Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Alexandra Birthing Centre or Watford General Hospital?

21 replies

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 19:17

Does anyone have experience of either?

I have my booking appt on Tuesday at 11 weeks (but here in St Albans) and my GP said I should tell the midwife if I want to use the ABC which I think I am quite keen on, but there seems to be very little info on the web (I am a compulsive googler) so any experiences would be very welcome.

First baby, by the way.

Thanks in advance
x

OP posts:

Report

GreatGooglyMoogly · 13/07/2007 19:37

I had ds2 at the ABC last year and I thought it was pretty good (though not as good as the Hemel Birthing Centre where I had ds1 which is now closed). My only complaint is that I had a room directly opposite the nurse's station/ reception and they were chatting all night!

Personally I would always go for a birthing centre over a hospital, but in Watford you are in a hospital anyway in case of complications so you get the best of both worlds. HTH

GreatGooglyMoogly · 13/07/2007 19:38

Sorry, I meant midwifes' station of course!

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 19:42

Thank you! It is useful to hear that.

OP posts:

thomcat · 13/07/2007 19:47

I had my first DD at the ABC and it was great. I loved it, it was the next best thing to home and that's where I had DD2. It had lovely Laura Ashley bed linen, a stereo int eroom, I had the option of a water bith but got there when I was fully contracted and had to be on dry ground in the end. I had my own bathroom etc. As it turned out my DD was born with Down's syndrome and I spent 5 days there! The midwives were amazing. Came in and sat up chatting to me and DP on the end of the bed drinking tea with us etc. I'm so, so pleased i had DD1 there.

They have a sensual room with birthing balls and the pool room and each room is nicley done. It's just generally lovely and for me didn't compare with being on a ward and in a sterile hospital room.

If you are from te area have you thought about doing active bith classes? They are in Watford and the teacher is linked to the birth centre.

Let me know and i can give you more info.

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 19:51

Thanks, that sounds lovely, just what I was looking for!

I would love info on birthing classes - am doing NCT, but anything else to look into would be fab.

Wait a sec for me to set up a mn friendly email address.

OP posts:

tiredandgrumpy · 13/07/2007 19:52

Little out of date, but I started off in ABC in 2003. As labour went on (and on and on) was told I needed a syntocinon drip, so simply moved upstairs to Watford delivery suite for epidural and eventually em cs.

I would go for ABC if you can. Don't think it's as chilled and lovely as some midwife led units, but a massive advantage in that you're onsite should you need to move somewhere with more medical assistance, as I did.

Stats if you can find them on the web are obviously biased - clearly higher intervention/cs rate in Watford as ABC not set up to do them, so don't be too put off Watford. Still, I'd go for ABC if I had the chance.

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 19:54

bella the bear @ btinternet dot com

no gaps

OP posts:

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 19:56

thank you tiredandgrumpy

OP posts:

thomcat · 13/07/2007 20:15

Yes I should probably add that I had DD1 in 2001 so that's 5.5 years ago now.

I can't email from this PC, but when I am back at my work pc with email I'll be in touch with the details.

BellatrixBear · 13/07/2007 20:17

cheers!

OP posts:

BellatrixBear · 14/07/2007 11:26

bump for anyone else?

OP posts:

loonyballoony · 14/07/2007 18:21

Had dd at Watford in 2004, emergency c-section but found the whole experience really good, midwives were great. See if you can have a tour of the place, I had as part of my antenatel classes (not sure if they're still doing classes but I believe you can always ask)

madeindevon2 · 15/07/2007 14:13

had DS in Watford 6 weeks ago.
Had wanted to have a water birth at the ABC but as i went overdue, had to be induced, had terribly high blood pressure i couldnt go to ABC in the end. As it turns out i ended up with emergency c section after about 14 hrs in watford general.
Have to say that despite the difficult time i had, i couldnt fault the staff.
I would say go for the ABC if you are having at straightfoward birth, if nothing else you will get your own room with ensuite (you will be on a ward with 3 others in watford general) plus you have use of the birthing pools and sensory room in the ABC.
But i would also dont get too het up trying to make the decision as it might get taken out of your hands anyway as it did with me.
(if you are overdue or have any complications at all)

Also you can go look round them both. Call Katherine ward (number on your notes) and they should be able to tell you when the "tours" are and book you on one.

BellatrixBear · 15/07/2007 15:51

thanks loonyballoony and madeindevon2.

Do you know how far along you need to be to go on a tour (ie would you look a bit odd if you went along before you were showing?!)

OP posts:

madeindevon2 · 16/07/2007 21:16

i think they recommend you go about 35 weeks
when you call they will tell you

BellatrixBear · 17/07/2007 10:38

Well, have just had booking appt and VERY nice midwife said that they assume I will want ABC and at 36 weeks, if all is low risk, that will be their recommendation. Thanks for everyone's replies!

OP posts:

Lotta123 · 25/07/2010 11:42

Wondered if anybody has had a baby recently at Watford or the ABC? Would be great to hear your experiences. Am hoping to have my baby at the ABC.

hippychick66 · 25/07/2010 12:30

It's not really recent but I did have DS2 in the ABC in 2003. I would echo what the others said back in 2007. It was my second labour and as my first had gone well I was told I could have my labour at the birthing centre.

I felt it was a good option cos if it all started to go wrong they just whipped you up to the delivery suite in the lift - so the best of both worlds.

I was very lucky and I only needed gas and air and it all went fine.

I gave birth at 7pm and they let me keep the room for the whole night but they were keen to get me out early the next morning.

Like one of the other posters - I was in the room opposite the midwives station so all I heard all night was the phone ring and then someone saying, "Try to stay at home as long as you can and then come in!"

I was pregnant recently but sadly i had an MMC - but i was planning to go back to the ABC and judging by the leaflet they gave me - the whole place has had a bit of a face lift and looks nice.

I don't know if this is your first labour but if you are confident that you are not going to need an epidural then I would say it is a good choice. Having said that, as far as I know, if you changed your mind and wanted more intervention you could transfer to the labour ward (delivery suite - whatever it's called) - but please do check that out cos it's been a long time since I was there. - Good luck

bootus · 25/07/2010 20:57

Hi, I had DS at watford nearly 2 years ago and am now expecting DC2,who I will also have there! The only thing I will say is keep an open mind about how the day will go. Myself and 2 friends have all been booked into the ABC unit which I really liked the look of (wanted water birth too) but for various reasons we all wound up on the maternity ward. Ultimately the care I received throughout was brilliant, the ABC unit had me sent straight up to the main ward when they realised my bubba wasnt happy and I recived very good care up there, in the end I was very pleased to be somehwere more 'medicalised' as we both needed it if that makes sense. The joy of being there is you are on site so if it all gets too much in the ABC you can be moved! But do remember it really has to be textbook for them to keep you there so dont be disappointed if it doesnt happen. Good luck.

Hybrid · 25/07/2010 23:14

Hi,

Totally agree with Bootus with regards being open minded about how things go.

After a tour of the ABC unit I was desperate to be able to have DS there but due to being considered high risk, wasn't eligible which I was really disappointed by. I've only heard loads of good things about it and like others have mentioned, I would opt for it if I could because of the en-suite facilities and being able to go for water birth option. Also, if there are any complications, you just get whisked upstairs and get the help you need.

The midwife I had was amazing on the ward HOWEVER, the triage midwife was absolutely shocking, really terrible. If she had been my actual midwife, I dread to think what would have happened.

I don't mean to make this a scary posting but I just wanted to say that my one bit of advice would be that if you are not happy with the midwife you have then you are well within your rights to ask for a different one. Obviously, it might be difficult due to staffing levels/demands for beds but honestly, having a good, supportive midwife who you trust is the most important thing. She will be the person who can completely affect your whole birthing experience.

Like Bootus, we also ended up having quite a medical delivery but that was fine as it was what was needed and our midwife has left me with only very positive memories of the birth.

I'm sure like most people out there, you will have a great experience! Good luck!

ps this was in May 2009

Lotta123 · 25/08/2010 11:44

Thank you so much for all the feedback. Still planning to have our baby in the ABC.

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.