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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

East Surrey hospital

42 replies

Mumpbump · 22/08/2007 12:28

Has anyone else heard that East Surrey does not have the capacity to cater for all the pregnant women at the moment? I heard they are sending people to other hospitals - any idea which hospitals they would be?

Thanks...

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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LIZS · 22/08/2007 12:42

Not heard this specifically but there has bene an ongong issue with low staffing(and funding) levels over the past 10 or so years, not helped by closure of Crawley. At a guess they would use Mayday,Croydon or Royal Surrey, Guildford or possibly the one in Haywards Heath currently under threat of downgrading . Try contacting the Reigate NCT , they may well know.

Original poster

Mumpbump · 22/08/2007 12:44

I heard that the situation was due to taking on Crawley's load. Thanks for the suggestion. Good idea!

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Thelittlesoldiersmummy · 22/08/2007 20:17

Hope this helps but I suppose it depends what hospital they have a link with

Nearby maternity units.

Epsom General Hospital 9 Miles

St Helier Hospital, Carshalton 11 Miles

Mayday Hospital, Croydon 12 miles

Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington 14 Miles

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 22/08/2007 20:22

more than likely mayday, its a good hospital so if it is dont panic (no not a good hospital but good maternity unit) have a home from home place, its great!!

had dd there on labour ward and had ds in home from home place twas good!!

good luck!

barbamama · 23/08/2007 21:29

I am going to E Surrey and also v worried about this. I went on the tour a few weeks ago and somebody asked the person doing the tour whether it was true that the unit had had to close. Apparently about 4 weeks prior to that it had had to close - she said this was the only time. She wouldn't comitt to which hospitals you would be sent to if it happens again and said you would phone up and be told which were accepting their patients. I have heard that Epsom and St Helier are most likely. Personaly I will have a homebirth before I go to Mayday (even though I am not supported in having one due to problems in previous pg).

I went for an appointment a couple of weeks ago on a Friday afternoon and they were so full that the Antenatal Day Unit was being run out of the Antenatal Clinic because their beds were all in use with labouring women. And when I arrived there was a lady being put in an ambulance with a very very newborn baby - I asked about it and they said they were transferring as many people as possible home as early as possible (which actually is fine by me if all is ok).

I had to go to the Antenatal Day Unit again yesterday afternoon and it has now actually been moved to another building for a few months to "free up space in the main hospital because it is so busy" so hopefully this will help. When it closed at 5 I got moved to the Delivery Ward for further monitoring and it didn't seem too busy.

It is a worry but sounds like they have recognised the problem and are trying to do something about it. Going to be luck of the draw I think.

barbamama · 23/08/2007 21:31

I also asked the mw last night why they were so busy and she said that there were an uncharacteristically large number of bookings in January which were now all coming in - she made noises about extra Crawley women. Hmmmm.

mumclaire · 23/08/2007 21:58

I had dd at East Surrey 18mths ago - my friend gave birth 1 week before and when I went in to see her and new baby and it was packed - they made all sorts of comments like 'don't go into labour now - we don't have the room' It threw me into to complete panic... in the end it was fine....
I think there are times when they get very busy and then all of a sudden its quiet - unfortunately cos its a maternity unit there's not a lot of predictable stuff! What i'm saying is please don't worry about - IF there is a problem then you will deal with it at the time but there is not much you can do about it at the mo. hth

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/08/2007 22:02

Come to Crowborough Birthing Centre. It's LOVELY!

Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 11:46

If I booked into Crowborough, what would the closest hospital be in case of complications, do you know?

I am also now considering a home birth with perhaps a trainee doula/independent m/w for extra support.

God this is making me nervous... Especially after your posts, barbamama. We haven't bothered with a tour this time since we had ds in East Surrey.

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Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 11:48

One other thing, Barbamama - I do remember when I first rang up about my booking-in appointment, the doctor's surgery didn't have one for ages. Fortunately, I was very quick of the mark, but they did comment that they seemed to be unusually busy at that time. And my doctor's surgery is in Woodlands Road, Redhill so can't be booking in women from Crawley!

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dogbert · 24/08/2007 11:56

Nearest hospital to Crowborough (CBC) would be Pembury at Tunbridge Wells or Haywards Heath. If it's a non-urgent transfer you can request where you're sent, if it's an emergency they'll get you to the nearest available. You can transfer back to CBC though - so if you start at CBC, go and have a C-section at Haywards Heath, you can then ask to go back to CBC for recuperation, b/f support, private rooms etc.

dogbert · 24/08/2007 12:00

And if you do have a baby in a busy hospital and they ask you to go home early, don't worry. Obviously if you're in a lot of pain then you can refuse to be moved!

I was in less than 48hrs with my 1st DC, but only 6 hours with my 2nd. Your midwife will visit you daily for at least a week and they're always on the end of the phone if anything happens that you need advice on.

(And my 3rd was homebirth. Lovely!).

Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 12:20

CBC might be a good compromise - dh is very nervous about home birth whilst as mentioned, I am very nervous about hospital birth, given the apparently overstretched resources of East Surrey...

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barbamama · 24/08/2007 14:17

I think it will just be luck of the draw on the day. As I said, it didn't seem that busy the other night? TBH, my first birth was in a London hospital and was hell on earth and they really couldn't be that bad I don't think if they tried and I am also hoping to be in and out within 6 hours too so am hoping that is not long enough for it to be problematic and that E Surrey will be the lesser of two evils. I too thought about CBC but, again from last experience and already having a toddler that needs childcare, the great thing about E Surrey is we are about 8 mins drive away which is very appealing. I think CBC would be 45 mins or so. I was also going to go to the private birth centre in Tooting but again thought is it worth it if I am only there for 6 hours? (please, please no complications this time) What is the secret of getting in and out so quickly by the way? I know you have to have no complications, stitches, forceps etc but assuming that do you just have to hassle them to book your 24 hour paed check before you go?

Mumpbump my due date is next Saturday and I think I am going to just plough ahead with E Surrey and hope for the best so I will let you know how it goes. I would have a home birth if I could but strongly advised against it blah blah becasue of problem last time. Next time I will though! If you have no complications /issues would that be something to consider? Is it your first? Bit scary if so I guess. But then you are very close to the hospital if needed.

barbamama · 24/08/2007 14:23

Sorry Mumpbump I've just remembered you said you had ds at E Surrey so it can't be your first. How was it? If it was fine last time I'm sure it will be ok again? I have a fair few friends who have given birth there (most first in Mayday then switched to E Surrey for second) and they have all said it was fine? Also when are you due? Sounds like Aug / Sept may be a statistical blip for them so maybe if you can miss that bit would be ok? (please, please don't let me be kidding myself!)

Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 14:36

That's what my mum said, that perhaps it was a blip which would be over by 1 October - my EDD.

East Surrey was really good last time. I am very anti-hospitals, but ds was induced because of concerns about his growth rate so I didn't have the option of a home birth. I would be quite happy to end up there again, provided I actually get a labour room! I remember being left on the induction ward for a bit last time so they might have been equally busy, but as ds was my first (and I hadn't discovered MN) I would probably have been oblivious to any capacity problems.

I hope that your labour is okay. I know one of our acquaintances was told to go to the hospital as late as possible as it's then much harder for them to send you to another one.

The other thing I'm thinking of is perhaps getting a doula for the home birth option which might make dh feel a bit happier... I shall look out for your birth announcement and hope that it refers to empty beds and corridors!!!

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imasecretlemonadedrinker · 24/08/2007 14:39

East Surrey has now had to take on Princess Royal (H Heath) maternoty patients as the mat unit has closed down. However, i did read in the paper that they are re-opening and re-vamping the mat unit at Crawley and ALL ante-natal will be there and only deliveries at ES.

Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 14:42

That's interesting - any idea of the time-scale for Crawley re-opening?

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Original poster

Mumpbump · 24/08/2007 14:54

SLD - has the maternity unit at PRH actually closed down? I had only heard that it was under threat and can't find anything in a google search confirming that it has now been shut.

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mumclaire · 24/08/2007 19:26

Hmm didn't know about them re-opening Crawley - was advised to get my scans done there as its not as busy as ES - so couple of weeks ago had my 12 week scan - the place was empty - quite literally we didn't see anyone until we found the scan reception and even then we were the only people in the waiting room - no-one before and no-one after us... how bizarre that they're piling everything onto ES and closing everything else down...

LIZS · 24/08/2007 19:27

I thought HH was being downgraded rather than closed and it hadn't happened yet.

imasecretlemonadedrinker · 25/08/2007 10:17

I will try and find the article and post it on here. That is, of course, assuming DH has recycled it!!!

It def said Crawley were taking on all the ante-natal from PRH and ESH. I remember when I went to Crawley for my Ante-natal the MW said they were being re-vamped and a whole floor was going to be dedicated to ante-natal. I read it in a WEST Sussex action paper that comes free trhough teh door. i think it done by the council.

Will let you all know if i find it.

Original poster

Mumpbump · 28/08/2007 11:57

Just to let you all know that I heard over the weekend from someone who is expecting their baby in two weeks and works at East Surrey that the hospitals to which we might be transferred are in fact Epsom, Brighton or Mayday.

By way of an update on ME (!), I am now looking at a home birth with independent midwives... I think the cost is likely to be prohibitive, but they said as I was so close to my EDD and don't want any postnatal care, they would see if they could do a discounted rate. Hope so! Otherwise, it's an NHS home birth. Think dh has come around to thinking it's the lesser of the two evils, so to speak...

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barbamama · 28/08/2007 13:49

Brighton!!! Are they having a laugh?

barbamama · 28/08/2007 13:52

Did she give any indication as to how likely it is or whether they are still so busy?

My friend is 2 days overdue now and definitely going to E Surrey so will let you know how she gets on.

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