Advice Please - First Time Mum

[DaisytheExplorer]

Hi All, I'm fairly new to the UK and recently found out I am pregnant. I live in St Albans, and am trying to figure out if I should opt for Watford or Luton for the birth? Have seen mixed reviews of Watford and CQC rating from 2021 is needs improvement. On the other hand, many reviews of Luton are over 2 years old and the CQC inspection didn't cover maternity - any advice please?

I would put the location name in the title of your post so local people will click and respond.

I can’t help you with your specifics, but i had just moved to a new bit of the country when i got pregnant with dd1 and had to essentially choose a hospital by closing my eyes and sticking a pin in a list.

It was fine, but so were the experiences of everyone i subsequently met who went to the others. Turns out most hospitals are generally okay, but let down/improved by the attitude / tiredness / overwork of the individuals you meet whilst you are there.

My only strict criteria was that it had to be a big hospital with a nicu/ surgery department in case things went wrong, not just a mid-wife led birthing unit. I am definitely someone who wants medical science thrown at a problem immediately, not being 20 mins drive away. Turned out to be a good call when i got pre-eclampsia on my due date, strep-b, and a post-partum haemorrhage which made me pass out and need a transfusion.

@cdba88

I would put the location name in the title of your post so local people will click and respond.

Thanks, good point and appreciate the tip if I can figure how to edit it!

@RubaiyatOfAnyone

I can’t help you with your specifics, but i had just moved to a new bit of the country when i got pregnant with dd1 and had to essentially choose a hospital by closing my eyes and sticking a pin in a list.

It was fine, but so were the experiences of everyone i subsequently met who went to the others. Turns out most hospitals are generally okay, but let down/improved by the attitude / tiredness / overwork of the individuals you meet whilst you are there.

My only strict criteria was that it had to be a big hospital with a nicu/ surgery department in case things went wrong, not just a mid-wife led birthing unit. I am definitely someone who wants medical science thrown at a problem immediately, not being 20 mins drive away. Turned out to be a good call when i got pre-eclampsia on my due date, strep-b, and a post-partum haemorrhage which made me pass out and need a transfusion.

Thanks that's really helpful tip on making sure a NICU is available! Also reassuring as am sure the point is that most reviews mention positive staff for the most part.

So sorry to hear about your complications!

Sorry, i realised after i’d hit post that those weren’t helpful things to list to a newly pregnant first-time mother. Let me mitigate it by saying it was all dealt with quickly and competently by the medical professionals, they see stuff like that daily, and all was fine