UHCW/Warwick/George Eliot

[EdithGrantham]

Obviously I know people will have had negative/positive experiences of each location but is there anyone who's had experience of more than one of these able to offer any comparisons for me, I've been offered a choice between them and all are within 30 minute drive. For context I'm a first time mum leaning towards giving birth in a birth centre if I can.

I’m in the Warwick area but asked to go to UHCW, I’ve used Warwick for other medical issues but not giving birth. I chose UHCW due to a medical issue I have which can complicate pregnancy and birth. I’ve had two babies there (one last May) and both my experiences were brilliant. I felt very well cared for and listened to. My first birth resulted in forceps in theatre and a 3 night stay, all care was brilliant, the ward was busy but the midwives were great and helped with feeding and any queries. My 2nd birth was straight forward (I was induced) but I was home less than 24 hours from going in. There is a birthing centre then which is nice (we were put in there post birth with my 2nd for hearing test etc) but it’s a 30 second transfer time to labour ward if anything else is needed. Sorry I can offer a direct comparison with birth, Warwick were great with the other issues I had. I liked that UHCW is brand new and open are airy and if the baby needed to be in ICU I wouldn’t have to swap hospitals. Hope everything goes well OP.

Thanks, it's really good to hear you had a positive experience with a more complicated birth as that's something I'm feeling anxious about

George Elliott building is a lot more old fashioned than UHCW, UHCW is much more modern. They have a very modern birth centre called the Lucina. I have high risk pregnancies so am very glad to have had my babies at UHCW which just seems more equipt to me. I have been in many times for different things with this and my last pregnancy and even though its a bigger hospital I always feel totally focused on whenever I'm being seen, from the HCAs to the consultants.

Again I can’t say I experienced more than one of these hospitals but I had my daughter at Warwick last year, 4 days after lockdown one started so the world was a bit chaotic with things changing by the hour.

They were incredible. Wouldn’t have known we were at the height of a pandemic with no established protocols for it. I arrived in a lot of pain and found I was only 1cm. Turns out baby was back to back. They got me into a birth suite and told me I could go home or stay, my choice. I laboured for 24 hours and they couldn’t have done more to care for me. I had a fairly dramatic delivery (forceps, 2 hours of surgery within minutes of my baby being born) and every person I had contact with was kind, calm and explained everything so well. I had to stay for a few days and they gave my husband a heads up that the rules for visitors were changing so to nip home for a bag and prepare to sleep on the floor in post natal ward - they didn’t have to do that and if they hadn’t he wouldn’t have been allowed back in after a certain time and I’d have been alone.

I would go back to Warwick in a heartbeat for a second delivery.

They also have the bluebell birth centre which is beautiful if it ends up being an option for you but only a 30second transfer to labour ward.

Good luck!

I live around five minutes from GEH but requested to have both dc at UHCW. Had a great experience with both of them (2014 & 2017)

There is a ‘grottiness’ to GEH and a friend who gave birth around the same time had a horrific experience there (her and dc both fine now).

Thanks for all the new replies, I had heard similar about GEH but wasn't sure if that was true!

Most people I know who have children have birth at UHCW and not had any complaints so good to hear the positive stories on here too.

Between Warwick and UHCW, UHCW is slightly quicker to get to so unless there's a massive difference between them in terms of care I guess it makes sense to go there

I lived 10 minutes away from GEH so it never occurred to me to go anywhere else. Both my births were pleasant memories and the staff were wonderful.

I remember being 2 weeks overdue with my daughter and refusing point blank to use the lifts to get to the third floor and attempting to jog up them in order to start labour

I started off under the care of GE with dd1 even though I had moved 40 mins away. I was so put off (I stayed because I had my general medical care there-high risk pregnancy) I moved at 12 weeks. (Various reasons, grotty mainly. But when I shared the waiting room with a pregnant ex-student who had left the year before it was enough of a push). I had a really positive experience with birth at new area.
Dd2 was born at UHCW as an emergency at 29 weeks. This wasn't my nearest level 1 NICU but they were totally amazing there. We only stayed for 4 days before being moved back to nearer home but it was such a nice place to have to go through all that. She was born the day before mother's day and the NIcu staff took her photo (without all her pipes and wires), made a card and bought me a present from her. Amazing people. Dd is nearly 8 now and I've never had to go back to the hospital (actually Warwick is now my 'local' but I'd recommend UHCW to everyone).

I also had a private room at UHCW (probably because if the circumstances) and it was huge . They allowed by DH to stay and even gave him a bed. Had my own ensuite too!

My step-daughter was born at Warwick and had to be transferred to SCBU at UHCW within hours of birth.
When I was pregnant with my son, my (now ex)H wanted him to be born at Warwick but I said no and went to UHCW.
I had a "great" experience, if you can call birth great?!
I'd definitely recommend UHCW.

Thank you for this thread @EdithGrantham, am following with interest as due in several weeks (second baby) and booked at Warwick. Hope your pregnancy is going as smoothly as possible in these unusual times and good luck with everything when the time comes.

Bump is currently practising to be a Cirque-de-Soleil performer so thought I’d reply.

Also thanks to @WingingIt101 for your post - and congratulations too! It’s really helpful to hear how birth during the pandemic is as rules are obviously different and also some seem to be made on a trust by trust basis. Glad you had a good experience and hope you’re having lots of fun with your soon-to-be-one-year-old.

I haven’t experienced maternity at UHCW or GEH but had my first at Warwick. High risk so Labour Ward (and a year or so before the Bluebell MLU opened) but was impressed and more than satisfied with the level of care for me and baby throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatal (induced and was on Swan for a few days post-birth as baby had some early issues; all fine now thankfully).

In this pregnancy again am high risk (for totally different reasons ) and the care so far from sonographers, MWs and the consultants has again been excellent. Had to go in recently and you would not know there was a pandemic (except for the extra PPE/room protocols etc) as staff are as helpful, positive (have found MWs to be a particularly supportive and positive NHS breed on the whole...perhaps I’m just lucky as some of the threads on here are shocking!) and plentiful as pre-pandemic.

Friend had her first and second at UHCW and was equally happy there. I believe it is where babies would be transferred from Warwick if they needed more than special care so being there initially means no transfer in the event baby needs intensive level of support (hopefully won’t though ). UCHW was also the “overspill” for Warwick if capacity is exceeded. This may be reciprocal or have changed since my first though?

Wishing you all the best for a safe arrival and positive experience @EdithGrantham and really appreciate other posters’ opinions on this too. Cheers!