Harlow vs Welyn Garden city for hospitals?

[Boompi]

Hi - my SIL is moving soon and pregnant - any opinions on which hospital is better for antenatalcare /labour etc?

Definately WGC. Harlow is filthy and depressing.

I had all 3 of mine in Harlow and thought it was fine - had most antenatal care by local midwife but what I did have at hospital was also fine (if long delays for some appointments). I was also offered the Rosie, which I nearly moved to for no3 but it wasn't midwife lead care so went back to Harlow. Decided getting to Welwyn too much of a pain, but everyone I know who went there went back for number2, so it must be OK as well.

ooh, I was born in WGC (sorry not much help, I know)

had dd1 at WGC QE2. i;d say go to stevenage

i am in the harlow camp - had my 1st there (emergency c-section as it turned out), but loved the mid wives and care there. Pre birth it was ok, but if she is living in herts she needs to ensure all parties - gp/midwife/ hospital keep talking.
didn't think it was dirty at all and in fact have heard poor stories about WGC - not to do with hygene but standard of care (one friend was ringing buzzer for help for ages)... still you never know until you go i guess and all experiences are different....you can do a tour of harlow each sunday pm

pS am also gonna be having no. 2 there in Feb

Had no. 3 there and would have hated it to have been my first. Didn't see a midwife for almost 12
hours after delivery and then they had the nerve to say that I wouldn't be able to go out the same night as the baby hadn't had a good feed! Had to have cord blood taken for testing and before I was discharged asked if it had been sent off (sneaky suspicion). They went to check and there was no mention of it on my notes. Further investigation and it was discovered on a table in the delivery suite. Thankfully it was still usable. During delivery another woman in labour and her husband were brought into my room! I had a bath afterwards and the bath was leaking so there was a huge puddle on the floor - DH was with me so at least he could help me in and out. The toilets were filthy. I could go on....

This was 2.5 years ago so things may have changed.

I should say that was at Welwyn (think my brain is still there sometimes).

would avoid WGC definately. Have heard not very good reports

my experience of WGC. went in to be induced as my watersv had broken 24hours before. they set up drip, all well and good. asked for epidural, didnt work. midwife told me i wasnt having contractions when iwas. didnt belive me when i said i wanted to push. let me in a state for a good hour. sent dh aweay told him it's be hours. he got throught the front door and had to come straight back. midwife left e slone again, and i ended up being sick all by myself. after having dd1 she insisted on stiching me up with no pain relief, as i had had an epidural (which didnt work). i was crying by the end of it. she didnt help with breatfeeding, just kinda shoved dd1 on my boob and went.

No personal experience of either but a good friend of mine had her 1st at WGC and her 2nd at Stevenage, she rated Stevenage a lot more highly than WGC. I've had both my 2 at Stevenage and from what I can recall when I had my last - 1 year ago they were one of the few hospitals with a full midwifery quota.

I've had all 3 at WGC and hate it, DS was a breech baby, and I went into preterm labour at 36 weeks, was moved to the antanatal ward and was in pain, there was no buzzer by my bed and the other girls were all asleep, so I got out of bed with my drip and walked to the midwife station, was told off for being out of bed. DS ended up being a CS.
DD1 was a fast labour and I had no trouble with the midwifes and that because she was a 31 weeker, all hands were on deck.
With DD2 I was admitted at 33 weeks in labour, was examined and found to be 1cm dilated so was put on a drip to stop the labour, the doctor had to keep upping the doseage as it wasn't working, at 30ml/hours my heart rate went to 130bpm and the midwife had to take me off the drip. The midwife refused to examine me and I was left alone for hours, at midnight I called the midwife and she forced pethadic (sp??) on me saying taht I wasn't handling the pain, I didn't want it because I knew I was in premature labour. A hour later I buzzed again and another midwife came down and examined me, I was 8cm dilated. SCBU were called and DH too, within a hour she was born.
The SCBU are great but they don't always keep you informed on what is going on with your baby. DD1 had a blood tranfusion without our knowledge or concent.
I wouldn't go back there

Sorry had mine at Lister Stevenage. Tatty, filthy, blood everywhere and left in an empty ward just after birth through out the night with my newborn. I felt quite unsafe.

littlestarsweeper, thats awful. i had an ok at lister for 2 of mine, refused to go the QE2 for many reasons.

I agree with LittleStarSweeper - had my daughter at the Lister and though I cannot praise highly enough the truly wonderful midwife who delivered her (Fatima) and the anaethetist who did my epidural, the post natal "care" was appalling. The environment was far from homely, filthy and cramped. The staff were unfriendly and seemingly unaware of my background, e.g: how long I'd been in labour (21 hrs), how long I'd not slept for and no-one had the courtesy or common sense to even tell me/show me where the bathroom / nappy bin / day room were when I went to the ward. As for the slightest bit of "help" - forget it. Apart from not having slept for almost 48 hours, I also had SPD and found it physically very difficult to move about ... had naiively imagined this would be read in my notes and acted upon .... unless you were a CS mum though, you were just left alone to get on with it. I just felt trapped and uncomfortable all the time I was there. If there's a next time, having now moved, think I could choose between Lister and Rosie (Adenbrookes).

Im now moving to Herts in next few months and have to make same choice. Due in early Aug so wondered if any more recent opinions on the WGC v Harlow debate? Lister and the Rosie will be too far to get to in time if no 2 comes quickly!

Anyone in these areas should try for the Rosie. Totally fantasic - I've had three babies there and the mwives and obstetricians are wonderful. There is now a midwife-led birthing unit and water birth pool. Harlow is minging.

welwyn garden is disgusting, please dont go there. 5 years ago i had my son there and there were no problems. altho since then my youngest sister died 4 days after birth. due to a hospital error. another of my sisters had a cs 2 weeks ago the care was appaling she wasnt shown how to bf not fed for 2 days altho she was bed ridden and she is now very very sick due to an infection in her uterus.

i am due to give birth at the end of this month at the same hosp, after no end of problems and rude drs.

i hope you find the hospital you want.

lister is very quick to get to up the A1 as its just off the north stevenage turning. will not go to QE2.

Thanks for the info.

How awful bubblebell I am sorry

I had mine at Harlow and was quite scared as I hadnt heard good things. But, it was fine. I only have experience of non maternity ops (ie appendix) in other hospitals but in terms of cleanliness and facilities it was better thank others I have been in.

Staff were busy but I think that is to be expected in any NHS hospital, and I would have liked more support with breastfeeding, but again, I really thank that is typical of any NHS system not just Harlow.

the majority of my pre natal care was not done at Harlow, but I did go once to be monitored at about 35 weeks due to lack of movement, and they were really nice and thorough.

I would be happy to go back if I have number 2.