Anyone had recent experience of Mayday hospital labour wards?

[flamingnora]

7 weeks pregnant and was told today I could choose between St Thomas's, St George's or Mayday. I am probably slightly closer to Mayday AND was told all my midwife appointments could happen at my local GP surgery so chose Mayday and have since read horror stories online about the place! Most of these stories were from 2 years ago though - anyone given birth there recently? Good, bad or indifferent I'd love to know!

Congratulations.

Your choice now doesn't matter. I was in the same situation. I chose one hospital and then found that the maternity unit had managed to kill a new mother and that they had to close their doors at least once a month because they were full and the choice of overflow hospitals were both fifty miles away.

I simply told my MW I would be changing to the other option. They can't dictate to you.

I hope you get lots of good reports but if you don't, it isn't a problem, you can change at any point.

I had DS2 at Mayday in August 2008. I now pg with DC3 (20 weeks) and will be going to Mayday again.

Like you I had loads of reservations from all the bad things I'd heard. I planned to go to the birth centre but for various reasons that didn't happen (had fibroid, GBS and went 2 weeks overdue). When it finally happened I ended up with an emergency section under General anaesthetic - a big shock as I'd had DS1 naturally.

This all sounds bad BUT I could not fault Mayday at any stage. From the minute I turned up on labour ward until the time I left 3 days later everyone had been completely professional and I felt very well looked after. I don't blame them for doing the section, it was necessary and they acted very quickly in an emergency. I really cannot stress how brilliant they were.

Afterwards on the post-natal ward the staff were, on the whole, lovely. One or two lacked a little on the 'touchy/feely' side and were "efficient" IYSWIM, but generally it was fine. Even the food wasn't that bad!

I have no reservations about having DC3 there.

Good luck with your pregnancy!

Thanks Kathyjelly for the reassurance on how I can change and many, many thanks fridayatlast for the feedback which is so much appreciated! I had a bad experience when i had DD with the Albany midwives at Kings and really want to feel safe and reassured when I go into labour next time around.

I would avoid mayday. Friend of mine did a rotation there and said the level of tearing was sky high and the midwives were terrible. She really rates st thomas and queen charlotte's. This was 2 years ago though.

Good luck

I had my dd in the birthing centre at mayday which was actually 3 years ago but an amazing experience + 2 x midwives for the whole thing. They were calm, helpful, very professional etc. and it was super clean and lovely. I'm due to give birth there again in a few weeks so I really hope that I get back into the birthing centre (depends if it's full up at the time). I had a small experience of the main ward a week before i had her and it wasn't great/ the midwives were less helpful/ seemed more stressed and uncaring/ the room was a bit scummy. Was a different world to the birthing centre which is just down the corridor!

Saying that, I was monitored in the main ward a few weeks ago and noticed that the room I was in was better than my previous experience (had been decorated for a start) and the midwives I dealt with were much nicer so it may also depend who is on duty.

no advice, but my mum was born in mayday hospital in 1951