Royal Sussex - Brighton - Any experiences?

[AlexandJabba]

Hi

Moving to Brighton at the beginning of August with baby due at the beginning of September. Contemplating either returning to Yorkshire (where my parents live) or having baby in Brighton. However, I've seen a couple of really bad reviews of the Royal Sussex and would like to hear any 'mumsnet' opinions or reviews ....

Thanks

Hi, I've just returned home from having my baby there on Saturday by emergency section. The team who delivered my baby were absolutely great. Post natal ward had a mix of midwives, some of whom were very lovely, none of whom were horrible. I had lots of attention for the first 2 or 3 days then it tailed off a bit. Sometimes they forgot to give me painkillers etc if I was asleep when the drugs trolley came round and some of the m/ws were very very pushy with breastfeeding - I decided to let them bully me a bit though as it was something I wanted to do.

They have a locally famous high dependency unit on the top floor which is great if your baby needs it, I'd say go for it. I had a terrible experience with my first at a highly recommended hospital, so you just don't know... good luck!

Have only heard good things from 5-6 friends who gave birth there although the reputation isn't great in general. No earth shatteringly amazing care, but yeah, fine. I hear staff are breast feeding obsessives though... But I suppose it's better than the other way around.
Best of luck!

DH had routine surgery there recently though and that area was like a field hospital (old, dirty, cramped, no privacy). However staff were great and he was fine in the end.

i like it.

labour bit was pretty good - post natal ward more variable.

gorgeous views from the delivery suites too.

I've had "aftercare" there twice - which I don't rate very highly, and for my DD I was under their "Bond" team of midwifes - a special team for high risk pregnancies - total bolleaux! - never saw the same person twice. All the staff seem very nice mind you and in an emergency I'm sure they can't be faulted. I was induced for DD and had the pool which was great and you do indeed get nice views!. I think they're up against it a bit staff wise but they still do a remarkable job considering. If it's not your first and everythings straightforward you'll hopefully be able to skip the aftercare bit. Or maybe you could opt for a homebirth? A lot of people do around here. If you do have to stay in, a good tip is to ask for an "amenity bed" This way as long as its not neded for an emergency you can get a room to yourself.

I only spent 15 minutes in labour there before DC3 arrived and the labour ward was quiet at the time. The room was flooded with staff as soon as the proverbial hit the fan.

The post-natal care was much better than I'd expected. DC was on 4hourly obs, so we were checked regularly, but the other women on the ward seemed to have no problems getting m/w support too.

Some of the b/f advice was laughable though.

I think it's like any NHS hospital: the level of care depends on how busy they are. They have a very quick turn over of beds, so CS-ers were being discharged in under 2 days.

My major concern, based only on my experience, is that they seem to have an extraordinarly high C-section rate. 6 women went through my ward in a 30 hour period and i was the only one to have a vaginal delivery.

To me, that suggests at best 'labour management by clipboard & stopwatch', at worst a lack of experienced 1-to-1 midwifery care during labour.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I've decided to go back to my parents in yorkshire to have baby. It's my first and I'm really keen on an 'active birth' of which Harrogate hospital are really good about and I'd like to be near my mum and all my sisters have given birth at the same hospital and have had excellent care, during and after the birth.

Thanks again.