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

1 2

Original poster

EDINBURGH ROYAL INFIRMARY

40 replies

ara · 09/07/2007 22:10

Does anyone have any feedback about having babies at ERI?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:15

But from what I understand you cannot book a private room at ERI. I got one because I had a fever.

Apparently you can book a private room at St. John's, but I don't know definitively.

snowleopard · 11/07/2007 12:18

I felt I had brilliant care at ERI. I was a difficult case - very long, very excruciating labour and various complicating factors - and maybe that's why, but I had brilliant 1-to-1 midwife care throughout, highly efficient C-section, amazing support afterwards, including a lot of help with breastfeeding (and not just very professional support, it felt like they really cared about me, DP and DS) and I can't say a negative word about it. The surgeon, the midwife, and two other midwifes who had dealt with us on arrival all came to visit later and asked if we had any problems or complaints. Even the auxiliary staff were fab (one came to give me a blanket bath after the CS and she said "It might not be what you had in mind darling, but just imagine you are having a Spa treatment at Stobo Castle and it will feel like a lovely treat!" She was great.) It was so wonderful it felt as if they suspected I was some kind of inspector in disguise.

I have heard less glowing reports though so I agree it must be partly the luck of the draw. At one point I said to a midwife "You are being so nice to us" and she said "Well you are nice to us." Now that is a worry if they treat people differently for any reason, but it made me wonder if they are used to being abused and treated like servants.

The food was poor but I honestly didn't expect much of hospital food - DP and friends brought a lot of stuff in for me.

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:23

And why are all anaesthetists hot?

I had this absolutely gorgeous South African anaesthetist when I had DD1 - forceps delivery - and I couldn't even enjoy him for begging him to kill me.

snowleopard · 11/07/2007 12:25

ooh expat I had a hot one too, but unfortunately he wasn't up to the job (I've got a weird spine) and they had to wheel in a senior one who looked like David Jason.

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:29

This guy was FAB. But I did want to truly want to die when he arrived.

I didn't even feel that local anaesthetic, the pain from everything else was too great and I passed out when they sat me up.

They'd put an IV line in my arm, but NO fluids. I'd been 24-hours with no fluids and in labour in mid-June. I felt like shit.

'This patient is dehydrated, yah? Why is there no fluid attached to the line?'

chevre · 11/07/2007 12:30

maybe they are hot cos they reckon woman in labour might appreciate them, all the ugly ones are doing hip replacements adn teh like.

actually i had a woman but she was pretty hot too.

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:33

I would have appreciated a lethal dose of morphine at that point.

DH said I told him, 'Oh, have you come to kill me? Thank you so much!'

snowleopard · 11/07/2007 12:36

At least you were to the point expat. I wibbled on all night long about how I wasn't cut out for this and I was never any good at physical matters such as hockey - although I am good with my hands, eg sewing, but that's not much use in labour etc etc blah blah - the midwife did not blink an eye but she must have been thinking SHAAAAARRRRRD UUUUUPPPPP!

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:38

I was praying. I hadn't done that in a long time.

W/Dd2, she was so fast I kept saying, 'I can't be in labour, I just got here'.

snowleopard · 11/07/2007 12:40

In our antenatal class they told us about a woman who went to ERI to give birth to her 4th baby - the baby was coming but she said "I'll have you know I've had 3 babies, I'm a doctor, I know what labour feels like and the baby isn't coming - it's just a poo!" She went to the toilet and the baby was born while she was sitting there!

expatinscotland · 11/07/2007 12:42

Oh, no, they took me seriously when I got there with DD2 and was on all fours and they found out it was my second baby.

Midwife said, 'Do you feel you need to push?' I said, 'No, I feel like I have to crap for Scotland'.

I found out that was baby's head - I was too doped up to have felt it the first time.

madamenoir · 13/07/2007 22:31

snowleopard, I am glad your ERI experience went so well

I hope you didn't mean to infer that those of us who had a less wonderful experience at the ERI had been in some way rude to the staff?

I most certainly made a point of being lovely, even apologising before I fainted away after my section...the only time I had to stand up for myself was when I wanted to leave but was told someone had to observe my breastfeeding before I could go. So I asked a passing nurse to help and she whined, yes actually whined, that how could she do that when she was on her way to do something else?

After waiting from 7am until 3pm for my (planned and booked) section in the waiting room because there were no post-op beds, you would think thet would have been more keen to get rid of me.

Original poster

ara · 14/07/2007 14:33

Argh, that sound dreadful! I've enjoyed looking at the statistics links.....very interesting.

I met a lovely consultant called mcclure in the REI labour suite - not v fanciable but just really really lovely!! That gave me some confidence, but still thinking i might try do it at home tbh.

OP posts:

Juls12 · 09/09/2009 15:04

How are private rooms handled at EDI? Do you get one only if you are at higher risk medically after the delivery, or can you arrange for one? Any idea of the cost to arrange for one, if that is in fact possible? And does anyone know if your partner can stay overnight with you in a private room or do visiting hours still apply? This is my first baby and I am from the USA originally so I don't have any idea what to expect with this whole thing! Any insights would be much appreciated.

mrswee · 09/09/2009 16:24

Hi Juls, I am due to have my baby here in the next few weeks too.

As far as I know, you cannot book/pay for a private room at all.

My midwife told me - You are more likely to get to remain in your private room and not moved to a ward of 4 after delivery if you have had a difficult or very medical birth. However these rooms were built as birth and recovery rooms, the intention was that you would be able to give birth then stay in the same room for the rest of your time there. So when they are not too busy they do let you do that.
Having said that, they do seem to busy a lot of the time from what I hear!

They are not too strict about dad visiting times, I have heard dads can hang around and just be there with you, though I'm not so sure about staying the night, night after night if you need to stay longer than 24 hours.

hope everything goes well for you! when are you due?

I'm going there tomorrow to the labour suite to have an attempt at turning my breech baby, so if I find out anything more I will let you know!!

Flip

1 2