I think public vs private is really about each hospital. We have on of each in our city and they actually share facilities for some things. But our public hospital does not have private rooms as far as I am aware, def not in maternity ward. You share the bathroom with 3 other people, and the rooms have no doors only curtains so it's really noisy. While the care for birth is good, I have experienced 5hour waits when i had an appt! in three days i spent over 11 hours in the maternity waiting room when i had appointment times. You see a different doc every visit and the lack of understanding i experienced for a loss preg was incrediable. Partners are subject to visiting times etc.

In the private hosp which yes the ob fees made up the majority of the expense, you may have to share a room but usually breifly. I got a private room with a double bed which meant my partner could stay with us, he wasn't subject to visiting hours. My room had a door so it was a lot quiter. So I bascially look at the cost of going that way like the cost of staying at a hotel for a week.

Yes the birthing care is probaly the same, you'll get good and bad at both places but the post birth comfort which is important to me is completely different. I did consider public this time as if all went well i wouldn't expect to stay that long but after a premmie baby experince I realised you can spend a lot on time there and the money is sometimes worth it.