Ninewells, Dundee or Forth Park, Kirkcaldy

[Whitetara]

I live between the two and am currently seriously considering Ninewells. Does anyone have any experience of giving birth in either and can tell me something about their reputations? TIA

Gave birth at ninewells, and they got me and ds through a difficult birth. Midwives were great. Some down sides tho - its very busy- they couldn't fit me into the labour ward so spent the first 12 hours in the ante-natal ward, and they are not so good - made my second birth partner sit in the cafe for the whole time i was in there as they only let one person in. And the ward you are in afterwards is busy and they wake you up rudely for painkillers. I transfered to Perth as soon after as I could, just for some peace.
This was all in the medical ward - I don't know if they have got the widwife centre open yet, it should (thoretically) be better if its a straight forward birth.

I know someone who gave birth at Ninewells last week and said it was filthy . She transferred quickly to Perth which has a fab revamped unit - sorry if that info is no good to you.
I gave birth at Ninewells 3 years ago and while I don't have any major complaints I did think it was very busy and the nurses were rushing about all the time.

I gave birth in Ninewells in April and thought it was fine. Midwives were very nice. I was lucky though because it happened to be very quiet when I was there, and I was too wasted on the gas and air to know any different anyway. I went home the same day as I couldn't rest properly there, I can never sleep properly in hospitals.
Ninewells wasn't my first choice. I was going to go to the midwife led unit in Arbroath. There is also one in Montrose and the MLU at ninewells has also recently opened. I'd highly recommend Arbroath or Montrose MLU as they are so relaxed, the postnatal rooms are absolutely amazing, and there's no pressure on how long you stay/visitors etc. They welcome you any time during your pregnancy, to go in, look around, talk to staff (who are so friendly). I am sad I didn't have my baby there but I had a high risk pregnancy in the end so it wasn't advised.

Ninewells have been just amazing to us - we lost a baby at 21 weeks, and I've had a molar pregnancy, as well as dd - we have been treated like royalty, and nothing has been too much trouble. I've got nothing but good to say about them, and have always found it very clean. Yes, it's busy, but I've found the staff really dedicated and really give a damn.

Don't go to forth park. If you can, please book at Ninewells!!
I live in the area that FP covers but chose to have dc in Edinburgh.

Ninewells has very nice soup, too. Odd but true.

Think the NW MLU might be a really good option - handy access to labour ward if there are serious complications (unlike perth, etc, which are lovely, but an ambulance is involved if things get problematic). Don't know anyone who has given birth there yet.

I must say I'm really interested in the mw unit at nw, but hear there's some strict criteria you need to meet to be "allowed" to birth there, although the regular delivery wards I guess should be ok.

I'm still not all that sure about how much difference there is between regular hospital births and midwife units, as they sound quite similar to me except more equipment visible in the hopsital. Can you still walk around and do all the active stuff in a private room?

I'm also in an area which FP serves as it's in the same council - everyone I know has had their babies there.

FlappyTheBat - are you able to share the inside information??

I had DD in Edinburgh and although the staff were nice, in hindsight I was not given adequate post natal support. I guess Simpsoms is even busier than Ninewells.

IME there is a world of difference between labouring in a MLU and a labour ward. The difference even in atmosphere make a huge difference to the experience.

I gave birth in ninewells and went out of my way to make sure i didn't the next time, the biggest issue is how busy everyone is, it's not such an issue in MLU.

I'd got the impression that they were moving all low risk cases by default to the MLU. I had dd in the normal labour suite - as well as a bed, there was a mat, gym balls, extra pillows, etc etc - my legs turned to jelly and I gave birth on the bed on my back! - but the mw was happy to support whatever I wanted to do. She was fab, actually. I'd call and ask about the MLU, if I were you. When are you due?

There's a tv in the delivery room, so dd was born as DH and the consultant watched Deal or No Deal. Am saving for dd's therapy at that one... We stayed in the room for an hour or so later - they brought us a payphone to make calls, made me and DH cups of tea, etc. Post natal ward was busy, but I found it really friendly, but I didn't have any problems with pain or feeding, so wasn't really looking for much in the way of PN support.

I guess my experience is different, as dd1 had a fatal condition, and we were treated so incredibly well, and so kindly, that I know that we owe a lot - including my mental health and a healthy dd2 to NW - my perspective isn't that of a "normal" mother, though, i suppose. But when you really, really need them, they are bloody amazing, and that counts for so much to me.

have friends who have delivered at FP and although 1 had a very positive experience, the others said they wished they'd delivered elsewhere.

I live about the same distance from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy, so delivered there.

Plus, doing what I do, felt safer going to a bigger hospital incase of any problems, that's as much inside info I can safely give

Simpson's is very busy as it's dealing with far more deliveries than it was designed to do. Plus when the maternity unit was moved out of the old Simpsons, one postnatal ward and one antenatal ward were "lost", so the rising birthrate is increasing the pressure on the reduced number of beds.

Sil gave birth at Perth this year in the new unit and I was very impressed with it and with the postnatal support she got. Ninewells would have been their other option I think but (on secondhand opinion of course) it sounds like the medical care would be excellent but the postnatal support a bit lacking. Perth midwivs told sil to ask for a transfer to them asap if she did end up delivering in Dundee because they were really priding themselves in what they could offer in that in the smaller unit.

I transferred to Ninewells for a CS after attempting HB with DS1 nearly 4 years ago and everything and everyone up to delivery was absolutely fantastic. Post natal ward was very busy tho and none of the midwives had much time - think that's probably true of most places. Have friends who've given birth in both NW and Forth Park and had good experiences tho. Had a friend whose DS had shoulder dystocia (sp?) in NW and she said the midwives were brilliant

3 weeks ago gave birth at Forth Park. I have to say that they were extremely kind and dedicated in their dealings with me and without them going beyond the call of duty i wouldnt have faired half as well i do now.

I think it really just comes down to who is working at the time you go into labour and how busy they are. and I think it's the same, no matter where you choose to birth. I've had 3 births at Ninewells - first was AWFUL (felt like a uterus on a trolley!) second was a stillbirth at 28wks and again, it was awful. I was literally left alone in a room for 90mins after so I could wait for a doctor as "it's not worth phoning him as he's due in soon anyway!" DS3 was born there last year though and it was AMAZING!! I had 2 fantastic midwives who really made it a truly great experience (as much as childbirth can be anyway!)

The postnatal care wasn't bad but then I wasn't expecting anything and I left as soon as possible anyway - much prefer to be at home than sitting in a roasting hospital...

Anyway, I think I'm just saying, it's a personal choice as to where you want to be and just hope that you are lucky with the midwives you get.

good luck

Some really interesting replies and so many different experiences. I guess the larger hospitals are better maybe for medical care when needed, but maybe are a bit busy when it comes to post natal care (which is where Simpsons lacked).

I guess what I'm looking for now is privacy, comfort and reassurance if things go wrong.

My daughter was born in a regular delivery room (no beanbags or cushions) with an epidural after an attempt at an all natural home birth.

I guess one of the worst things for me aside from the transfer from home to hospital in late labour, was getting a third degree tear and my milk not coming in for weeks, and being left on soiled sheets and in nothing but a bra and light sheet (while attached to catheter and drip so I couldn't reach my nightstand) until the nightshift arrived (I gave birth at 10:30 am). It was almost impossible to pick up my daughter without giving the entire ward a bit of a flash and I was too out of it to even think about what I needed.

My current midwives say I'm better off at a mlu and keeping things natural to try and avoid any injury. We prefer nw because the route is more straight forward for us, we are familiar with it. My only concern is that they have some kind of selection criteria for the mlu and I'm not sure if my previous labour problems would put me at disadvantage.

I'm seeing the consultant at nw in a couple of weeks and will probably ask to be considered. It's just that everyone I know locally has had their baby at forth park and it seems that noone I know has done it at dundee, so for that reason it's really interesting and useful to hear a range of experiences.

I had both of my Sons at Ninewells and they were fabulous. Lovely and very accomodating. I felt very safe and secure in their hands. A really nice positive experience! Best of luck x

Habbibu and Asuwere - I wanted to just say, so sorry for the losses you both experienced and thank you for sharing them. Must have been awful, but reassuring that the hospital was good in those circumstances.

I've just got back from my latest visit to NW (was somewhat thrown by having a student in with me and I forgot to ask a couple of questions, but that's another story).

I don't fit the criteria for the MWLU at Ninewells - because of the tear, but also, it turns out, because I'm too old (the cut off is 35 and I'm 36).

I was told the rooms in both units are very similar (although I wasn't able to see either), but the obstectric unit has more visible equipment. And further that both consultant and midwife led unit rooms at Forth Park are very similar to those at NW (except that NW is newer) - info from the student doctor who had done placements in all three hospitals.

Apparently the rooms are private in the consultant unit at NW - though info on Dr Foster seems to imply otherwise...

I'm afraid I have some more questions about the medical unit at NW:

How did you guys find the facilities, for example, did you find the lack of a birth pool an issue?

How freely could you move about and walk around?

What was privacy like?

Were you able to bring CDs in?

How keen were they to give you pain relief - for instance did they encourage a more natural approach or did they offer drugs even if not asked for?

Did they have beanbags/comfortable places to change position?

Sorry for all these questions - I wanted to look at the delivery suite but they said they were very busy and that they had stopped doing tours.

I've had all three of my children at Forth Park and had 3 really good birth experiences. All the midwives I've come across in the midwife led unit and in the wards have been fantastic.

I only know one person who lives near me who chose to go to Ninewells - she then chose to go to Forth Park for her second.

When I had DS3, I was actually in a room with a pool - do they not have one at all now in the regular bit, is it only in the MWLU? I might have just been very lucky - it was before the MLU opened so they may have just been testing, not sure... But the room I was in had a pool and lots of cushions etc and in fact, there wasn't a bed!

I was allowed to do whatever I wanted - walking around etc... I was having a VBAC but didn't have CFM or anything... It might have just been my fab midwives though - not sure what's 'standard'.

Privacy was fine I think - I don't remember it being an issue anway.

I think you can take in CDs but you also have to take your own CD player as I don't think they have them available.

Pain relief - I had pool and G&A. I had asked for an epidural to be ready for me coming in but they encouraged me to use the pool instead! Again, could just be my midwives.

Not sure if any of that helps but good luck!