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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

In tears after visting UCHL birthing cenre-anyone had a positive experience there?

40 replies

beckmo · 02/05/2007 15:41

Partly the tears are down to the midwife being too busy to show me the delivery rooms as well so it felt like waste of time, and that I ended up doing my birthing plan in approx 2 minutes flat and being left to fill it in alone because staff also too busy but ...I'm scared if I go here staff will be too busy to give me proper care.
It also looked really dirty and certainly not "home from home" as they kept telling me. Am I expecting too much from the NHS?And am I better off going to the mysterious delivery rooms instead of the midwife led birthing centre?At least the baby will be monitored if everyone is too busy.
At 34 weeks I feel I have no options and no one to talk to who has any time (seeing GP not midwife in fortnight as she is booked up)...
Thinking of selling the furniture so I can go private.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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PenelopePitstops · 02/05/2007 15:46

that sounds an awful experience (hugs)

Ive never been to one but wanted to know someone had read your post, Im sure someone will have some good advice soon

Mum2FunkyDude · 02/05/2007 15:48

Any other hospital in your area you could take a look at? I was told I can change my mind about going to the hospital until the last minute. If you do not feel happy you should definitely not go to UCHL

MissGolightly · 02/05/2007 15:49

Poor, poor you. I didn't give birth there (up the road at the Whittington) but friends did and as far as I know they were happy with their experiences.

If it's any comfort hospitals do sometimes have these manic days when literally everyone decides to give birth. Perhaps it was just a bad time to look round...? I woudl ring the labour ward and explain your fears and perhaps they can fit you in for a quick tour.

harpsichordcarrier · 02/05/2007 15:52

if you are not happy, then change your hospital it is NOT too late.
have you thought about a home birth?
the midwives at home will have the same equipment as in a MLU

PinkTulips · 02/05/2007 15:54

it's a full moon so probably not the best time to have visited..... apparently more women give birth round them

sorry you had a crap experiance, for what it's worth i was in tears both time after my hosp visit and threatened to give birth in the shower at home but both births were as good as could be expected and i was well cared for

Original poster

beckmo · 02/05/2007 15:55

Thank you. This is the nearest hospital and the other option much the same. Have calmed down a bit and instead of sniffling I am going to be proactive and call my midwife. I'll also make damned sure I spend as much of my labour here at home as I can.... Doesn't give you massive confidence in how your birth experience is going to turn out though.And I think I can forget the birthing pool.
Maybe they were so busy because they were off giving one to one care to the labouring Mums on the ward and not because they are massively understaffed....?
That the electricity went off whilst I was there and a alarm was ringing constantly possibly didn't lend itself to an calming enviroment either!

OP posts:

frogs · 02/05/2007 15:56

I've had 3 babies at UCH. The staff are lovely, on the whole, tho the postnatal care leaves a bit to be desired. I don't know anyone who's had a really dire experience there, unlike the Whittington which does seem to have its fair share of horror stories. The building is very run down, admittedly, and has got worse over the 12 years since I had my first. I'd assumed they would have moved into the shiny new building by now, but it seems not?

The birthing unit wasn't in action when I had dd1 and ds; I would have loved to have had dd2 there, but she had to be induced in the end, so it was not to be.

Don't judge the place on just one visit -- you were probably just unlucky and hit a moment where the midwives were too busy delivering babies to give you attention. Try again and see if you have more luck. The birth centre rooms are significantly less clinical-looking than the ones in the main labour ward, though tbh one delivery room looks pretty much like another. In the end your delivery experience will depend on how your labour progresses and which midwives are on duty at the time, neither of which you can predict or control, however many tours you have or birth plans you write.

If you have the money, you could consider paying for an 'amenity room' after the birth though.

hth

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:00

Can totally understand how you feel. I have my dd there 3 years ago, I remember having the tour and it all being very rushed. But when I went in to have my dd, It was lovely, it was so relaxed I had my dp and my mum there for the labour, and my mum still raves about how lovely it was to this day, I think she liked the fact that my midwife made her and my dp a sandwich, as I had quite along labour of 14 hours. The care was good, I definately felt well looked after and if I ever wanted anything the midwife came straight away.

I could listen to my own music, it was actually blaring away as my dp bought the wrong cd instead of my compilation album I had especially done, he bought 'fat boy slim'
the midwife never moaned.

Unfortunately I ended up giving birth in the delivery room rather than the birthing center of which i had hoped, because the doppler machine the midwife was using broke and she couldn't trace the heartbeat - but thats all another story.

All in all I found it very relaxing, and you maybe lucky and be the only one in there, I was.

Best of luck - do try and do another tour if you can.

Original poster

beckmo · 02/05/2007 16:03

Frogs what's an amenity room?How did you find the delivery rooms? Old and run down doesn't bother me -it's the level of care that I'm more concerned about.

Thanks for your comments.I think it is just one more experience of dealing with really busy, stretched midwifes/ staff and I suppose that is the reality of having bambino in NHS.Wasn't in the mood for it today though as this is the third attempt i have made at visiting the unit and the second at getting someone to write a birth plan with me.When hauling bump to appointments it can drive you to tears when they turn out to be a waste of time.

OP posts:

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:03

totally agree with frogs, do try and get an amenity room, you have to book as soon as you make that first call to the hospital to say your on your way in.

I had one, and it made the whole experiance so much bearable, the postnatal care isn't great like frogs said, but I don't think it is anywhere , so I have heard.

Original poster

beckmo · 02/05/2007 16:04

Thanks Claire -I think that was what I needed to hear!

OP posts:

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:05

An amenity room is a private room for you and your baby to recover in for however long your stay is, its really nice to be on your own with your baby that first night. Otherwise you will be on the maternity ward with I think at the uch upto 8 other mothers and their babies.

Original poster

beckmo · 02/05/2007 16:06

And they have them at UCH? That sounds great. Will find out about them.

OP posts:

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:10

yes they do they are 80 pounds a night, I had one for 3 nights and they forgot to charge me sshhh don't tell anyone!

I'm actually due on the 14th june and really wanted to have this baby there, but one we have moved areas, so I am not going to the royal free birthing center at Hampstead, and 2. My dp was frightened they may have my old records and sting us for the 240 pounds we owe.!

MissGolightly · 02/05/2007 16:13

I had an amenity room at the Whittington as the regular ward was too full and they didn't have a bed for me elsewhere so I got put in one for free! Hooray! It would never have occurred to me to pay for one, but I have to say it was bliiiiiiisssss. (Well, bliss compared to being on the ward with 20 screaming babies).

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:14

that was meant to say 'we are now going to...'

Original poster

beckmo · 02/05/2007 16:14

LOL!I don't think they write "Mother did a runner without paying" in medical notes but you never know....

That £240 could have paid for the stained seats I was sitting on in reception to be cleaned you know!

OP posts:

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:16

Oh don't..still feel really guilty about not paying

frogs · 02/05/2007 16:22

Level of care at UCH is good, ime, despite the appearance of disorganisation.

The amenity rooms are bookable, although obviously there is no absolute guarantee you'll get one, since someone might already be in there. You don't get Portland-style luxury (as if!) but you get peace and quiet, privacy and possibly your own bathroom. Still take the dettox wipes with you, though.

I didn't have amenity rooms, but managed to get a private room for postnatal care as each of mine had a brief stay in NNU, so I made a big deal about not wanting to be around other people who had their babies with them. I think privacy and quiet does make a huge difference. Also UCH's catchment is so mixed that the main postnatal wards will have people with such a range of lifestyles that there's always going to be a bit of awkwardness or annoyance. (Somewhere in North London there is a Hassidic Jewish man who is probably still mentally scarred by me crashing into him while stumbling to the loos in a stuffy July night wearing my very old baggy singlet and shorts combo ).

PeterAndreFanCLub · 02/05/2007 16:28

i cried after looking aorudn the hosp for my THIRD kid

so dont think tis abnormal
ithink a lot of it is fear tbh

claire74 · 02/05/2007 16:35

exactly Pete, I think your right, it suddenly makes it all seem real and imminent. The clinicalness of it is absolutely terrifying, and sort expect yourself to be special and get really upset when you don't get one to one attention, but to the midwives the sad fact is your one of many and they are not going to be sympathetic , if they're busy they're busy.

I remember walking into the labour ward, whilst in labour and seeing the first midwife I came to and saying 'i'm in labour' and her just saying 'ok, do what feels comfortable and i'll come and see you shortly' - I felt like chasing after her,crying 'but didnt you hear me, I'm in LABOUR' I felt that i should be given this one to one care, soon realized thats not how it was going to be!

lulumama · 02/05/2007 16:41

have yuo thought about a doula? someone to be with you and support you throughout the entire birth, no matter how long? you;ll not be on your own, and she will support you emotionally throughout

\link{http://www.doula.org.uk/doula UK}

lulumama · 02/05/2007 16:42

doula UK

PeterAndreFanCLub · 02/05/2007 17:19

god ad you hear somewomen pushin a kid out.
i went areound ou local( other dsses born elswhere) and siad ot dh " right thats ti we are havign a home birth"

as it was we had ONE midwife went in at 8 am
was at home in bed by 6 pm - baby born at 3pm

only saw one room at the hosp
the doctor came to do the check the nest day (a sunday ) at home
so dont htink that being in hosp means days

NKF · 02/05/2007 18:07

UCH is supposed to be good. It has a good reputation and GPs I know rate it. They also rate the Whittington.

I have a feeling that busy midwives pay as much attention to birth plans as mothers do. Particularly when the woman isn't actually in labour.

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