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Childbirth

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

UCLH

6 replies

natalia508 · 28/03/2011 23:54

Hi, I'm due to give birth any day and had naively assumed that the care I would receive at UCLH when I went in to give birth would be very good, with caring and attentive midwives (I would like to have my baby in the birthing centre if possible). However, I am now panicking as there seem to be such mixed reviews on birth experiences there, some of which sound awful. I'm really worried at how hit-and-miss it appears to be and down to luck of the draw when you get there. I want to feel relaxed and trusting when I go to give birth! Please, can anyone give me their opinion on a recent birth experience there (the threads I have read are from a while ago)? Thanks so much.

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skandi1 · 29/03/2011 13:03

Hi,

Please try not to worry (too much anyway).

Whilst my experience of UCLH was really awful, 3 ladies from my NCT group all gave birth at UCLH (within 2 weeks of each other) and they all had fab experiences.

Personally I think that you will find as many positives as negatives in terms of experience from any NHS maternity wing.

Having a good birth experience unfortunately isn't something predictable. Many things along the way can colour your experience/outcome for you and not all of it is down to the team handling your care.

Granted, if you're as unlucky as I was (a bad combo of birth gone wrong and team handling care not working together/communicating, bad postnatal etc etc) then you would feel annoyed with the hospital. However that could just as easily have been another one of the maternity wings in London.

I also blame myself. I did not speak up for myself (this is very unusual - normally I am quite vocal and happy to make demands). If I had put more effort into demanding certain things along the way, perhaps my experience would have improved greatly. Also DH was birth partner and I didn't brief him properly as to what I would want along the way so he was flapping around like a big useless thing not knowing what to do or ask for.

I think that you should focus on being calm and collected in your last few days. Write down your ideal birth scenario, then also write down a list of interventions you would like if things don't go to plan. Talk it all through with your birth partner/DH/DP so that s/he is fully informed of how you wish to proceed if things do not go so well and so that s/he can ask the right questions and make the right/timely demands of the team handling your care.

Most of all, try not to have too many expectations (or too high expectations) of how your birth may go in the end. There are so many things during the labour and birth process which are outside the control of you/birth partner/birth team.

natalia508 · 29/03/2011 13:29

skandi1, thank you so much for your very thoughtful advice and feedback, I really appreciate it. I will definitely make sure DP is well briefed and understands how I would like the birth to be (ideally) plus any limitations, so I can relax more and let him deal with any issues.... I will also try to manage my expectations!

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scottishmummy · 29/03/2011 13:33

v good imo.like all units has its up & downs but overall good.best not to swop birth stories as they
1.vary

  1. can escalate any anxieties
  2. are specific and unique to each woman, we all experience it differently

and best wishes, dont get too hung up on a specific plan.see what pans out keep clam.cuddle your wee baby

Erac · 29/03/2011 13:57

My experience there was fantastic. I get teary (in a good, humbling way) about how caring and sympathetic everyone was. I had 30 hours of labour and went through 3-4 shifts of midwives/consultants and each new midwife seemed like the perfect person to help manage the stage of labour baby and I were in.

Agree with others to have a plan, make sure DH knows the plan and can play "bouncer" and also plan for nothing to go to plan.

For me, I was more stressed about baby then myself. I found a lot of comfort knowing that if anything went wrong for baby, I was in one of the best hospitals for her.

If I had another baby, I'd want to go back to the same hospital.

The experience is such right of passage. I hope it all goes well for you.

natalia508 · 30/03/2011 14:55

Thank you all for your kind, helpful and objective responses. Exactly what I needed! Just need DS to arrive on time now (due tomorrow!) as already very big! x

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scottishmummy · 30/03/2011 19:30

best wishes to you and your partner

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