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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Watford General vs UCLH Euston

4 replies

Bella1510 · 14/09/2010 12:35

Hi Girls,

I am newly pregnant and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences at the birthing centre/labour ward at Watford General Hospital and UCLH in Euston.

I live close to Watford but have heard so many different opinions about the maternity ward etc...

A friend of mine living in Watford has travelled to UCLH to give birth there.
Not sure if this would be a good alternative because of the distance etc.
Is there anyone who can help and share their experiences?

I am also tinking about Luton and Dunstable...

Any recommendations?

Many thanks in advance

OP posts:
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WillbeanChariot · 14/09/2010 13:50

Congratulations! I live near Watford and delivered at UCLH but only because my baby was so small and premature he needed their neonatal care. It's all new and shiny but I had similar experiences to what others have described at other places- really depends on the midwife you get on the day I think. Postnatal care was not great, same as it doesn't seem to be anywhere. I wouldn't travel to give birth at the hospital part unless I needed it but I haven't seen the birth centre.

So... I think if you need the attention of Poetal Medicine or the Neonatal Unit, it is second to none, but I didn't think there was was anything so special about the maternity care that I would travel for it. Sorry bit of a ramble! Have you thought of Edgware Birth Centre? If you want a natural birth it's supposed to be wonderful. I booked there but it wasn't to be.

WillbeanChariot · 14/09/2010 13:51

Doh, Foetal Medicine of course.

naomilpeb · 14/09/2010 20:16

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I live near Watford and gave birth to my first child there almost 2 years ago, and many of my friends have given birth there over the last 6 or so years. The idea was to go to the Birth Centre but since DD ended up being almost three weeks overdue, that didn't happen! I had an induction and the full works, which I wouldn't say was pleasant but all turned out fine.

So, my personal experience, which is of course only that, was:
The pre-natal ward (where they put you if you're on the way but not yet ready to go up to the delivery suite, or awaiting an induction) is pretty horrible - very little attention from midwives, lots of beds to a room, etc. I was kept there for three days waiting an induction. I now think that if I had kicked up a fuss they would have sent me home and called me back when there was actually room in the delivery suite for me, but at the time we didn't know that. Ridiculous as it sounds, I actually thought that if I discharged myself, they would wash their hands of me and no one would deliver my baby! That was the worst bit - being told several times a day that I would be induced shortly, and then 9 PM coming round and my partner being told to go home as nothing was going to happen. I'm really not sure why they kept me there using up resources!

However, the quality of care in the actual delivery suite while giving birth was fantastic and I can't fault them in any way. Everything was explained to us brilliantly and we never had a moment of worry that they weren't doing everything they could as quickly as they could to get the baby out safely. Midwives and doctors were all lovely to us. Post giving birth, they pretty much abandoned us (without cleaning up the room that was by then very yucky) and I still think they actually forgot about us for a while!

The post-natal ward was crowded and very busy and quite short-staffed (it was over New Year), and although none of the staff were unpleasant to me - or anyone else that I saw - they weren't really able to help with establishing breastfeeding for example. There was one fantastic male midwife, but the rest passed me by in a bit of a blur. (Fortunately the community midwives in my town are amazing and I got lots of help after we were discharged.) My advice on the post-natal ward is that if you want something you need to go and bother them about it several times. I suppose this is par for course in busy maternity units.

DC2 is due in two weeks and I am once again hoping to go to the birth centre at Watford, where everyone I know who has been there has had a fantastic experience. And if it ends up being in the standard maternity unit, I don't really mind.

Of all the people I know who have given birth at Watford (off the top of my head, probably about 15 births), only two have had terrible experiences.

And I know two people who have given birth at UCLH (London residents both) and have had great experiences there.

Watford do tours of both the birth centre and the main hospital bit, once you're a bit further along. That might help you decide.

Apologies for the information overload!

Good luck!

mrshewitt77 · 09/10/2010 15:41

I gave birth on 28/09/10 in the delivery suite at WGH.
I've never really needed the NHS before and have come away amazed at the level of care and professionalism we received from WGH and the community midwife team.

We were totally geared up for a natural birth at their birthing center and I was devastated as my due date came and went and induction loomed.
I went in for monitoring on DD+11 in the pre natal ward for a couple of hours and also for another sweep to see if we could get things going and despite being 2cm after the sweep still nothing, the midwife and staff on that ward were lovely, caring and understood and listened to my fears - I came away feeling really supported and after a discussion with the consultant we agreed to come in for the induction (I thought i'd feel bullied into it but not at all) and it was just as well as it turns out that my waters had been slowly escaping and DS was born in barely anything at all.
So we pitched up the next morning and the Del Suite staff were just amazing, before things got started we chatted with our midwife about the birth we'd wanted and felt we'd now lose but she did her level best to preserve our plans and we had a really positive experience.
All of the staff we met were sincere and professional but also really warm and kind - really not what I was expecting.
I spent the following night in the post natal ward and yes it was busy but I got help when I needed it (had a very surreal discussion re breastfeeding at about 3am with a midwife who was checking on us and saw her helping out another mum who was really struggling) and came out the next day.
All in all very positive and the aftercare from the community midwives and health visitors has been fantastic - love the weekend drop in centers for ante/post natal checks and the breastfeeding cafes & clinics.

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