When is it too late to change hospital choice?

[macdat]

I'm 34 weeks, and I've only got 1 midwife appointment and 1 consultant appointment left, and they're both about a week before my due date.

I had apprehensions about the hospital I'm assigned to at the start but my midwife got really upset when I told her, saying that the midwives there are really demoralised because of people saying they don't want to go there etc.. So I agreed in the end.
I was nervous about it because of a few news reports I'd read about deaths of mothers and babies, but I thought it might be ok because they were under investigation due to the deaths and might be a lot better while under investigation. Recently though, there have been 8 more deaths. I'm quite worried now and really don't want to have my baby there anymore.

Is it too late to change? How do I go about changing if my appointments are so close to my due date? Also, the consultant has decided I will need certain care after birth, will that go over to my next hospital if I change?

I honestly don't know, especially if you're going to need specific things after birth. Have you spoken to your midwife and / or your consultant about how you're feeling? Would going around the hospital where you're booked in to have a proper look and speak to the staff help reassure you at all?

Thank you, that's a good idea. I'll see if my midwife is free soon for a quick appointment so I can talk through those ideas with her. I know the midwives at my hospital are really busy, so it might be difficult, but I might at least be able to speak to her about it on the phone so she can arrange for me to go around the hospital. Meeting some of them face to face might be better than just hearing about these faceless people and deaths.

I switched hospitals a few weeks ago. My new hospital takes transfers up to 37 weeks. For me, it's been pretty straightforward. I had another booking in appointment at the new hospital where they discussed full history, reviewed my notes and any issues with the pregnancy to date. Then appointments etc just picked up where I left off at the previous hospital.

Good luck with your decision, it's important you have confidence in the care you're getting.

I would change if I was you, birth is stressful enough without worrying whether you're receiving good care or not. I would ring the maternity ward at the hospital where you want to move to and ask them the procedure for changing.

when you are crowning :o

My community midwife faxed off a referral at 36 weeks and I am going in for new notes and bloods Friday. My friend did it at 38 weeks no problem. My intended hospital had closed to new admissions when I went into labour last time so technically I switched with 30 minutes notice! All they needed was a blood sample in case I needed a transfusion

If in doubt change to another hospital. Don't bother going through the same midwife just call the new hospital and see what they say.

Certainly don't give birth somewhere you're not comfortable with just so you don't hurt the midwives feelings. If eight more people have died they bloody well should be demoralised.