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Childbirth

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

The Homerton - is it rubbish?

41 replies

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:11

Feeling a bit dispirited, they lose bloodtests, it looks grim, the one midwife I met seemed mad and it doesn't seem possible to view the labour ward...

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shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 21/12/2005 10:14

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GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:25

24 weeks. I met one midwife when I had first scan and she was a bit scary. When I asked the midwives at local clinic whether I could go see the delivery suite, they seemed very doubtful and then said maybe if I rang at 8 am one Monday morning and then legged it down there, someone might let me see it. the problem may be that this is no 3 so not having antenatal classes but it's making me feel a bit edgy (had other 2 at St Mary's). Glad to hear your experience was good, makes me feel better...

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DinosaurInAManger · 21/12/2005 10:26

I had all three of the DSs there. The midwives in the delivery suite are great. Things can be a bit more patchy on the postnatal ward, but it's survivable.

All the midwives who were actually involved in thhe delivery of the DSs were tremendous - can't fault them.

NotQuiteCockney · 21/12/2005 10:28

I went to the London, which also is a central London hospital and a bit unpleasant. Postnatal wards are dreadful everywhere, and everyone loses blood tests.

Any chance you could have either a home birth, or, at least, your antenatal care at your surgery?

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:30

Well that is very good to hear, dinosaur, especially after my last St Mary's experience (horrible mdiwife saying "you're not trying" when Ds2 had cord round neck). Think postnatal bad everywhere. Am rather expecting to join you in the 3 boys club...

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snafu · 21/12/2005 10:31

Mixed experience here. Didn't have a problem with antenatal care (don't think I ever saw the same mw twice but they were all quite sane ) and had a truly fabulous mw for delivery (partly contributing to my change of career). Postnatal care is the real problem - it's non-existent really.

But all in all I'm not sure it's much worse than anywhere else - understaffed and overstretched but hey, that's the NHS for you. If I had to have another hospital birth I wouldn't have a problem with going there really - I'd just make sure I got out fast!

DinosaurInAManger · 21/12/2005 10:31

Excellent! Do you mind me asking if you are living in Hackney now - I'm in Lower Clapton?

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:31

Too wimpish for home birth also don't fancy the mess and ahouting in my own home, NQC. I think maybe I'm just feeling strange because am used to St Mary's, dirty and rubbish as it is and can't get my head round a new hospital

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shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 21/12/2005 10:32

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NotQuiteCockney · 21/12/2005 10:33

I do know loads of people who've gone there, and had reasonable experiences.

I think, like the London, they're not great on the "optional" fluffy stuff, like clean postnatal wards, but if something were to go wrong, they're quite good at that end.

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:34

DP says our neighbourhood is "Haggerston", dinosaur, whilst I call it variously "Bethnal Green Borders" or "Hoxton borders" (ahem) - basically near Columbia Road..

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NotQuiteCockney · 21/12/2005 10:35

Oooh, GCN, I probably know people in common with you. How old are your boys?

I'm in Mile End, but know loads of people on the TH side of Bethnal Green etc. And some in Colombia Road etc, too.

snafu · 21/12/2005 10:35

Oh, definitely Hoxton borders

DinosaurInAManger · 21/12/2005 10:36

Ooh, I walk down Columbia road lots of mornings!

DinosaurInAManger · 21/12/2005 10:39

By the way, if you are looking for people to help look after your older two, in an emergency we could help out as we are just near the Homerton.

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:43

ooh, neighbours, I don't know that many folk because we haven't lved round here very long but my boys are 5 and 3.

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GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:49

ooh, neighbours, I don't know that many folk because we haven't lved round here very long but my boys are 5 and 3.

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GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:51

That is incredibly kind, dinosaur, something seems to be going wrong with MN so keeps crashing. How old are your boys? am sure mine would be thrilled to meet them...

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deepandcrispandlummox · 21/12/2005 10:54

Have you gone off the idea of the Birth Centre GoCN?

Can see this thread would be very distracting btw.

GhostofChristmasNatt · 21/12/2005 10:56

I'm calling you, deep and crispy

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AChristmasCarolinamoon · 21/12/2005 11:50

ooooh, isn't MN lovely?

I had ds at the Homerton (have since moved out of London, so can't offer any babysitting ).

They lost my blood tests a couple of times and the postnatal ward was really hot, noisy and chaotic, with very little help for mums and lots of stroppy care assistant people (what are they called?). The labour ward was too full the night I was there, so I laboured for 6 hours own my own (with dp) in a side room off the postnatal ward and never got to see the mother's suite or birthing pool .

OTOH, I ended up having a cs and really felt I was in the right place for that.

I would guess any big hosp is like that nowadays though - lots of people I've met where I'm living now have similar stories about our nearest hospital .

Arabica · 21/12/2005 12:44

Another fan of the Homerton here! They've treated me wonderfully in the asthma department (had 4 admissions with severe attacks) and ante-natal care is good, although it you are unfortunate enough to have all your appointments there you'll never see the same midwife twice, which is a real shame. DS ended up an emergency C-section and they were fantastic, took lots of time to explain everything to us.
The EPAU were just lovely and when I had a miscarriage in Feb they couldn't have been nicer. However, the post-natal care is a bit rubbish. I had DS there (5 in April) and am now pregnant with no. 2, who'll also be a Homerton baby if all goes well.
I wish you all the best and I am in Stoke Newington--another near(ish) neighbour for you!

lanismum · 21/12/2005 13:09

hi, i had my dd in the homerton (1st baby) and it was horrible, most people that actually cared for me were lovely, but it was just that there wasnt enough of them! i was induced due to high bp, but to induce me they needed to take some bloods 1st, after waiting for 6 hours i begged 1 of the midwifes for the needle and bottles and took my own blood ( i am a phlebotomist, so this isnt as bad as it sounds!!) when i was finally induced, my partner and mum were sent home, as they were told i could be in labour for 2 days, a few hours later i was in lots of pain, and being sick, i wasnt given a bowl, and was left in a sick covered nightie, i lost my temper in the end and used my mobile to ring my mum to come back, i was finally given some pain relief and just left on the assessment unit, nobody checked on me, i then ended up locked in a toilet, pushing, when they finally got me out, dd was almost out, so no time to move me to delivery room, tore very badly, maybe due to having had no help with breathing/pushing, after i had surgery to repair the tears, i was left to get on with looking after dd, even though they knew i was still numb from the waist down as i had a spinal block for the surgery, i also had a catheter and a drip, so it was really hard even to lift dd, eventually i walked out in disgust with no antibiotics or pain relief, after i was told to go and get my own bottles for dd.
obviously i know the most important thing is that dd was fine, but i honestly would never go there again, it was a horrible experience.

frogs · 21/12/2005 13:35

If you are looking for an alternative to Homerton, UCH are fantastic, and I don't know anyone with a bad word to say about their experience there. Don't know what the setup in the new building is like, though.

Homerton seems to be more mixed -- I know plenty of people who've been very happy, but heard some bad stories too.

Arabica · 21/12/2005 17:58

Lanismum! What an awful experience! How long ago was this?