flippantly criticises women for making autonomous reproductive choices based on what is best for them, their bodies and their babies. However, women are perfectly capable of deciding what kind of maternity care they want. Some will choose public care. Some will choose private care. Both choices deserve respect.
Surely we can support a strong public health system without shaming women for making different reproductive decisions based on their own circumstances, medical histories and needs. – Yours, etc,
ROISIN FARRELLY,
Harold’s Cross
Dublin 6W
