Darent Valley Hospital in Kent-your experience

[VelvetQuilt]

Hi ladies,

I'm expecting our 1st baby at the end of September and will be giving birth at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent (near Bluewater Shopping Centre).

Has anyone else previously given birth here and if so, what were your experiences with the staff and facilities? I'm really hoping to use their birthing pool in the later stages of labour too so if anyone has had a water birth there, even better!

Thank you!

Hello, didn't want your enquiry to go unanswered! I had HBs, but my sister and friends had mixed experiences of the hospital, from outstanding to poor. I think it depends which midwives are on shift and the MLU seems best, they also have fixed birth pools.

Bit of a plug here, but if you know anyone who wants a home waterbirth, I have a pool and liner and a few bits and pieces to give away. After 2 DC I'm never using it again!

If you did ever consider a HB, the community team are outstanding and I believe saved me from massive intervention with Ds. I am only 5 mins from hospital, though, so I always knew that if anything went wrong my two midwives would have spotted it and got me in quicker than they could have wheeled me up from the ward!

Hi Wahwah,

Thanks for your response! I'd actually just spotted your birthing pool post and kicking myself. I'm only in the Greenhithe area too and would have been perfect :-( although it's my first I plan to try and stay at home for as long as I can using hypnobirthing. I do worry there won't be a pool available when I go in so taking one with me would've been a great idea!

I assume the MLU is the only option at their hospital (I had assumed that's all there was anyway and was happy to go with it). I do hope I have a good experience there!!

As A Kent Doula we have alot of mixed responses from Darent valley, as always the post natal isn't great but if you are well supported at home then you'll go in when you're ready to birth and have a lovely experinece.

Being induced on the labour ward is always a bit trying as it's usually busy but in a straightfroward pg, that can be avoided.

Good luck.

Sorry you missed out on the pool, although I'm not sure they'd let you take it in. I think they have a few pools, so you have a good chance.

Liahgen66, my sister was induced after her waters broke and she really had terrible aftercare on the ward from a midwife telling her that her dd needed a bottle, to not monitoring her although they kept her in because of high blood loss. Not impressive. However, they did get her and her baby through a hard birth, so not all bad!

no, not always bad, what you have to remember is that people's expereinces are their expreiences and will not necessarily be the same for you.

Exactly, other women I spoke to had a fantastic level of support and care, I just think my sister was very unlucky. However, I'm still not sure why she thinks they didn't monitor her, as I don't think she was awake all night! Mind you she was a nurse, so she probably checked her charts...

If anything, I hope her experience just highlights the need to be clear about what your birth and post birth plans are and to be able to ask or question if it seems wrong.

As I've said I had the most fantastic support and care all the way through, so I have nothing but praise for the care I experienced from the Midwives and Health Visitors, they have some really good staff around in the trust. I also went to one of the wards (Tambootie?) for a late ultrasound for some forgotten reason and they were really lovely and professional and I remember thinking that if the HB wasn't going to happen, then it wouldn't be so bad.

I had both my children (now 2 and 5) at at Darent Valley. First birth was truly horrendous with horrible midwife and a horrible doctor. I won't scare you with the details...my second birth was amazing. The midwife was amazing and the experience was rally good. The doctor who saw to me the second time around was also the kindest, most gentle doctor. So I think it just depends on the staff that attend to you. Good luck.