Dorchester or Poole hospital

[Pagetta]

I am due in June, and as it stands would go to Poole hospital.
I'm high risk due to blood loss with DS1, so i can't go to Bmth.

However we are moving to Wareham before baby arrives (hopefully!) so would that mean I can go to Dorchester - and would you recommend it over Poole?

My experience at Poole was fine, and they really looked after me, but there's no denying its a busy maternity ward and I had to stay in for two days on a very busy ward. I've heard that as Dorchester is quieter you get private rooms..?!

Any advice much appreciated!

I've heard Dorchester is nicer than Poole, you give birth in the room you then stay in, 2 beds but this was about 10 years ago so may have changed.

I personally hated Poole, good care for the birth although aftercare not good, no help with immediate breastfeeding etc and the ward was so busy I couldn't wait to get home.

Felt relieved I didn't have to go there for DS2, accidental home birth...

Can you go and look around Dorchester?

I've had two births at Dorchester and one at Poole and without a doubt, hands down go to Dorchester. Whilst Poole was awful, I couldn't wait to get home, I didn't even stay to have a bath. I've been in Dorchester when it's busy and I was better cared for than in Poole when it was busy.

At Dorchester you have ensuite bathroooms - you really don't want to be waddling down a long corridor just to go to the loo after your birth, and when giving birth, I was given a cardboard bowl to sit on. At Dorchester there are two beds in the room, one to give birth on, the other for early stages and after, you get one bed at Poole.

When my said to the parents at school about my experience at Poole, they all looked at me horrified and said "Oh, no give birth in Bournemouth, not Poole". Why didn't they say earlier!

So hands down, without a doubt, go to Dorchester.

I didn't go to Bournemouth because I knew too many that had been put in an ambulance and sent to Poole when they needed a Dr. Although we're closer to Poole and I was in the end induced so I think I wouldn't have had a choice.

When I needed the loo in the middle of the night at Poole I asked for help as instructed to due to the fact I'd had an epidural. The person just walked in front of me and pointed in the direction of it and wandered off. I walked near the wall in case I keeled over.