Moving house & changing doctors - will I be forced to change hospitals?

[Vinividivino]

I am 7 months pregnant with DC2 and we are shortly moving house to Horsham from Surrey. I really want to continue to have the baby at Kingston hospital as planned (had great care there so far, it's a manageable distance from new home and friends speak highly of the birthing experience) but am wondering whether, as soon as I register with a new GP in Horsham, they will make me move to East Surrey hospital. Does anyone have any experience of moving house and GPs and whether they were forced to change hospitals so late in pregnancy that they could share? Or experiences of East Surrey that might put my mind at ease, just in case?

Thanks very much.

As far as I'm aware (though I may be wrong!) you can give birth at whichever hospital you choose.

I gave birth at Liverpool Womens even though I don't live in Liverpool! Changing your doctors would not change anything - you'd still have your notes from Kingston Hospital which you would just take to your new mw appts at your new doctors.

I did have my local mw's after giving birth questioning why I hadn't given birth locally shrugs but you have to give birth imo where you feel comfortable.

Stay where you are! Oh and congratulations! Bet you can't wait! :)

Thank you v much for that, Having. That's really reassuring - i'd be really happy to stay where I am (terrified enough without having to get used to a whole new hospital/consultant). Phew!

Given that you're terrified...Stay where you are!

Don't put yourself through the stress of trying to find out how good the other place is. Basically you have the notes from your hospital, you take those to the mw's appt at your new docs and when you go into labour, drive to Kingston to give birth! Easy.

ps Don't be terrified! I was, and I'm now sitting here watching breakfast tv with my beautiful 5 week old daughter. Not going to lie, childbirth was bloody painful for me, but omg so worth it and you do kinda forget!

Congratulations on your 5 week old! You are so right, it's so worth it in the end, I had a bit of a nightmare birth the first time, ending in an EMCS so hence the mixture of excitement and terror!

Thanks again. I feel so much better.

Just have to keep fingers crossed for not too much snow in Feb. Keep gritting those roads to Kingston, please!

ahhh see now why you're terrified, sorry, thought it was your first!

Well. That's one less stress to worry about - moving house is bad enough! Stay where you are. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for no snow!

I moved near Horsham when pregnant with dc3 and had no probs giving birth at original hospital. You'll be fine. But, for what it's worth had dc4 at Princess Royal in Haywards Heath and had a wonderful experience, midwives great. My SIL had all 3 of hers at East Surrey and is v positive about it.

Thanks Tatty, that's good to know too. Sounds like there are some v good local options in case I can't make the journey!

We moved when I was about 5 months, I just stayed at my old doctors and didn't tell the hospital til was in labour that I'd moved. They just changed address on my notes after birth and gave me the normal letter to take to gp, so when I went to register ds at local gp I registered myself.

The only things that was different was I had baby in west mid but was visited by midwives from St. Peter's, no one seemed to be worried though