Barrett maternity home Northampton vs john Radcliff

[Peachy85]

Hi all... I have my first midwife app tmz and have been thinking about where id like to have the baby....
Im from Northampton town and as such i know many people who have had their babies in the Barrett (my mum included) and have all come out happy and mostly healthy.
The problem is now im living un Oxfordshire(literally just over the border and the auto referral hospital will be the john radcliffe in oxford which ive heard nothing but bad things about and the only person i know that went in there to have a baby almost never came out... The thought of having to go in the JR makes me feel sick with anxiety tbh... Just wondering if theres anyone with any experience or info that could help...

Thanks x

Have you joined the Save the Horton Facebook group? Lots of stories from women that gave birth at the JR on there (due to the shut down of maternity services at the Horton). It's probably worth a look - they'll be lots of women on there who can offer advice too if you post. Congratulations on the pregnancy and good luck!!

3 babies at the JR over the last 18 years and due another in August. 2 inductions and 1 spontaneous birth. I've had nothing but positive experiences on the delivery suite there.

The JR is one of the leading hospitals in the world for birth and infant care. It also has around 20 babies being born a day, with that many births there are always going to be more "horror stories". (Also, as they deal with all the high risk pregnancies for the area, they are much more likely to have worse outcomes than a midwife unit which only deal with low risk pregnancies)

If I thought there was a likelihood of something going wrong I would want to be there.

DD was a JR silver star unit baby, if we had been anywhere else she wouldn't have been born.

Ds was born at the jr in the spires midwife led unit. It was absolutely fantastic.

Can't comment on JR, but Northampton was amazing. However can you not book on a tour to see JR? Northampton would be a bit of a treck when in labour, I found our fifteen minute journey hard enough

Remember that the jr will have all of the high risk births from a wide area when considering 'horror stories'. It is both a teaching hospital and regional trauma centre. If I had a high risk pregnancy or emergency, or any non pregnancy related emergency, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

I had my 3rd there and from a planned home water birth, I ended up ambulance transferring at 10cm. The emergency button was pressed in the delivery suite and within 3 minutes the headcount in the room went from 3 (2 X midwives and 1 student) to 17 people. Care both during and after delivery was fantastic.

I'm an ex nurse, I've worked and delivered 2 babies in the JR and if I had anything wrong I wouldn't hesitate to have every faith in the care they deliver. If it all goes wrong I'd want my baby to be there Northampton hasn't got the brain power/academic links that they have.

I had baby no 3 at home but that was more because my previous labours were fast and I don't like being stuck in hospital for no reason.

Thanks for all the comments xx where we are is very rural so the Horton would be the best bet if everything goes well(been for my first scan there now and the midwives/ nurses/staff are lovley) any problems then its about the same distance to NGH as it to the jr so i guess i keep researching and hope for the best x its the smug superior attitude of many oxfordarians that i cannot bear.... Ive had the misfortune to work there.... xx