Which hospital for a Kent Birth - Pembury, or Farnborough (PRU) Hospital?

[wethree]

hi everyone. i live in sevenoaks and i'm expecting number two in Feb 2010.

i had a long but uncomplicated birth with my DS at the Pru in Nov 06. complaints were that the ante natal care being shared with Kings is disjointed and difficult to get to and hte post natal care i received was shocking (non existent). however, it was clean, food was ok and nothing disastrous happened! i did pay for a separate room after i'd delivered which was nice but i was completely ignored to the point where i thought they'd fogotten about me. no help with breast feeding offered.

i've heard mixed things about both hospitals and was looking for any advice or tips on which to go for this time round? i realise your perception can be hugely influenced by the handful of people you happen to encounter during labour but tyring to work out whether to give Pembury a shot this time.

Thanks in advance

mums

Don't worry. Am assuming you have a supportive dh/p?

I think it's highly unlikely they will want you to go into labour naturally, especially with baby 2 being trans. Have they given you next appt date?

I know it's not ideal but what about asking for an elective? Given your history of fast labour, I think this would be the safest option. Babies are a good size. Lungs should be ok within the next week or 2. however as babies are a good size, they may not wait that long.

Am just gonna check something for you, I'll be back.

next app. is on 9th Sept....and they have booked me for a scan on 23rd sept..

(they seem to think Im going to make it this far !!)

and noooo mention of what to do in the meantime...

other than feed these babies till they are huge beasts ...

Have not read all of thread but I had my DS at Pembury in 2004, it was not a good experience.

I had my first at Crowborough in the water with no pian relief, which was excellent, but suffered a massive PPH after due to unDX underactivethyroid so was considered high risk and they wouldn't have me!)

There were issues with ever aspect of my pre and post natal care, also with the care that DS had on SCBU and ward.

I had an active GBS infection and despite it being flagged in highlighter etc all over my notes that I should have AB cover and that my first labour was precipitous (sp) (got to hosp at 9.5 cms DD born 20 mins later) I was sent home whilst in labour twice without being given any ABs. I was told not to return until my contractions were X long and X mins apart - I politely pointed out that with my first I didn't get that far before she was born!

Anyway I won't frighten or bore you with the details, but lets say I got my ABs 6 mins before DS was born. The anaethetist never made it and DS nearly didn't either He is left with permanent damage from poor care during/after birth. (bumped from SCBU at 26 hrs old due to bed pressures, crash returned 14 hours later when I had been trying to convince them something was not right for 11 hours) I have received a written apology from the (now disgraced/sacked) CE - that makes it all better

In their defence, they have been perilously understaffed for the last 6+ years and are now nearly up to full levels.

But there was no excuse for some of the treatment I experienced - like when I didn't know if my baby would live not being given info, not being allowed to see him for hours, being put on a ward full of mothers with new babies between the sluice and the loo (so disturbed by banging doors all night) and opposite a heroin addict who had twins born addicted that screamed in their high pitched withdrawing (until you've heard the cry you cannot imagine the difference) as she sat outside all night, leaving feeding and trips to SCBU for their methadone injections to the staff, and smoked ringing the ward bell to return ever few hours waking the whole ward up. Surely basic human kindness to give me some privacy away from parents with healthy babies?

OMG Marma

another dreadful experience !!

Hope your DS is OK now....what a horrific enterance into the world !!!

its shocking these hospitals think an apology letter fixes everything !!

Makes you want to scream from rooftops at the disgusting lack of care & attention our NHS hospitals get away with giving !!!

(could you imagine any of our MP's having to endure this !!) the hospital would be sued or closed down !!

Ive never heard of such a dreadful experience at Pembury before........

To send you home twice whilst in labour..(knowing the history of your previos labour!!).kind of suggests they couldnt give a care even from the start...!!!

my mind would be filled with what ifs !! for months afterwards....

Thanks for sharing your story........
xxx

Thanks mumsy, sadly DS not ok now.

The what ifs still continue 5 years on.

Whilst preg with DS we bought a much bigger house with the intention of having a larger family,but I cannot face the thought of another birth like that.

Also DS' needs are fairly high (5 yrs old, cannot feed or dress, still in nappies, needs daily physio, special splints/adapted footwear, uses a wheelchair sometimes, doesn't sleep much due to painful muscle contractions, muscles so weak he cannot sit properly, cannot speak properly or communcate very well etc) so the practicalities of having another are not sensible even if I could get over my fear.

Cannot believe you havent been compensated for all this !!!

(they gave you an apology letter...for causing such lifechanging suffering to your DS !!)

not that compensation would change how you feel...but would def. help towards allowing constant help throughout his dear life.

The outcome of this pg could have been soo different..had they had treated you properly and taken your concerns seriously !!

I would have wanted to take vengance on those that failed to give appropriate care...leading to this outcome....
I wouldnt blame you if you had wanted to shoot them !!

I wouldnt let it put you off wanting to have a larger family though...

NOT AT PEMBURY OBVIOUSLY !!

if you've the time to take care of other children....then you should go ahead !!
dont let them ruin what could be a huge & wonderful family for you...!!!
Brothers & sisters to love & play with your DS ...

PS...are you still local (in Kent)?

We lived in Horsmonden for a while....had my DS2 in pembury in 2000 ....
but now moved further up A21.

just thought I should add my most recent experiences of the PRUH....

I had my doubts (after my terrible experience in the A&E at xmas with my MC)

however.....I have repeatedly been admitted to antenatal wards at PRUH for numerous probs towards end of my PG...over 4 times now....with stays of up to 4 days at a time.

I have recieved super care from the huge majority of midwives on delivery suite and antenatal ward.......
the staff (bar 2 ladies) have been extremely kind and helpful, always listened to my worries & I was well looked after.

It had been an extremely busy month...(understandably....with so many ladies conceiving at xmas/new year parties...!!!)
...
not that ..that was my situation.....but the staff did mention sept..is always an extremely hectic month.......so they are so rushed off their feet....
yet still I received helpful & friendly service....

I was always polite to the nurses & never demanded anything now ......if you treat them with respect....this will be returned.

there were however a few patients who were rude to staff & buzzed for ridiculous things.......which certainly doesnt help the situation...!!!

I only had 2 nurses who upset me...mainly by being too rough, jabbing their fingers in my abdomen too hard..(enough to make me yelp in pain) absolutely no need for them to have done it as they were only trying to carry out a CTG !!!!
said ladies also didnt ever smile at me....and when I requested water ( I was soooo dehydrated & unable to move at the time) ...or to have my CTG straps removed so I could go toilet...they wouldnt return until nearly hours later...(knowing I was desperate for these thing too!!!) would have taken them a second to do it there & then....but they seemed to want to make me miserable !!!!

I thought it was just me.....maybe being too sensitive.....but most women also got hurt by these same 2 women....and also neglected for hours.....1 poor lady (in her late 30's) opposite my bed cried when this MW did a sweep on her...as she was soooo unneccasarilly rough.....the MW just said " it needs to be rough to make it work !!!" however the nicer staff who did her following sweep were nowhere near as rough to her!!!

so .....anyways....when i go back....I may mention to the SHO about the conduct of these 2 MW's ......just to inform them......
but as said......all the other nursing staff were lovely....and I believe these same staff also deal with the postnatal mums too......

I would esp want to say thanks to a very lovely MW, who depite being soooo overworked...was a fatastic lady....so i shall mention her here...I trhink she is called Louise ?? and she was truly lovely xxx

Glad to hear you had a good experience at the PRUH, mumsylady. Just to say though - don't mention the conduct of those two mws to the SHO because it won't mean a thing to him or her - tell the ward manager or midwifery manager!