Anyone giving birth in Leeds? or any experience of Leeds maternity wards??

[itchyncsratchy]

i'm expat overseas thinking of returning to Uk for birt in August. I've never visited the hospitals in Leeds so wondering how they are..

after watching the Panorama program last night about the appalling maternity units in the uk are you sure?

oh dear is it really terrible? i'm in Tanzania and Bupa doesn't recommend any hospitals here. Was Leeds featured in the programme? It's such a shame Britain's failing so badly with NHS all my other European expat friends rave about their countries healthcare.
My other alternative is private in London but just scared that if any complications costs could get out of control. would have to pay for NHS to incidentally as non-resident Brit!! About 2500 pounds for normal birth!

i have had four babies in leeds general infirmary.....not too bad,variable, a bit dirty, good midwives but over stretched!

I had my DD at the LGI and cannot praise it enough - but can only speak from my experience. I had a water birth in the home form home suite - it was quick - 2hrs from booking in to birth. I arrived at shift change and got a lovely midwife who stayed with me the whole time with minimal intervention. I even had a student observing and didn't mind that!!

However, I am aware it could have been very different. The ward wasn't busy, there were no complications, shifts had just started, so I had a lovely 'fresh' midwife, pretty much all to myself.

I would say, go and have a look see if that is possible. Can't speak for Jimmys.. Good luck!

Actually - echo Notanotter on the dirt front. The toilets were disgusting when I got onto the actual ward...

I've given birth in both of the big Leeds hospitals, St James and LGI.

St James - 1999

Had a very long labour with DD, but straightforward. Had an epidural. DD was jaundiced after so we had to stay in for a week. They were absolutely fantastic. MWs on delivery suite were great, even though one of the MWs shift ended, she stayed for 2 extra hours with me until I delivered DD. The room was peaceful, with a reclining easy chair for DH (which he needed after 31 hours!). Went onto ward with DD, clean, happy, friendly, food quite good(!) and MWs happy to help at any time. They moved me to a side room while DD was under the sun lamp for a week, and were just great.

LGI - 2004

Wasn't quite so impressed I have to say. Whilst it was clean, I got the impression I was bothering the MWs on teh antenatal ward a bit whenever I asked if a delivery suite was available (only asked twice!) but once i was in teh delivery suite, they were great. The room itself wasn't as nice as at Jimmys, but it was OK - clean. The anaesthetist buggered off halfway through the epidrual - he'd put the needle in but then had to go to an emergency and didn't put any drugs through it so I ended up giving birth without it as it was v quick at the end (ouch!). When DS was born he was blue and floppy, but they just whisked him to the side of hte room and within 2 minutes he was fine (phew) - no fuss, no panic, just calm and efficient.

Spent night on teh ward with DS and was then setn home next day (which was fine).

Overall impression was that the LGI were understaffed and overworked TBH but did the best they could under the circumstances.

If I were doing it again, I'd go back to Jimmys though. Although to be fair, it was almost 8 years ago, so things might have changed somewhat.

HTH

Im due to give birth at Jimmys in the next few weeks. I've been in for assessment a couple of times and it seems OK, but I have heard mixed reviews. Nothing sinister, just the usual could be cleaner, staff overstretched etc and a friend of mine was left labouring under her own steam for four hours with her first, but my SIL couldn't praise them enough. I think it just depends on how busy it is when you get there.

They are very pro-active over home births here, and most of my friends have gone on to have their second babies at home and have raved about the service....not for me unfortunately due to previous complications.

Good Luck whatever you decide

Interesting thta you both say LGI a bit dirty...maybe I have lower standards than you two

My cousin had an emergency c-section and very premature DS at St James, and they were brilliant. (Her DS was very ill but survived and is now nearly 4.) Obviously it was an awful time but they got great care and support.

i had to clean bathroom and take piles of bloody towels out before i bathed.....it was very dirty..

my bed had someones litter in the table thing...

this was feb 2006..it was cleaner before

tbh it was AMAZINGin 1994 when i had dd - all fresh home from home fab care

ok in 1996 when i had ds2...

by 2003 when i had ds3 it was much deteriorated...shockingly so!

I know at Jimmys they only do a deep clean of the wards once a week (my mum was in for a while) so maybe you just caught it on the day it'd been cleaned??

My first was in the brand new Simpsons in Edinburgh which had only been open three weeks...and the toilets were still disgusting. Maybe its just the nature of post-natal wards ?

ugh that is GROSS NAO

Thinking back though, with DS, I wasn't actually in there for that long, I didn't even have a bath! I just showered at home, so possibly that makes a difference.

The toilets looked like a blood bath....The home form home suite was a bit tired, but it appeared clean. They cleaned the bath before they ran it for me and then cleaned it again after and ran me a lovely deep bath to recover in! TBH i wasn't really looking at the state of the room beforehand. Would echo the understaffed/overworked. The breast feeding help consisted of a nurse YANKING at my nipple and saying off course you can do it before plonking DD on me. I never did manage it

Can't comment on breastfeeding at LGI as I was fine (second baby) but I really struggled with DD at Jimmys (first baby) - however, MWs were fab, came into teh room at every feed to latch her on and never seemed to rush off. When my nipples became sore, they really helped and encouraged me to continue. I'm so glad I did.