Worcester vs Birmingham Women's

[Roomarmoset]

Hello

I've recently moved to Redditch and have had an early pregnancy scan at the Alex hospital. I've been told that if I want to have the rest of my scans at the Alex then I have to give birth at Worcester.

Ideally I wanted to give birth at Birmingham Women's but having all my scans at Redditch seems easier.

I just wondered if anyone has had any experiences in Worcester or the Women's to help my decision. I've been told the GP can refer me to the Women's.

Thanks in advance.

[PenguinJS]

Hi,
I’ve no experience of Birmingham Women’s so can’t offer you a comparison but can give you some insight on Worcester. I had my first child there nearly two months ago at the Meadow Birth Suite which is adjacent to the delivery unit, postnatal ward, Nicu etc. My experience was great - both the midwives was looked after me were great and had one-to-one contact throughout whole birth.

There’s only 4 rooms but I was lucky enough to be the only one there. Baby arrived at 9.30pm and was able to stay there till midday the following day - usually they discharge you after 6 hours if they need your room or you get transferred to postnatal ward.

Pros - friendly and supportive staff
- visiting hours are 24/7
- lovely rooms and with mood lighting, music, large birthing pools and comfortable beds
- family room and kitchen
- down the corridor from rest of Worcester maternity services
- generally quiet due to small nature of unit
- gas and air available, pethidine available

Cons - no option of epidural
- quick discharge so if you wanted to stay longer you would have to transfer to postnatal ward
- parking can be a pain at Worcester Royal but there is a drop off point for when you first arrive.
- you can only go there if low risk - your midwife will assess whether you can go there when you’re 38 weeks

Any other questions feel free to ask and will try and answer 🙂

[Roomarmoset]

Thank yo @PenguinJS that's very helpful

[TotallyKerplunked]

Hi, i'm also in Redditch and had DC3 at Worcester last November.

Having heard not great things about Worcester I initially wanted to go to either Warwick or the Womens but I tend to have difficult pregnancies and would have had to travel to these for all my various appointments (pretty much daily for the last month) and it really put me off as it was so easy to skip down the road to the Alex. A lot of the staff also work at both Alex and Worcester which was good.

Traffic around the Womens can be a bit difficult at times and the parking charges can be a bit eye watering, care was pretty typical (sister had her baby here).

Worcester was great, i'm very happy with the care we received. I ended up with a c-section due to breech and DC3 was very poorly (NICU), we were in for a week, postnatal care for both of us was very good, other than the cold soggy toast!

Hope that helps, happy to give more details if you pm me.

[SoleBizzz]

Birmingham Women's hospital is brilliant.

[Roomarmoset]

Thanks @SoleBizzz

@TotallyKerplunked really appreciate that. I'd always said the women's but since moving last year I've found the Alex have been amazing. I had a possible ectopic in January and they looked after me wonderfully.

My reservation is also down to the fact my mum lives an hour away (Sutton Coldfield) and my husband doesn't drive (nor do any of his family!) so I thought the Women's would be easier but with traffic at certain times I'm just not sure.

I'm leaning more towards Worcester I think.

[SoleBizzz]

Stay away from Good Hope in Sutton!

[LeannePerrins]

I am booked in at Warwick but considered the Women’s. My community mw was happy to refer me to either but warned that a referral to the Women’s has to be done as early as possible as they are so busy that they get booked up very quickly. Worth bearing in mind.

[SiolGhoraidh]

You are entitled to move your care at any time, so if you are dead set on going outside Worcestershire you can tell them this and move over. I know quite a few mums who did this after the Alex closed its maternity ward and they all had conniptions at the thought of driving to Worcester in labour.

Might be worth arranging a visit to both wards and seeing which appeals. Worcester has a little virtual tour of the delivery suite on the hospital website as well.

[WhoAteAllTheDinosaurs]

Had my DD at the women’s. The postnatal wards were hell on earth, but the care I received in my pregnancy and in labour was excellent. I had a lot of gynae issues and a high risk pregnancy and wouldn’t have gone anywhere else. Driving there in labour wasn’t too bad either, but then it was 5am (I am near Redditch).

A friend had her kids at Worcester. She had no issues there.

[SiolGhoraidh]

@WhoAteAllTheDinosaurs one of my real fears is going into labour at rush hour, especially given the current state of the M5. 5am sounds like a much better time to be doing it!

[WhoAteAllTheDinosaurs]

I know what you mean. I don't even want to imagine labour on the m5 when it's at a standstill. At least we know multiple routes to get to the QE/Women's!

5am definitely helped though. As did the fact it was Christmas Day! Not a car to be seen...

[Roomarmoset]

@WhoAteAllTheDinosaurs
I drive to Hagley Road every morning and it takes forever to get beyond the QE, it would be my nightmare in rush hour to get there as well! Plus my husband doesn't drive and does night shifts (he's a support worker) so I'm worrying about the whole thing!

[Roomarmoset]

@SiolGhoraidh
Thanks, the Alex were wonderful with the miscarriage, the care has been exceptional. I did have to go to Worcester for some tests as well and they were really good. I think I'll go and have my 12 week scan and have a chat with my midwife. I work for the NHS so I know Worcester has suffered a bad rep in the past but it seems so much easier to have everything except the birth at the Alex.

[Masha1111]

Hi

Im new here. Im in the same boat as Roomarmoset was. Roomarmoset which hospital did you opt for in the end?

[firstbubbadue]

I had my first 9 weeks ago at Worcester I started off on the meadow midwife unit but after things started going downhill I was trollied to the birthing suite the midwife on the meadow that had me since she started her shift stayed with me and transferred herself to the delivery suite, after starting at 7.30am she didn’t have her lunch until 2.30pm! She also got scrubbed up and came into theatre with me to eventually help deliver my son! Stayed in one night and cannot fault the care and experience I received even though it wasn’t st all as I expectedy labour to be x

[EnglishIrishRose]

I know the OP has probably chosen already, but for future reference to anyone else: the care I've received at the Women's has been excellent and they have all the wards and facilities on one site. The Women's has its own parking and then a multi-storey right next door though as with all hospitals, parking can be expensive!

The Women's birth centre is gorgeous with a real 'hotel' feel and every room has a pool. The delivery suite is also nice and you can dim the lights, play music etc. Two of the rooms on delivery suite have pools. Every midwife I've met there has been kind and helpful (not so much all the doctors unfortunately).

I've also been an inpatient at Worcester twice (though not for maternity care) and was also looked after very well. And my mum is a fantastic midwife there so I'm slightly biased