So what hospital did you give birth in?

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Following on from the epidural thread and seeign that sometimes your level of care can depend upon the area you live in, I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on which hospital you have given birth in, or are going to give birth in and any comments ie - good, bad, excellent, etc

I often wonder if women get a rougher deal if they live say for instance, in a bigger City. I remember looking after a woman a few years ago who was having a ELCS after a really traumatic delivery in London and her after care on the wards made me so sad for her. She moved to the country and her next baby was born here, and she said it couldnt have been more different.

So fire away

Started off at Hillingdon Hospital and transferred to Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea at 27 wks due to serious early onset pre-eclampsia. DD was very small and premature and spent her short life in the neonatal unit there. Hard to be constructive about all of it given the circumstances but it was ok. They gave me a single room for the 2 weeks I was there prior to having DD but when the pre-eclampsia turned nasty I was left vomiting on my own for most of the night so not so great. The neonatal unit could be a lot better.

I had my DS there too, also by c-section. Was seen in fetal medicine unit every 2 weeks for scan and had great consultant so can't fault ante-natal care at all. Anaesthetist messed up epidural so that was a disaster but consultant did c-section again and that was fine. I had to go back in again a few days after DS was born for blood patch and was in room on my own on labour ward where I had never been before. MWs were supposed to help me with baby during the night - never appeared. All in all, I think if everything is straightforward, it's probably ok, the consultant care/fetal medicine unit is excellent, the breast feeding support is variable, neonatal unit could improve a lot.

Both DSs at Kent & Canterbury Hospital. Pretty good care. When DS1 was being born, my midwife stayed several hours after her shift had ended to 'see me through' as it were. They were, as with many hospitals, terribly short-staffed, but ante- and post-natal care were both very thorough.

DD in Lincoln County hospital. Pretty awful. They weren't even that busy (as I would find when I'd waddle to the nurses' station to say I'd taken my monitor off after 3 hours of waiting for them to answer my call bell as I was numb down one side from having to lie still and desperate to pee, to find them all just lounged around chatting). Had a violent stretch & sweep performed without consent & she didn't stop when I begged her to because it hurt so much. They refused to believe I was in labour, telling me it was BH contractions without even examining me (even though I was on round 3 of prostglandin for IOL!), but I insisted, so they agreed to let me go up to the labour ward to 'humour me' and DD was born 20 minutes later. That midwife was lovely, though, for the brief time I saw her!

Aftercare - what aftercare? Me & DD sat there until the following afternoon when I discharged myself and no-one even came near. Even though it had been documented in my notes that I was at real risk of PND because the baby was unplanned (& at that time unwanted), I was a LP & I was scared I wouldn't bond, not one soul came to ask how I was feeling, or to check I was even looking after her.

And the damned maternity block is the most godawful and unwelcoming thing - looks just like an office block. And has a ruddy great mobile phone mast on the roof!

Sorry for the rant. Bitter? Moi?!

George Eliot in nuneaton.
Complete dive.
Awful mw's on labour ward and aftercare appalling. I didn't have my soiled bed sheets changed all day despite me asking repeatedly. In the end I did the sheets myself, despite being in agony from a 3rd degree tear. No bf support for anyone, no ongoing advice and when I got onto the ward I was starving and they literally threw a cup of tea and slice of toast at me. I had no one to talk to about what I had just experienced (I think I was in shock) as they were all preoccupied with the Olympics on tv.
I'm off to the Coventry Walsgrave this time as I've heard so many good things and at least the bloody place is clean!

Eden, your experience sounds similar to mine!

DS1 and 2 - Malmesbury Community Hospital Maternity Unit - with the midwives I had been with for the whole 9 months

DD1 - Chippenham Community Hospital cos Malmesbury was having new carpets fitted, but my midwife came with me.

Fantastic midwives, Malmesbury brilliant - they even offer to look after restless babies after midnight-ish so you can get some sleep, and on your last night, they offer to look after your baby for you while you go out for a meal with you DH to celebrate the new baby!

Ds1 - Great Western Hospital in Swindon. Shiney (but actually fucking filthy) brand new hospital, shite shite shite 'care'. Induction at 2 weeks late btw. Highlights include: not being told until after first pessary administered that I would no longer be 'allowed' my planned water birth; 30+hours labour ending in emergency section - being given a bollocking for failing to mention I had GD (I didn't fucking know! And may have said similar to shouty bitch mw); being shown my baby bollocks first when I said that no, I didn't know the sex; having baby whisked off to SCBU before barely getting a chance to look at his face; being shunted into a side room and abandoned, alone, for approxiately 6 hours. I couldn't reach the buzzer, I was fucking freezing, and nobody came. Not even a head round the door.

Ds2 - Salisbury. Really old (wartime) hospital, not the same level of facilities probably, but the staff were FUCKING WONDERFUL. Gutted I won't be having any more babies tbh (that one was a planned c section btw - ds2 was breech).

Grimsby Maternity Unit, with both DC's, care was perfect, midwives were fab.

DD1 - St Johns, now transferred to Broomfield. Not bad considering it is/was such a busy unit. DH was most impressed (based on the 3 other births he attended there with his exDW). Had one very experience midwife, and sometimes two. OB/GYN post natal for stitching/tear. Put into private room afterwards. Only because they didn't have any room on ward.
DD2 - St Peters. Loved, loved, loved this. Only me and one other women on whole ward. She was there for post natal care (transferred from another hospital). Had everyone's complete attention. Big room, option of water birth, could stay in delivery room as long as I wanted. I also had my ante natal care here, so the midwife who delivered had also seen me during pregnancy. Didn't bother with a birth plan and frankly it couldn't have been better.

#1 - mc at 12 weeks 2005. Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton. Ambulance crew fabulous, A and E horrendous. Rubbish pain relief despite me begging and they missed my PPH. Aftercare from community midwife and gynae ward really good. Stayed in private room on gynae ward with ensuite bathroom and z bed so DH could stay.

#2 - DS1 2006. Home due to experience above. Baby delivered at home in the birth pool attended by community midwife who I'd seen all through pregnancy. Aftercare really good although developed PND.

#3 - DS2 2008. Planned homebirth but waters broke with only mild contractions. Under huge pressure to give birth asap, felt intimidated and bullied and missed DS1 who was with inlaws. Transferred to hospital (musgrove park again) with meconium in waters. Ambulance crew fabulous, midwife and student who delivered ds both kind and considerate. Panicked and felt out of control as very high on gas and air. Hated being in hospital though and just wanted to get home with DS1. DS2 failure to thrive and physical disabilities so in and out of childrens ward, totally sick of hospitals by then.

#4 - DS3 2011. Desperate for a homebirth but smallish baby, lots of water and flabby tummy combo meant midwife struggled to find heartbeat with doppler. Agreed to planned hospital birth (musgrove park again). Community midwife and hospital senior midwife discussed birth plan at length and really helped me to create a homelike environment in hospital. Ended up with PROM again and booked for induction. Waited all day on antenatal ward for bed on labour ward so went into labour on my own. Brilliant birth experience, lovely midwife, used aromatherapy. Would give birth there again if I could convince DH to try for DC4.

Twice at William Harvey in Ashford. Was induced both times. Care was excellent, pre and post natal. Didn't seem understaffed to me. Didn't want any drugs so can't comment on that. Would have stayed in for several weeks if DH hadlet me (he wanted his dinners cooking!)

1 & 2: Both Raigmore hospital in Inverness. Different community midwives although I could have booked for one of them to come with me to deliver baby but I wasn't bothered.
Had 2 great experiences there, fantastic midwives, no rush to get me out straight away despite ward being fit to burst second time round. I could stay if I was happier staying.

3rd one I had a homebirth and that was partly because when I moved the maternity hospital here would boot me out within a few hours and as it is really close by opted to stay at home rather than be getting home within few hours.
Seen my community midife throughout and as I was sensible enough to go into labour on a Wednesday the day she had no clinic she was the one to come and deliver DS2 and do my post natal visits.

Sunderland Royal. Best part was that you get your own room for labour until you go home. Lovely new facilities and comfortable.
Good labour care, felt like I could make decisions and was involved.
Very good care overall as I stayed in for an extra day. Excellent BF support, taught me how to do all 'the basics with DD and also taught my DH.

Chase Farm, Enfield - absolutely horrific labour ward. I mean seriously scary. Aftercare a bit shortstaffed and stressed, was kept in for a few days and fought to go home for every second. The student midwives and nurses were great and if it wasn't for them I would have got up and shuffled marched out of there long before I did.

Hk13 I had both of mine in Coventry Walsgrave, and it was great both times. Clean, staff fantastic and great aftercare. Less aftercare with my second, (DD) but that's because I was desp to get home to DS and almost forced them to let me out! .

Good luck :)

Basildon - both times.

Community MW was the wonderful and fragrant Alan.
Different MWs at the antenatal clinic.
Different MWs on the EPU, antenatal and postnatal wards.

Care both times was fine, lovely MWs and staff. EPU staff very reassuring and calm. All MWs prepared to talk through what was happening and follow my birth plan as far as possible. With DC2 (very fast delivery), one of the MWs from the labour ward actually popped by to see me and talk through any questions I had about my labour.

Slight lack of communication between shifts was frustrating (felt like I was continually repeating myself).

Didn't like the doctors at the antenatal clinic - rather brusque and patronising, but had managed to massively reduced waiting times by the time I had DC2.

Wasn't keen on the woman who worked on the postnatal ward when I had DC2, she seemed to be employed solely to undermine me (she wasn't a MW or Dr BTW) - baby's lips were cracking because I wasn't producing enough milk (errr, no, that's a little blister from feeding), baby is slightly jaundiced because you don't have enough milk etc. etc. - no idea who she was but was glad I didn't meet her when I was a scared first time mum.

Sleepy, I was born at walsgrave :)

Colchester General Hospital, where the staff were lovely apart from one midwife who had such a bad attitude, and was so rough with me that actually just the memory of it is enough to make me cry if I think about it for too long.

I'm not usually so sensitive, but after a horrible C-Section, during which I almost died, and being in pain and feeling vulnerable, she got me on a bad day.

St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London - excelllent care on arrival in labour ward onwards.Plenty of midwives, great support, left you alone to rest or came frequently to offer help when needed, always attended to quickly when called. Very calm and supportive attitude when discussing measures like pain relief, AROM and fetal monitoring.
Post natal care in postnatal ward not good as ward was too hot (39 degrees in summer) - no ventilation. (sealed windows, no fan, aircon not working in most areas.) Midwifery and auxiliary nurse care good and thorough, if any quibble at all seemed a little short staffed given completely full ward. I think their ventilation problem has been fixed now, and of course it was less of a problem for winter.

DD1 northwick park - north london. hideous. rude, wrong information, made a straightforward birth into a dogs dinner.

DD2 hillingdon - north london. amazing, potentially v difficult birth was made straightforward by incredibly quick, calm and skilled MW, postnatal care great, even the food was pretty good!

Both mine were born at Darent Valley in Kent.

Both C-sections - one after a failed induction, one an emcs during an attempted vbac.

Care during the induction, labour and the sections was excellent. Especially during the EMCS.

Aftercare of the first section was pretty shit in recovery (midwife refused to help me move to clean me up even though my hips had displaced and I was numb from boobs down) but better with the 2nd

Aftercare of feeding was shit with the second - tried to force me to bottle feed by threatening to get DS2 admitted to scbu.

With DS1 they came round less than 24hours after section and said I could go home. I had to fight the head of beds and head of midwifery services to stay 3 nights. With DS2 they tried again, but wasnt as much of a fight to stay.

The actual midwives were lovely. It seemed to be the doctors who breezed in and out making suggestions and recommendations without actually knowing the cases.

btw, am regular poster - just namechanged as this would out me!

Kensington birth centre at Leicester royal infirmary. Great birth experience w marvellous mw.
Less good post-birth, largely due to bonkers "league of gentlemen" mw, and then on the ward - lots of lovely staff, but just too busy for them to cope (it seemed).
Would go back for dc2, but insist on not having loon mw if she's on duty.

Blackpool Victoria hospital.
It was a horror story beyond all horror.(pregnancy related horrors)
but
i felt that they were in full control, knew what they were doing, felt safe and cared for and in the end, both me & ds were safe and ok, so good results.
after care was good too.
Would love to meet the midwife again to thank her and tell her that she made the world of difference to an awful situation, but never have.

had 4 mcs int he same hospital, each time, was horrendous and i am writing a formal complaint about it.