Due April 2009 - Festive bumps explode into crimbo, April mums wait in limbo

[BabyCRIMBOlat]

New thread here (I hope!!)

Ooh, get you with your 'excellent' maternity rating!

I'm reading all of the 'what mothers say' bit about my hospital now... Things like this begin to make it all feel a bit more real

Well yes but bear in mic half the maternity ward is now closed so is only half as good!!!

My hospital appears to have done well, which is remarkable given the apparent absence of midwives.

2007ratings.healthcarecommission.org.uk/patientsandthepublic/searchforhealthcareproviders.cfm/cit_id /11001/widCall1/customWidgets.content_view_1/element/sr_maternity/page/2

bear in mind even!!

It's clear from everyone's Healthcare Commission reviews that there is a national policy of starving new mothers in hospital.

BB, why has half closed? (Sorry if you've already said!) Also, you have a really unusual (but very pretty!) real name. I don't suppose there are many people who share your name at all!

& Boffin, that makes me think that perhaps it's not all as reliable as it seems given your awful experience!

Yes, I'm terrified about not getting tea & toast - that's the whole reason I'm doing this whole pregnancy thing! I was relying on tea & toast! There's a thread running currently about it, & how lots of people don't get offered any... I've already made DP promise that it'll be a priority & I'm going to write it in my birth plan

Also, some of the stats are shockingly low as a national average. Like the 39% national average for "Proportion who felt that midwives and other carers always gave them practical help about feeding their baby (breast or bottle)."

This is indeed true, Nutty. Mine seem to do loads of work as bank mws up there, which is why I chose them. From talking to the Director of Midwives on the phone the other day, it is clear they are very highly regarded up at the Rosie and very much members of the gang, so to speak. But people shouldn't have to pay to get what I am getting - it's quite modest really.

Boffin, I think they starve us to kick start the weight loss!!!

Springy, thanks, I actually wanted to change my name for ages as I didn't like it - have got used to it now tho - my dad chose it from a Miss World contest winner (who won the day I was born!)

tis half closed as it's being refurbished so only the labour ward and actual hospital side is open, so the midwife centre - birthing pool area etc is all closed for the next six months!!

xposts!

Boffin - I'm booked in at the Rosie too. I have no idea how they managed to achieve those ratings though.
Springy - don't rely on the tea and toast thing - the precious slice of toast and a cup of tea arrived after the birth at the same time as a midwife arrived to stitch me up, so DH ate and drank it for me. Nearly led to divorce lol

DP wouldn't dare eat my tea & toast. I'm making it very clear from this point how not okay that would be

I just read what you said to him & he was all ' oooh! No wonder it nearly led to divorce! That's as bad as him doing the stitching himself!', at which point I corrected him & said that it was, in fact, worse

I've still not seen much of my hospital. They've been quite good when I've been there, but they're not very pro-active at all. For example, I have no idea what's meant to happen about NHS ante-natal classes? It's not that big a deal because we're signed up to NCT ones anyway, but they've never even been mentioned to us. Plus the issues with the disappearing midwife / unavailable triage number...

I will be taking snacks too. But I'm determined to get toast. I'm going to make such a fuss & when I run out of energy / focus (probably very quickly) DP will be taking over. (I'm mostly being tongue-in-cheek, but there will be fuss made )

Oh no, we'll soon be onto the 'what shall the title be?' conversation again. It's always too high-pressured for me!

I'm going back to Brum tomorrow until Thursday anyway, so at least my contributions will be lessened for a couple of days. That should ease the burden on the thread

Yes we need Nutty for that!

Springy are you off home to get spoilt?

Suggested title for next thread ...

"Tralalaboomdiay, our bumps grow every day"

Whaddya think?

Babypringle, are you local to me then?? Rosie was so geat in 2001 but it's unrecognisable now IMO. I can only assume standards have dropped elsewhere more in comparison.

OOoh Boffin, I like that one....

The antenatal classes... yes this is something I'm interested in learning more about...
I posted on my localMN but you gals might be able to help too. No one's mentioned them yet to me either -am I supposed to be finding them myself? I found the NCT site and they're offering an intensive course, but it costs £144. Is this normal to have to pay for a class?
And what's with midwives? Will I always see someone different? Will I not know who is going to be helping with the birth? How are they going to get to know what I want and what my worries are?

Ok have to go - DH has been home for 3 hours and I have barely said 2 words to him!!

Speak to you all tomorrow - have a nice night xx