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Childbirth

Did you give birth in Norfolk? Homebirth? N&N? Are there any other options?

47 replies

totalmisfit · 29/09/2009 10:15

I'm due to give birth to dc2 in January and as i'm still fairly new to the area i'd love to hear from some other mums who've given birth in the county either at home or hospital. I'm trying to weigh up the two options i'm aware of at the moment. I gave birth in an awful London hospital with dd, 3.6 yrs ago and i'm keen to have a better experience this time around.

Here are some questions; how did you feel you were treated by the midwives and doctors at N&N?

Are there any other birth centres or hospitals worth considering?

If you had a homebirth, how did you find the community midwives etc?

thanks

OP posts:

Report

kitkatqueen · 03/10/2009 21:19

my goodness, 3 people from norfolk each with 4 children posting one after the other?? Is 4 kids the new meaning for NFN???

VicarInaBooTu · 03/10/2009 21:49

i gave birth to DS in N&N hossie. really hated my hospital experience but then the midwife was arsy and got a bollocking from her supervisor mid way through my labour - this was 17 years ago i hasten to add - it was ok ish but i think i got a bum deal as i was very young (and i think frowned upon!) at the time
the best bit was going to Eye maternity hospital for 7 days afterwards - OMG it was like a hotel! i loved it! fish and chips on friday...is that still there? it was bloody fantastic. id go back there tomorrow for a holiday! try and get into Eye if you can...

i had my second child at home but not in that region. had a lovely time.

4madboys · 03/10/2009 22:01

yes there is a midwife led birthing centre in eye, its still there and VERY good, i wanted to use it but it was a bit too far to drive.

know people that have tho and it is highly recomended

OnlyWantsOneFartleBerry · 03/10/2009 22:13

Hi - I am on the Suffolk / Norfolk border. Cant say much about N and N but would strongly advise you against going to James Pagent in Gorleston. We shant go into it - just don't.

I would have lost my DD if I had listened to my consultant there.

Gilchrist in Eye is amazing. The staff are all lovely, and local - and would be really supportive. They no longer to the 7 day respite care post natal I am afraid. You are in - pop - and out.

I do think that you have to be registered at the Eye doctors surgery in order to have your baby there though.

(I had to change doctors)

Any hoo - I ended up being transfered to Ipswich - which was amazing. Old crap dirty mank hospital, but It all depends on the MW that is on duty and with you I am afriad.

I would go there again.

I think in all cases, you just have to be lucky.

All the best

Only x

GhostWriter · 04/10/2009 10:28

NFN.

How did I not know about this birthing centre? Very, very interesting...

4madboys · 04/10/2009 19:20

lots of people in norfolk dont know about the birthing centre, its very annoying.

anyone can use it and you dont have to change dr surgery or anthing as they just provide midwife care, you still see your regular gp for anything else.

it seems the gilchrist centre in eye is a well kept secret, partly i think as there is lots of talk about administrators wanting to close it down, they say its not economically viable and not getting used enough.

its not getting used enough because women arent TOLD that it exists.

totalmisfit · 04/10/2009 19:32

oh lordy, such a lot to take in!

i had no idea Norfolk had so many MNers! Helllooo to you all!

Right, i'm going to give the birthing centre in Eye a ring tomorrow and see if i can arrange a visit. it really is a bit far for me but sounds fab. Let's hope they don't close it down before January...

OP posts:

4madboys · 04/10/2009 19:44

where in norfolk are you? i am in norwich, well about a 20min walk from the city centre.

came to uni here and met dp and we both stayed after having ds1 whilst we were at uni

the birth centre is really nice and they were lovely when i spoke to them, i think initially i just left a message on an answer machine and they called me back.

am sure they wont close it down before january, good luck with your pregnancy.

do any norfolk/norwich mums fancy meeting up?

i dont post on mumsnet much, i find it a bit big, i am a regular on BMC but its always nice to meet up with local mums

totalmisfit · 07/10/2009 09:34

thanks 4madboys - still got to give them a ring; it's just one thing after another at the moment! How sweet that you and your dp met at Uni . My dh went to UEA too - studied Politics between 1997-2000 if i remember correctly; don't know if that overlaps with your time there?

I think a meetup would be a great idea - count me in! (can do afternoons mainly as dd at nursery in the mornings).

OP posts:

totalmisfit · 07/10/2009 09:36

forgot to say, i'm on the norfolk coast, nr Cromer, but dd's at nursery in North Walsham, so we're not far from Norwich most days...

OP posts:

peanutbutterkid · 07/10/2009 14:24

Hi TM, I am in North Walsham, but would love an excuse to cycle out to Overstrand some time, if you want to meet up. Thursdays are particularly a blank for me, so some kind of social outing then would be fabulous.

Do you breastfeed or maybe intend to? Do you know about the BabyCafe in Mundesley on a Thursday morning 10am-noon, Children's Centre behind the Fire Station? Good cakes and socialising.

Pannacotta · 07/10/2009 16:27

I had both DSs at home in Norwich, I didnt fancy hospital as I have a bit of a hospital allergy!

The midwife care was good during pregnancy and the community midwives were ok though they didnt help clear up at all at either birth. I remember loading the washing machine with bloody dust sheets etc a few days after DS1 was born which wasn't great.

My MW for both pregnancies did tell me about the unit in Eye and I would have gone there had I not had my home birth.

totalmisfit · 09/10/2009 11:32

oh bless you peanutbutterkid - weirdly enough i'm in N Walsham most mornings (dd at nursery) which would save you cycling! Thursdays are one of my busiest but any other day of the week would be lovely

yep, i'll be breastfeeding again (oh my poor saggy boobs, i dread to think what they'll look like when dc2 has finished with 'em -tmi alert) will definitely try the baby cafe as i'll be even more keen to find things to do once the lo arrives.

OP posts:

BonjourIvresse · 09/10/2009 11:53

I was advised against the Gilchrist when I mentioned it to my midwife - she said it was shabby and under resourced, and advised me to have a home birth instead.

I'm in Norwich btw

kitkatqueen · 09/10/2009 22:55

4madboys whats bmc?

VicarInaBooTu · 09/10/2009 23:13

when i gave birth in Norich i lived on the Norfolk/Suffolk border - a village called Fressingfield, not far from Harlston.

Eye was just wonderful, couldnt recommend it highly enough

my sis also went to Eye, and she thought the same. it really is a wonderful facility.

i had moved back to Yorkshire by the time i had my second, and there i had a home birth. but yes - id look into Eye (scuse the pun!!)

BonjourIvresse · 11/10/2009 21:38

My midwife clearly had some other agenda then, dissing the unit in Eye. Its a shame, becuaseI would have gone there if she hadn't put me off...

If you have to transfer from Eye do you have to go to JP or N & N or ... Ipswich?

kitkatqueen · 11/10/2009 22:13

Make sure you go dressed from head to toe in green and yellow - they will never send you to Ipswich dressed like that

totalmisfit · 14/10/2009 09:31

thanks vicarinabootu - good to hear another positive story about Gilchrist. it's probably between this and a homebirth now.

OP posts:

Fleecy · 14/10/2009 22:30

I'm in Norwich and had HB first time - midwives were fab and very supportive. However, if they're busy at the N&N they won't come out so you would have to be very firm and make it clear as soon as you've decided.

While I was pushing, one midwife was with me, the other was on the phone to a poor lady in labour, explaining to her that she couldn't have a HB as they were with me and there wasn't anyone else to come out. Lady was crying on the phone

Went to N&N second time round as had Group B strep. Delivery staff and suite fab, post-natal not so good because they were horribly overworked and just couldn't get everything done. I had a 3rd degree tear and didn't have pain relief for hrs, had to keep asking as they were always in the middle of something and kept forgetting. Also, they had so much paperwork to do, medication to get etc that although I was supposed to be discharged mid-morning, I didn't get out until 6pm. Not their fault - just not enough people there to give proper care to everyone. It's not a job I'd want to do!

Fleecy · 14/10/2009 22:34

Ooh, forgot to say (despite epic post!) I've never heard of the birth centre until now. Can't believe it's never been mentioned!

kitkatcadaverqueen · 15/10/2009 18:14

hi fleecy - I'd not heard of it until now either. There must be a reason why... will ask the next m/wife I come across...

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