North West - Choice about where to give birth

[emmajlh]

I'm 14 weeks along and am registered to give birth at Wythenshawe hospital. I'm not entirely sure i want to have this baby there as i had my first there and wasn't completely happy with certain aspects of the service.

I'm thinking of having a tour of Central Manchester and also of Salford Royal. The latter of which seems to have the best rating on NHS choices.

My question is who do i discuss this with? my GP? i've not started seeing a community midwife yet. Can i just ring the hospitals up and ask for a tour? i've got a list of questions i'd like to ask.

[SqueezyCheesyPumpkin]

Bump.

[suwoo]

Had my three at st marys, the last one being at the new hospital. Is gorgeous there now, would definitely recommend.

[emmajlh]

thanks for the bump squeezycheesy. and thanks for the response suwoo.

i'd like to take a look around the new birthing unit at st marys but at the same time don't won't to just be 'wowed' by clean paint and modern equipment when so much of the birth experience is dependent on the quality of the staff.

[Iklboo]

I had DS at Salford Royal and I was born there myself. I had a very good experience there and the staff were excellent

[suwoo]

But thats the thing Emma, the birth experience could be very different from one day to the next depending who is on duty. I have had 2 c sections and one vaginal delivery followed by a near death experience at St Marys. All three births and subsequent stays have been fine. Number three's birth was certainly improved by the clean paint and new facilities .

[emmajlh]

thanks suwoo. i know you're right re who you happen to get on what day can make all the difference.

I got the Rikki Lake Your best birth book recently which provided some really pertinent questions about Cesarean rates and things like that. So i could just call st marys and ask when the next tour is? and similarly with salford royal.

[Ledodgy]

How was your first birth? Have you considered a home birth?

[LouMacca]

Hi emma. I had the most fantastic birth experience at Wythenshawe Hospital, I could not fault it in anyway, the staff were wonderful, but that was nearly 7 years ago.

Various friends have had babies at Wythenshawe since then and most of them have had an awful experience and have not been impressed with the care they have (or rather haven't!) received.

Its such a shame, I wonder what on earth has happened since I gave birth there? How long ago did you have your first child if you don't mind me asking?

[emmajlh]

Ledodgy - My first birth wasn't great, the service at wythenshawe is really stretched so you asked for things and everything would take 4 hours from teh point of asking.

this was 3 years ago.

i'm am considering a home birth i'm going to talk to a friend who had two hospital births that weren't that great followed by 2 home births which went well.

[timtam23]

Not sure if you knew, but Wythenshawe now have a community midwife-led "birth centre" next to the delivery suite, it has 2 rooms with pools, flatscreen TVs etc etc etc, you can eat and drink whatever you want during labour, can go home an hour after delivery if you want to, no doctors get involved unless there are problems and if so you have to be transferred to delivery suite.

The midwives are really encouraging "suitable" people to go for this option at the moment - you have to be classed "low risk" and not be wanting an epidural or anything like that - might be wirth asking to have a look round? They do guided tours on Sunday afternoons I think my midwife was saying