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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Giving birth in Birmigham area help needed!!

51 replies

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 15:08

I am 12 weeks and having booking in appointment for DC2 this week. When I had DS, I lived in another area and wasn't aware that I could choose a hospital (not entirely sure I could then and in that area).

I need advice about which hospital to go to. I know I can change my mind later on, but I want to choose somewhere decent and feel as if I know nothing about the hospitals in this area. I have asked people I know but feel that Mumsnetters are my better choice for telling it like it is.

My default is George Eliot in Nuneaton, though this isn't the closest to me and I can choose where I want to go. I like the idea of a midwife led unit. Was looking at Birmingham Womens.

Arrrgh help!

No, I don't want a HB.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 15:54

Whereabouts are you? I know the West Midlands very well. I was born at Birmingham Women's!

Had my son at Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield in December. Antenatal care was so-so, delivery care was brilliant, postnatal was so-so, breastfeeding help has been excellent.

CrackerOfNuts · 27/04/2008 16:03

I have had 2 children at Good Hope (plus my mum works on maternity ward there), and i have had one child at Birmingham Womens.

Tbh I couldn't really say that one was any better or worse than the other. At Good Hope, I felt quite looked after iykwim, whereas at the Womens I did feel a bit more left to get on with it. Perhaps that is because it was a larger hospital.

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 17:18

Right ok. Hmmm...thanks for your words. Am in Coleshill area and don't really want to go to George Eliot though TBH, am not sure why. I do wonder if maybe I should just pick one, just wondering if anyone had any cautionary tales...

OP posts:

TillyScoutsmum · 27/04/2008 17:21

I was born at Birmingham Women's as well

DD was a Russell's Hall (which is great) but is probably too far for you. Solihull is supposed to be quite good ..

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 17:23

What do people reckon to Heartlands?

OP posts:

TillyScoutsmum · 27/04/2008 17:25

Or "Heartlesslands" as its locally known ...

Have a couple of horror stories from there

TillyScoutsmum · 27/04/2008 17:27

worth a look

TillyScoutsmum · 27/04/2008 17:28

sorry - didn't realise the maternity unit from Solihull had now moved to Heartlands

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 17:36

LOL Tilly. It does look a bit grim and I've not heard great things in the past...but then you meet a few people who've had their children there and wouldn't go anywhere else.

Of course, they say..."Oh I'd never go to Good Hope"...and then you meet someone who had a great time at Good Hope who says "I'd never go to Heartlands" and so the cycle continues. Am starting to think I should pick from a bag.

Is the Midwife Led Unit at Bham Womens attached to a consultant unit?

OP posts:

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 17:37

I have worked at Heartlands, Solihull, Good Hope and Russells Hall. Did obstetrics and gynaecology at Russells Hall, so glad that someone rates it!

Solihull is very nice, and is part of the same trust as Heartlands. The only thing to bear in mind is that there is no SCBU at Solihull, and that if you suffer complications in labour you may have to be transferred or be in a seperate hospital to your baby (this is the kind of thing that I get worried about as a doctor, but I'm sure doesn't bother most people). Otherwise, I hear that the care is excellent.

There is a very good MLU at Lichfield, which a lot of my friends have used. However, it has a very high transfer in labour rate (40%) and the nearest place you get sent to is Burton as there is no on-site unit with obstetricians.

I would also recommend Good Hope. I have also heard good things about Nuneaton (I work in Tamworth, so quite a few of my patients choose to go there).

The Women's is good and heavily oversubscribed, but is probably more geared up to women who have complicated pregnancies. You will also face a heck of a lot of bad traffic and parking if you have to get there for your antenatal care.

I suppose your choice all depends on what is important to you.

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 17:38

Thanks for that link, am looking now. Am also looking at a Netmums links page

OP posts:

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 17:41

I also hadn't realised that the maternity unti at Solihull had moved- probably for exactly the reasons that I mentioned.

I personally wouldn't chose Heartlands, but that is my own prejudice based on having worked at the dump centre of excellence.

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 17:48

Wow, thanks emma. I had a straight forward pregnancy and birth with DS and should be low risk again, of course that can all change but there is nothing up front to worry about. Good point about the traffic at the Women's. Had not considered that TBH.

I would want to be somewhere that I could transfer from without a great travel as while I love the idea of Midwife Led care, I am a natural worrier and if I thought that there might be a long journey or complications coming from location it would stress me out.

It's very complicated. See, this is the thing, I don't want the choice, I just want what there is to be good enough for me not to worry.

I shall look again at Good Hope I think, 'tis not too far from us.

OP posts:

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 17:54

FWIW, I had consultant-lead care througout my pregnancy. However, I didn't have any doctors involved at all during my labour. I had a fantastic midwife and student who were lovely and very professional. The atmosphere was relaxed and very special. It all went so quickly I didn't have time to get in the birthing pool! The midwife who mended my tear also did a much better job than most junior doctors would have done! Good Hope is also very good at the baby-friendly stuff is breast feeding is important to you.

Original poster

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/04/2008 18:04

Yes, about the breastfeeding. I did BF DS but only for 3 months an never really got the hang of it TBH. I had DS in Coventry and they checked on me BF but never helped at all. These days I would have enough about me to ask.

OP posts:

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 19:52

The breast feeding support lady at Good Hope is a legend!

beautifuldays · 27/04/2008 19:57

from the experiences my friends had i would say birmingham womens great if you are having a medicalised birth or caesarean etc. they were wonderful when my friend's prem baby was born. BUT i have a friend who wanted a natural labour there and they did not handle it very well. she ended up having a lot of intervention she didn't really want. i think they are so good/used to dealing with the medical side of it they are not quite as good wrt the natural side of things iykwim. hth

CrackerOfNuts · 27/04/2008 19:59

Meant to add earlier, that I only had my 3rd at B'ham womens due to complications. Otherwise I would have been more than happy to have him at Good Hope, infact I cried down the phone to my consultant at GH, because I didn't want my care transferred to the womens

CrackerOfNuts · 27/04/2008 20:00

Emma is that the lady who's name starts with J ??

sallysparkle · 27/04/2008 20:01

Had both of mine in Good Hope and can't complain at all. We were treated brilliantly.

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 20:03

CrackerOfNuts- Yes it is (am allowed to say her name?). Anyway, she is lovely and runs a really good drop-in session on Monday afternoons.

CrackerOfNuts · 27/04/2008 20:10

Jackie ?

If so, she is lovely. She ran my antenatal class way back in 1997 when I had Dd1, and when I had Dd2 6 weeks early, she popped in to say Hi and sat and listened to me blubbing. Lovely lady.

emma1977 · 27/04/2008 20:15

Jackie Scott indeed

CrackerOfNuts · 27/04/2008 20:21

Yep thats her

janeite · 27/04/2008 20:27

I had both of mine at the Women's -dd1 with gas and air; dd2 with a birthing pool. It was absolutely fine both times. It does look a bit of a bomb site right now though, with lots of building work going on.

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