Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

John Radcliffe Oxford - any experiences?

12 replies

BingoBonkers · 09/02/2015 20:55

As above really, trying to gauge opinion on JR. I'm having consultant led care and likely to have a section and have been advised to consider JR.

Thank you in advance for any relies.

OP posts:

Original poster

BingoBonkers · 09/02/2015 20:56

Relies?! RePLies. Sheesh.

OP posts:

amy83firsttimer · 09/02/2015 21:06

I was born there.

Sleepingisgivingin · 09/02/2015 21:11

I've no experience of a section, but I have given birth to all three of my children there.

It's my local hospital but I could've used one of the midwife led units - I didn't as all 3 were overdue and of them 2 were induced.

I don't have anything to compare it to, but I thought it was fine. The care we received on delivery suite was excellent, and the wards were clean and fine - if a bit busy.

If I can ever convince dh to have number 4 I would have it there too!

Asleeponasunbeam · 09/02/2015 21:11

If you're planning on BF, they have an incredible infant feeding clinic (or did, 5 years ago - hope they're still going).

PekeandPollicle · 09/02/2015 21:15

I had DS in the midwife led centre there which was absolutely brilliant. I don't know what the main rooms are like though.

MWs were great and the breast feeding clinic was very very helpful.

ohthegoats · 10/02/2015 12:00

I had my baby there is October. I was consultant led, so no option on Spires, although I've heard good things about it. I was slightly under pressure to be induced (which I resisted), so found them annoying in that regard, but care up to that point was great. The midwives were always on my side. Delivery suite was fine - I had the pool room, which was far and away nicer than the other rooms, but that's luck. The midwives I had for actual delivery - Lynn and a student, whose name I've forgotten (not for any negative reason) - were great, my partner speaks very highly of them too.

Post natal ward was very busy - normal loud hospital stuff going on. I hardly saw a midwife, but didn't need one so that was fine. Contrary to popular thought, I found the food OK! Bathrooms were clean.

Five friends have had C-sections at the JR in the last 6 months due to breech babies, and all rated it very highly in terms if the procedure itself and aftercare.

0ddsocks · 10/02/2015 12:02

I had two c-sections there (first emergency, second elective). I always felt well cared for and my babies were given excellent attention - both needed a little help breathing at first and second child was briefly in special care unit.

Splinters · 10/02/2015 22:10

Spires is fantastic, but I ended up being re-admitted to the postnatal ward after a few days at home and it was GRIM. I'd do pretty much anything to avoid staying in for any length of time again. Maybe it's the same everywhere though.

steppeinginto2015 · 10/02/2015 22:13

I was born there too!

(helpful)

CommanderShepard · 11/02/2015 15:13

I had DD there in 2012 via EMCS. My scar is fantastic - never had any problems with it at all and even the midwives commented on what a brilliant job the surgeon (Dr Brown, I think?) did. I also remember the anaesthetist, Dr Ali, as being the most beautiful man I'd ever clapped eyes on (although that might be because he had lovely, lovely drugs).

I was on Level 5 antenatally and Level 6 postnatally; had one of the Silver Star rooms as, not to put too fine a point on it, DD's birth was traumatic. The midwives were fine but the HCAs were the loveliest women ever. The breastfeeding advice on the wards is... patchy, shall we say, but the breastfeeding clinic on L1 is fabulous.

I'm now 8 1/2 weeks pregnant and will probably be consultant-led too as had pre-eclampsia first time and am high risk for it this time. I'm hoping I can try for a VBAC but I'd happily have a CS again.

Who's your consultant? I had Veronica Miller - she was nice, though brisk and once the decision to induce had been made everything happened very fast and I was admitted within 5 mins of my appointment (though didn't start induction til 30 hours later... might've helped if she'd checked there was space for me!) which made it all a bit scary.

I'm sad though that even if I don't get pre-eclampsia this time I'm risked out of Spires. Really wanted Spires last time.

FoodPorn · 12/02/2015 13:25

I had a great ELCS experience there. Everyone I had contact with was lovely, the anaesthetist was hilarious and did a great job of putting me at ease, the surgeon left me with a nice low scar. I was on level 7 which I recommend if you can afford it, particularly because your partner can stay, but also to have your own bathroom. I've heard some horror stories about the post natal wards and bathrooms in particular.

Snowflakepie · 12/02/2015 13:31

Take your own food and toilet paper. Expect to be ignored when you need something and bothered when you just want to sleep. The main wards are busy, noisy, fairly normal hospital I guess. The delivery midwives were wonderful but the aftercare was appalling. I couldn't get out fast enough and opted to have DS2 at the spires. Never made it though, he came at home! I didn't have an option on hospital though, it's the nearest for me. I presumed everywhere was pretty much the same tbh. Good luck.

Flip