Southmead Hospital - Birth Suite

[MrsJeff]

Afternoon all

I've done a quick search for related threads and no luck, so apologies if this has already been discussed previously!

We are due to have our baby in February and had opted to go to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, ideally making use of a birth suite with a pool. However, in recent ante-natal classes it's become really clear that there is a significant chance they won't have room either in a birth suite or a suite with a pool, which puts me in a normal delivery room, which I really don't want.

I've started looking into homebirth, but it's clear that DH is worried about all the "what-ifs" that go with that, and so I was really asking whether any of you had had experiences either at Southmead or at another hospital where they have birth suites, and what you made of them? Am I getting worried over nothing? What is also bothering me is that it is looking very unlikely that we'll be able to visit the hospital before D-Day as all tours have been suspended because of swine flu, so I can't even go and put my mind at rest that way!

Any advice/ pointers gratefully accepted....

I had DD and DS1 at Southmead...2005 and 2006.

We only moved to Bristol shortly before DD so I didn't know they had the suite! It looked nice enough...mats and rocking chairs etc. But I had DD in delivery suite after a fairly striaghtforward labour because I had her 2 days after discovering the birth suite and hadn't expressed a preference for it. MW I had usually worked on birth suite and was excellent. And no pool in my room but a massive bath which would be good if you fancied some time in the water (from recollection a few of the rooms had a bath in them).

DS1 was emcs at 30 weeks and again staff etc fab. In fact I spent quite a bit of time on the ante-natal ward, the day assessment unit and delivery suite with DS1 and everyone was helpful and kind and pleasant...felt in good hands even when it was busy and pressured. DS1 had 7 weeks in NICU. Again great care. I also rate their post-natal wards as pretty good as in they looked after me and baby, showed me how to BF and bath baby, gave me drugs when I needed them . Although they were busy!

Ideally I would have liked the birthing suite both times round but it wasn't to be. However, I thought the MWs/doctors I had were properly listening to my wishes and "got" me quickly, and they seemed to be supportive of as little intervention as necessay/desired (by me) even with DS1.

That being said I know a few people who also had fab homebirths in Bristol...one had 4 MWs (3 fully qualified and 1 student MW) in attendance because the shift changed but they stayed to see baby born.

Hi LouLou - thanks for that - it's very reassuring. I think the main positive at Southmead is that their midwives are so supportive of intervening as little as possible and I need to remember that regardless of where I end up. And good to hear about the bath - that's the bit I'm most concerned about having heard from so many people that water helped them through the hardest bits of labour...lots to think about! I'm pretty terrible at making decisions at the best of times and this is a biggie!

I had ds in the normal delivery suite at Southmead. Tbh I was so in denial about the birth had not made any choices about where or how. Was irrelelvant anyhow as he came at 34 plus 5 so technicaly premmie so had to be in delivery suite. The midwife was excellent and the room spacious, I had a birthing ball and huge bath (didn't use it during labour as it was quite quick, but it was nive afterwards). If I am being totaly honest unless you go in in the early stages by the time you get into proper labour you won't much notice/care where you are . It's nice to think you can create a certain experience (and some people can) but lots of things that happen are byond your control.....The main thing is to have a suportive and attentive midwife and nearly everyone I know who has given birth at Southmead has foudn this to be so...... In summary it may seem like a 'biggie' at the moment but without wanting to be dimsissive I'm not sure it will be as important in the heat of the moment ifykwim...

I have had 2 babies at southmead and had totally mixed experiances.
Ds was born in 2007 and I had a 3rd degree tear so ended up having a op straight after the birth as I needed quite a bit of repair work to be done.
Was then taken to a ward which had far too many people in it and not enough staff. they didnt get me breakfast even though I couldnt get out of bed and I didnt feel like everything was evplained to me very wekll.
the following summer I had dd. This was a totally different experiance. I too wanted to give birth in water but by the time i dilly dallied to the hosp I was so far gone that they literally got me on a bed and I began pushing. I had an amazing midwife. she was lovely. I was also put on another ward afterwards think it was percy phillips i was on.
This was rooms with 4 beds in each and a bathroom to share. the staff were really supportive in helping me bf and even though they were very very busy (there was a massive heat wave so everyone was hvaing their babies that day!) they allowed me to stay in a few days extra to just bond with dd and get used to having another baby.... ds wasn't even 1 at the time so it was aa bit scary.

I think its a nice clean hosp and even if you dont get the birthing room with the pool the others are ok and you do get to a certain point in the labour where you really dont care where you are so I wouldnt worry too much about it.

maybe have a look on google. im pretty sure there are some pics online of the 2 different types of room. (i had both of mine in exactly the same room )

I had DS in the birth suite in 2007 and it was FANTASTIC got the waterbirth that I wanted and the staff were fantastic. Hoping to have next baby there in early Jan so will be happy to let you know my experience as I am hoping for the birth suite again.

However as others have said the ethos at southmead is very much one of active labour and encouraging of natural birth so I hope whatever happens I will be ok.... will let you know!

Thank you everyone - that is all really helpful and I think you are right - they have been really clear that I won't be allowed near the place until the baby is about to put in an appearance so it may be that I'm getting my knickers in a twist about what could turn out to be a pretty short visit (fingetrs crossed!).

It's not really a case of setting my heart on something and then I'll be devastated if it doesn't go to plan - I'm trying to keep my expectations pretty realistic - but more a case of knowing and being as prepared as much as possible. I'm a bit of a control freak so the best I can do is know what the various possibilities are and then I won't panic (hopefully!).

I think you are all right when you say the midwife care is the most important thing - and that's Southmead seem to be really good at - regardless of the types of deliveries you have had.

Thank you for replying!