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Childbirth

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

Feedback on Homerton Hospital Maternity Unit - 2011 - 2009

9 replies

4030ludders · 18/04/2011 12:38

Hello, I have a choice between the Homerton and UCH. I understand that the Homerton opened a new maternity centre recently, and I was impressed with recent care at the Early Pregnancy Unit. Statistics from Doctor Forster are positive for the Homerton (lowish rates for forceps, epistonmy, induction). However much of the feedback dates from 2008 and before, and is highly negative, especially on post-natal care, although this seems to be a common theme with London hospitals. Can anyone give me feedback on experience of birth and post natal care at the Homerton between 2011-2009?

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Adair · 18/04/2011 12:46

had three babies there: 2006, 2008, 2011
search for my comments under Adair or Umlellala

All fab.
I love Homerton.

Katy1368 · 18/04/2011 19:40

A bit before your specified time line but I had DD there in 2008 and really had good care. Even the post natal care was good IMO and I had one particular midwife who spent ages on the BF side of things. Just my experience!

Oscalito · 19/04/2011 08:01

I loved Homerton. It has a good reputation for its maternity services. It's not too huge. And the staff are really nice - they seem to work together well & I found everyone respectful and kind. You get a quick birth debrief just before you're discharged where you can ask a midwife questions about the birth. I found that helpful, and I thought it also reflected well on the hospital, as they wouldn't be asking for extra feedback unless they really wanted it. There's a new birthing centre but if you need more than gas and air the labour ward is just down the hall. I ended up asking for 'whatever worked fastest' and the doctor organised it quickly. Would have another baby there tomorrow....! It looks a bit shabby from the front, but don't be put off by that. Postnatal is OK. The food is fine (though you might want to bring in more, I was starving after labour) & the nurse gave me good painkillers, did all the checks etc pretty fast so I could go home.

4030ludders · 19/04/2011 08:30

Thank you very much for your feedback. Much appreciated. If anyone else has more points to add, please do. Cheers

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squiggleywiggler · 19/04/2011 10:33

Hi there

I had my baby 14 months ago. It was a homebirth but they were Homerton midwives and I had all my antenatal care there. No problems at all - they were great.

I'm now a doula so have had a chance to experience births on the birth centre and labour ward as well as other homebirths via Homerton. While it isn't perfect (but where is) I've found them to be responsive, interested, keen to improve if a fault is pointed out.

The facilities are new and shiny and the new birth centre is lovely. They also, unlike UCH, have a real commitment to water birth. If you can't get in one of the pool rooms because they are too busy, or you end up on the labour ward they have mobile pools that can be brought in. At UCH they won't do this in case of flooding so your chances of water birth (if that's what you plan) are lower.

The postnatal wards are a bit grim, but again they are in most places. You can pay for a side room at Homerton if they have one available. It's currently £70 unlike UCLH which charges £250 for a side room.

I've got 2 homebirths with Homerton midwives and a birth centre story on my website here if you want to take a look: hackneydoula.co.uk/?page_id=26

Give me a shout if you need any more info - I could waffle on all day!

coraltoes · 19/04/2011 10:41

Midwife unit is amazing. Postnatal ward is a shower of shit. No help with BF, sloppy advice, dirty bathroom, Useless midwives in that section...get impression all the good ones used for ante natal and delivery and the failures go to post natal. Some were aggressive, some lazy, some just clueless. But the birthing unit is amazing, great rooms, wonderful midwife, pool and lots of equipment etc. Triage area when you arrive is crap, very slow to be processed, woman behind desk barely spoke English....oh well.

Oscalito · 19/04/2011 12:02

I had good breastfeeding advice on the postnatal ward. My DH had to go and find the woman, but she was very helpful and probably had a lot to do with me going on to BF - really basic things like telling me I didn't need to jiggle the baby while feeding him (I was completely clueless). the midwife looking after me wasn't overly helpful - sneered when I said I didn't need any pain relief (realised a few hours later it was because the epidural hadn't worn off, ooops) and was generally a bit whatevs about her job, but I was so bloody shellshocked at that point that I hardly noticed.

ecuse · 21/04/2011 18:04

My experiences all good so far. Expecting my first any day. Antenatal is busy, and have never seen same midwife fine, but they're all fine and pleasant. Have been dealt with by the lovely people in the Fetal Maternal Welfare Unit as they're monitoring my pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and they are absolutely fantastic, bend over backwards for you. I did the 4 antenatal classes and was very impressed by them.

Also impressed by my tour of the birthing centre which looks fantastic. I'm sad because apparently having the high blood pressure means I'm unlikely to be allowed to use it but the consultant midwife who is the head of the unit did come and talk to me personally and explain why, and was really nice about it which I think is excellent patient care, probably above and beyond the call of duty. Haven't actually given birth there yet, so that's all I can say, but I've been generally very impressed.

I've also been along to a ante-natal breastfeeding workshop run by their breastfeeding specialist midwife who seems excellent - she says support on the postnatal ward can be a bit hit and miss, best thing is to ask for Jocelyn (her) - she is based in hospital and always happy to come and see people, but got the impression the ward midwives don't always convey the message.

Have heard similarly dodgy things about quality of postnatal care, but think that's par for the course in London hospitals. The midwife running the antenatal classes more or less admitted as much, said that they're just plain stretched for resources and they choose to prioritise having the right ratio of people looking after women in delivery and the cost of that is understaffing in postnatal. They're not happy about it but feel their hands are tied. Which is at least an honest answer, if not much of a comfort if you're stuck on postnatal.

There's a few other threads on this that I've got bookmarked which might be worth checking out, here, here, here and here

4030ludders · 23/04/2011 10:34

Many thanks everyone. You've given me lots of honest feedback - much appreciated!

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