Midlands mums - warwick hospital, Coventry birth centre or city hospital??

[Futter]

Hi all - would like some advice please or previous experiences of these places? Would love to give birth in a birth centre but would like the security of a hospital attached and not having to be transferred by ambulance if anything goes wrong... I've been to Warwick for all bloods and scans etc but there is only one water bath and it's quite dated but this is closest - but the birthing centres at cov and City look lovely but they are further away from where I live in Dorridge/Solihull - any advice??? X

I can only advise on Coventry, the birth centre is brand spanking new and lovely! Not sure I can be of much help on distance though...

We are going to warwick. I would have loved to go to the birth centre but an classed as high risk so can unfortunately. Having said that warwick have been really good so far, I'm due in 5 days so il keep you posted on my experiences!!!

I'm currently trying to decide between Coventry and Warwick. I've booked for Cov because of the birth centre (it's the nicest one I've ever seen and never full) but if things go high risk I am wary of ending up on their very busy labour ward. Not to mention I've heard terrible things about the postnatal ward, although I know they are on a drive to improve it. I like the idea of Warwick as it is much smaller, but it is a bit dated (a lot of people hate the pink walls!) and they have become increasingly busy because of the closure of Solihull consultant unit.

Unfortunately as a midwife myself I know that a lot of it comes down to the day you happen to be in labour... if it's not too busy then you will be fine anywhere. If it's very busy - nightmare! And unfortunately you can't predict that.

Happily do keep us posted!

City here - the Serenity suite is brilliant.

Thanks everyone so far - what is the aftercare like at City and Coventry? Bue what have you heard about Coventry? I think the thing that puts me off about Warwick is that there is only one birth pool so if someone is using it you wouldn't get an opportunity and then would end up stuck in the pink and purple rooms ;-)

I was moved to the delivery ward at City in the end and so ended up on the post natal ward - it was not the most fun that I have ever had but the midwives were great and really helped with things like breastfeeding. I am headed back there again for the next one even though it is not the hospital closest to me (by some distance!).

I'm having a home birth hopefully but am trying to decide between the 2 for my back up.

I've heard great things about the cov BC but most seem to go to Warwick. I know it's a different department but they've messed up my scans and appointments af few times and forgotten me due to 'demand problems' which put me off a bit. Think I'll be going for cov.

Yes that's the same thing that puts me off Warwick. I am a total water baby - I know that if I get there and there's no pool available I will probably flip out and need an epidural. I think Cov is just very busy and understaffed... I've heard this from people I know who have given birth there and even my own midwife admitted that you can kind of get left to your own devices on the ward!

Oh dear that was kind of the impression I got from Warwick! Other than that they have much fewer baths than cov.

Would you consider a home birth op? Safe in the knowledge that you have Warwick near by, your own midwife and the opportunity for a bath/pool?

I'm a bit of a clean freak and the thought of giving birth in my house is all a bit too weird for me I think - can't get my head around it! Silly aren't i!
Not sure whether to go and look at both the Serenity Centre and Lucina centre and I can also check travel times too ...
If only solihull had doctors onsite then I wouldn't even be thinking about it!!

It's not silly at all! It's definitely not for everyone.

For what it's worth though I've read up a lot on them and read a lot of home birth stories and all of them say how clean it all was and how efficient the midwives are at cleaning up when it's all over. I'm not convinced til I see it for myself but I'm sure someone would mention if there was blood splashed up the walls and bits of placenta on the ceiling months after