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Childbirth

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

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.

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Truffy18 · 27/04/2008 20:52

Am due with my second baby in 2 weeks and booked in at Good Hope. Heard mixed reports but I had my son there in the pool and found the experience great! Lots of support from midwives for breastfeeding. I would recommend it.

Have a friend who works partly at Solihull and Heartlands and wouldn't recommend either - mainly due to lack of SCBU which I have to say would really sway my if I was choosing. I want to be as close to all medical assistance as possible in case the need arises!!

Good luck wherever you choose. I'm sure there's pro's and con's with all, as well as good and bad stories. You're probably just as well picking somewhere 'out of a hat' so to speak!

EachPeachPearMum · 28/04/2008 00:23

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

If this means can you go to consultant led unit if there are complications.... yes!

Had my dd at BWH. I started off at MLU, then was sent up to birthing suites due to meconium. Ended up ecs eventually.

EachPeachPearMum · 28/04/2008 00:24

And in our family we call Good Hope 'No Hope'... and at least 3 members of my family have worked there (but not in midwifery/obs)

AnotherFineMess · 28/04/2008 00:48

Had both of mine at BWH, DD1 in 2005 in delivery suite, DS1 in 2007 in Birth Centre. Both were great but Birth Centre is fantastic, in and out in 12 hours, lovely midwife, lovely room, perfect for me. It's not always entirely clear how to make sure you get to BC though - you need to ask for a suitability assessment at 37 weeks, if it's still the same procedure. I was under a consultant though cos DD1 pre-term, so maybe that's what made it more difficult. Even this doesn't gurantee getting in there though because if DS is busy, BC midwives have to go over there (not during a delivery, of course). It was so worth the slightly complicated process though.

ONly other catch is the antenatel clinics - they are soooo busy, I often had 3-4 hour appointments. Not fun on top of your long drive to get there.

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 28/04/2008 09:00

Wow more posts, thank you!

This thread really confirms my thoughts about people's experiences. It can be very hard to choose somewhere if you have no personal experience of what is in your area as everyone has different expectations and experiences.

So, can you have tours of maternity wards then? And how would I go about arranging that if you can?

Not sure I can stomach the long waits at BW TBH. I have read quite a lot of people saying what you said, AnotherFineMess, I would have to take DS with me and there is no way he could wait that long.

Shall have to see what happens at my booking in, which is tomorrow! Thanks so much for all your help, think we shall be looking towards Good Hope, which I have heard (mainly) good things about and is nice and close.

OP posts:
missmama · 28/04/2008 09:37

I have got as far as LazyLinePainterJane asking about Heartlands, so if you are all full of horror stories after that I have not read them yet.
I had my first two at Heartlands with no complaints. DS1 was a difficult birth (he is 10 in a few weeks) long labour, epi and ventouse eventually. I would not have changed anything, they looked after me and kept me informed at all times, gave me choices all the time and kept to my birth plan as closely as possible even though it was not the birth I had imagined. I even had a 'debrief' with the midwife after at the post natal meet up.
The second was straight forward, more or less in and out, no problems.
I have already chosen it for my DC3 even though I am not due till Christmas, it would not have occured to me to pick anywhere else after teh other two.

missmama · 28/04/2008 09:42

I also wouldnt consider Good Hope
or 'Good Hope no hope ' as it is also known as

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 28/04/2008 09:56
OP posts:
peanutbear · 28/04/2008 09:58

I had my first 2 at GHH which I htought was ok until I had my third in the north west then I realised what a good birth was

vbacqueen1 · 28/04/2008 10:43

Hi LazyLinePainterJane
I generally wouldn't go to GH for anything else, but the maternity unit is good. I've had two babies at Burton (shocking place) and one at Stafford. The care at Stafford was fantastic but they weren't prepared to support me with my last baby as I wanted a VBAC after 3 previous caesareans.
No matter where you choose to give birth, leave as little as you can to chance. What are the most important things to you during labour and delivery? Write yourself a birth plan and then go through it with the Supervisor of Midwives - remember that every decision to be made during your labour and birth is YOURS.
Every labour is different and I know that it's impossible to write a birth plan that will reflect exactly what is going to happen. But you can engineer a great deal of it yourself just by doing a little forward planning. And the more aware that the midwives are of your wishes, the more chance you have of having a really lovely birth.
Sorry for going on, but this is a subject close to my heart. There's no way I would have managed a natural delivery if I hadn't practised what I preach. Good luck, wherever you choose.

emma1977 · 28/04/2008 18:05

Most delivery suites will allow you to go on a tour.

Speak to your midwife about it. You will usually have to contact the delivery suite directly and book onto a tour (usually at weekends as it is less hectic). My husband (who is non-medical) found it really useful and stopped him being scared by it all on the big day.

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 28/04/2008 20:42

Thanks, vbacqueen, you have given me food for thought. Not that I want to think about food right now

Shall look into that emma, thanks for all your advice on this thread

OP posts:
CrackerOfNuts · 28/04/2008 22:13

Agree withvbacqueen, I also wouldn't go to Good Hope for anything else but their maternity care though IMO is good, definatly on a par with Womens or possibly better.

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 29/04/2008 16:55

Well, I went to book in today and said I wanted to go to Good Hope. I have to arrange my own visit as we are out of the area but I shall.

Thank you ever so much everyone!

OP posts:
vbacqueen1 · 29/04/2008 18:36

I was out of area too - caused the odd glitch with my local antenatal clinic at my GPs but nothing major. Book your tour of the unit as soon as possible though as they fill up really quickly.

JAG123 · 30/04/2008 14:46

Hi I had DD1 by emcs at Heartlands 7 years ago & found the care to be ok.

I had DD2 at Solihull on 31/1/08 was supposed to be elective section but she has other ideas & arrived in quick 3 hour labour a day before she was due. I received excellent care both ante & postnatal. There is the worry of no SCBU or pediatrican on site but I think that some of the MWs have had specialized training. In fact My B/F gave birth there yesterday sadly there was a problem with the baby & she was transferred to Heartlands. My friend is coming home.

From a distance point of view I was glad I went to Solihull as I nearly gave birth in the car as it was wouldn't of made it further. I am just down the road from you in Fordbridge.

Good Luck with wherever you choose

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 02/05/2008 09:15

Is your friend's baby ok JAG?

OP posts:
JAG123 · 02/05/2008 12:02

I think she is going to be ok. The muscles at the back of her throat have not joined together. I'm not sure if that is what they call a cleft palate. It was picked up when she had her first feed. She is still in Heartlands at the moment & has to be fed with special bottles. She will have an operation at 6 months which should correct the problem, she may have to have speech therapy & possibly have earing probs although I think that this is worst case.
Its going to be very hard for my friend, she already has 3 other young children (oldest being 6)& she doesn't drive either. I will be there to support her as much as I can.
I am just thankful that it is not life threatening.

milliec · 03/05/2008 11:20

Message withdrawn

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 03/05/2008 18:48

I have heard very mixed views about the womens, millie. A lot of quite opposite views as well, seems that people seem to love it or hate it. Can't be doing with the waiting at appointments though!

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TinkerbellesMum · 04/05/2008 16:13

I haven't read the whole thread, but I can't recommend The Women's highly enough.

I had my first daughter born at 20 weeks, they kept me in for about 5 days just as long as I wanted and looked after my whole family in that time.

They took a lot of time to find out why I had my daughter - she was born alive so no PM as she must have been strong. They treated me for it and got me a referral to one of the best doctors for my condition in the country (who just happens to be at the QE) who's team I was also under during my pregnancy.

When pregnant with Tink they had me in every couple of weeks at the start, I was under three teams to cover all our needs. They took me in from 20-24 weeks for reassurance, listened to baby on the four hour checks and weekly scans. When I came out I had three scans a week. At one point I had strong BH so they had me in for five days to be sure.

Tink was born at 31 weeks under GA as I had to have an emergency section. They kept me in for two weeks to be close to her and made breastfeeding a priority. No one left unable to breastfeed who wanted to. When she came off the unit we spent a week on the ward to get used to each other.

The hospital is like a hotel, it is clean and comfortable. It is the only hospital around here that doesn't have MRSA or C-Diff.

I know people who have been under other hospitals whose experiences make me glad to have been under The Women's. I know who trains them in breastfeeding and they are all really good and very pro-breastfeeding, but they're also supportive to those who don't.

I have heard bad things said about TWH, but having spent a lot longer than most there I know that they are on the whole really good.

TinkerbellesMum · 04/05/2008 16:22

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

It's all one hospital, you will be seen and give birth all in the same place as anyone else - the Birthing Centre and Delivery Suite are separate but literally next door to each other - so there's always doctors on hand when needed.

I know a lady who had her baby while I was in for my long stay. She was breech and had a row on the staff for wanting to deliver naturally (4th child). Because she stood up for herself she did get her natural birth, entonox for pain relief and only a MW and student MW (she let her go with her because she was looking after us on the ward) there. If you are MW led you should have a better chance of getting a natural birth. Neither time was I pushed into pain relief. I had entonox first time and nothing until I had the GA the second time.

TinkerbellesMum · 04/05/2008 16:31

And in our family we call Good Hope 'No Hope'

Good Grief
Good God

The list is endless.

My dad worked at Heartlands, my nephew had a serious disorder missed at Heartless and ended up being rushed to The Kids to have emergency surgery when it should have been handled differently; my m/c was at Solihull (to the sounds of babies crying) and I wouldn't want to go to either to have a baby (or A&E or anything else for that matter. Dad found the dump comment funny)

Original poster
LazyLinePainterJane · 04/05/2008 17:01

Thanks, TM...

Someone upthread mentioned that BW is oversubscribed, do you have to be a higher risk to get in do you know?

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TinkerbellesMum · 04/05/2008 18:02

Nope, my first pregnancy went straight there and I was a normal pregnancy, same with Lily-Hope, it was only Tink that was high risk. I don't think it's oversubscribed as in they have a waiting list, just that they are very popular and tend to be busy.