Childbirth at Southern General - share your experiences pls

[LionRock]

As it says - there's no longer a ward tour offered and my antenatal classes are held elsewhere with the midwives not really knowing much about actual policies and procedures at the hospital. So if you've any recent experience of childbirth at the SGH please share! I've loads of qs, pls answer any that you can.

e.g.
spontaneous delivery - when were you admitted (x cms), were you in a simgle room, how long after delivery were you sent to the postnatal ward, how long was your birth partner allowed to stay with you after the birth?

induction - were you in a single or shared ward initially and could your birth partner stay with you? At what stage of labour (e.g. cms) were you moved to a single room?

Plus anything else - did the midwives support active labour of have you on your back? Did you use the water pool? Did you get any help on the postnatal ward e.g. with BF? How quickly were you discharged (I want home asap!)

thanks in advance

My two were both born there, but before the new unit opened (they're 4 and 5). TBH it wasn't a great experience, especially the second time. The post-natal staff were fantastic, but the labour ward staff, not so much. The midwife might as well not have bothered turning up for all the support she offered and the registrar was vile, as was the anaesthetist when I ended up in theatre. With ds2 I was going for a VBAC, and it was all rather traumatic, but I am still a bit that with more support I think I could have delivered him without an emcs. There was not much encouragement for active labour really. I've heard better things about the Princess Royal and perhaps the SG is better now that the Queen Mum's has closed and the new unit's open, so I hope someone with a better more recent experience turns up soon!
Oh and the food was unspeakably bad.

Hiya,
Both DC born in SG. DC2 a few months back.
Good overall experiences with both, however worth saying that with DC2 they were horrendously busy. Got the impression that the merger with QMums has stretched everything to the limit.

If you go into labour you'll be encouraged to phone for advice. If you go in, you'll probably be seen in maternity assessment and there's a fair chance you'll get sent home if you're under 4-5 cm. Again this may depend on availability of delivery rooms. I was sent home at 2cm following exam and admitted to a single delivery room a few hours later at 5cm, following another exam in assessment area. Intial assessment area is open plan with curtained cubicles.

Think I was about 4 hours in recovery (again open plan with curtained cubicles) before going to ward, but had a spinal for forceps so not sure if that's a bit longer than for a non instrumental delivery.

Birth partner can be with you in recovery and goes up to ward with you and can stay until 9pm (i think). If it's later than that then think they can bring bags up and then expected to leave. Partners have pretty much open visiting from 10am-9pm although get chucked out for an hour for evening meal (boak!- bring sandwiches/snacks in if you can. .

SGH seem to be very pro active labour and encourage use of alternative forms of pain relief/pool if available etc. I had aromatherapy with DC1, not so much offered with DC2. Stick it in your birth plan if you have preferences. Again pool availability seems to be dependent on how busy they are.

Support is available on postnatal ward however staff very stretched when I was in and as a second timer I was pretty much left to it. Think if you have a straightforward delivery you should get out fairly rapidly. Just state that you have a preference to get out and if all well they'll probably be happy for you to go.

No exp of induction as DS2 arrived day before planned induction (phew), but I was due to report to a ward, so don't think you would be in a single room.

Blimey - I've written an essay. HTH

Best of luck.

Forgot to mention. Active labour - I pretty much stood/rocked/knelt/moved around for the majority of both labours and was encouraged to try lots of different positions by the midwives. No lying around for me! Helped me a lot, however my feet were killing me by the end.

Brilliant detail - thanks midnightexpress and MintChocAddict for responding.

Had DS2 there 4mths ago (in the carpark in the back of an ambulance to be precise) and have no complaints.

Midwives do seem quite busy on the wards but the students are great.

If your planning to breastfeed, they do give a lot of support. wouldnt discharge me until they were satisfied with my feeding.

TwoWeeSausages

A midwife joked about someone giving birth in the carpark - well I thought it was a joke! I hope it all worked out for you. Phew!

Had DS2 at SGH 8mths ago. Very positive experience. Go for a pool birth if you can as you will get alot more attention. Very big on active labour - no lying around! I was sent a walk across to the canteen building for cup of tea. Got a few funny looks from construction workers; but came back 10cms (!!). Transferred straight to ward afterwards and left to it, as was 2nd time around. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Staff always very helpful and supportive.

I had my daughter there 1 year ago and it wasn't very positivie I'm afraid.

Planned induction - means coming in early evening and staying overnight on 4 bed ante-natal ward. Husbands / partners go at end of visiting. Midwives were disbelieving that I was in labour after 2 prostin pessaries and offered me paraceptomol and advised me not to use my TENS. Spent the night rocking in silence to try and not disturb the 3 other women on the ward and wishing my husband was there.

Labour ward were lovely and could not have been nicer.

Post-natal was shit. Had an epidural and was left with a cathater and in the hospital gown I gave birth in for 24 hours. Lost a large blood clot on the ward floor and given that I was finding it very difficult to move due to stiches and cathater my husband had to ask the nurses the following day to help me get cleaned up. (I was in a bit if a shocked daze following the birth).

Could not breast feed and DD was very lethargic and never opened her eyes. I felt like I had to constantly ask for help which eventually came but it was clear everyone was very busy and had other things they'd rather be doing. Was eventually given a breast pump and ended up on a 3hr feed / pump / top up cycle. This was done on the open ward where other mums were happily feeding their babies. I was exhausted. After 4 days one lovely midwife realised I was floundering and got me a side room which helped a bit.

No one noticed DD's tongue tie until we mentioned it. Saw the junior Doc every day we were there who seemed to do nothing / say nothing but would 'speak to his senior'. After 5 days of being fobbed off (I was still in there as I was unable to feed her) we asked to see the consultant. She came, she saw, she refused to do anything about it and said we could refer ourselves to Yorkhill when we left.

Food was shit and I wasn't allowed to heat anything my husband brought in.

I am diabetic and ran out of blood testing strips. They wouldn't get me a hospital prescription and my FIL ( a retired GP) had to sort me out an emergency script.

Sorry... other than the labour room and staff who were great, I have nothing to recommend it.

I still have ishoos over this, can you tell?

Lionrock DS2 is now 4.5mths and fab!

The scariest thing about my birth was the quickness of it. Was delivered by a student mv who was on her way home and had never done an unassisted delivery before. She was amazing but a little freaked out doing it herself.

Does the southern still offer tours around maternity wards? Has there been anything else cut?

@sparky75 - I was there last week for first appt and was told they are too busy to give tours. Instead, there is an online tour.
Go to:

www.nhsggc.org.uk - click on 'Women's, Children's and Maternity services' (left side of page)

Select 'Overview of services' then on 'Southern General Maternity' (at fifth bullet point).

This takes you to a new page then click on a banner on right side for 'eTour and Gallery' which takes you to a page with options to take the etour or view gallery pics