Bath Hospitals

[Sian11]

Hi!

I'm due in June and wondered if any of you gave birth at RUH? If so how was it? I've heard mixed reports and wanted some views from real mothers!!!

Cheers!

Hello! I laboured at home as I wanted a home birth but then had to be transferred, and then was taken to theatre for a forceps delivery so cant say how it is in there for a 'normal' birth however I found the midwives etc to be very nice, one came to see me on the ward after I had my son (she was with me in theatre) and showed me how to breastfeed, and stayed with me until I had got the hang of it.

Ive since heard mixed views also but Im sure you'd get that about every hospital. Im due in March and hoping to try for a homebirth again this time however saying that I have no worries about being transferred there again.

Have you been to visit the maternity ward? I know they used to do those and show you around etc might be worth looking into?

Had 2 CSs at the RUH, was OK. I had fairly good experiences both times. It's even better no=w they have TVs (They didn;t have them when I had DS1)

I have had all three in Bath - excellent delivery every time but aftercare a bit shocking tbh! But if you know its crap you can kind of prepare yourself for it? Are you from Bath or can you transfer out to a smaller maternity unit?

I have done nearly every possible birth - section, ventouse/epis, and a super quick delivery - out withn hours!

I can highly recommend Rachel Pass Breathing and Relaxation classes in Bradford on Avon - they are great and she somehow manages to do tours of RUH which they had stopped. I have her number somewhere if you would like it.

I was induced at RUH 18 months ago - generally it was fine. Worst bit was waiting in the ward for the 'inducement' to work, it was late at night, the ward was full and I felt I had to be quiet although I was having contractions - I ended up in the coffee/dining room for an hour or so (which was empty).

When I was taken to the delivery suite my midwife there was excellent and the registrar was good who performed the ventouse delivery when the baby became distressed.

I ended up staying in for another three nights as DD was jaundiced, but I was lucky as they moved me to a quieter (emptier) ward after the first day. The midwives on the ward were good but overstretched.

Ward facilities - there were plenty of bathrooms with showers and baths and toilets, not always wonderfully clean but not that bad. Oh and the food was actually really good!

They also had TV and phone by beds, you operate them by buying credits on a card from a machine.

As with most things I guess your experience depends on certain variables, ie who's on duty, how busy it is, who else is in the bed(s) next to you, but I'm sure you'll be fine - good luck!

I had to go to ruh because i had pre-eclampsia with ds1. I felt pretty dreadful and the birth was not a nice experience for me. The midwife was quite harsh with me too, although she did apologise afterwards. She said she had to stop me panicking, by telling me off
Honestly, though, the midwives were all lovely really and they did take care of me.
Ds2 was born at trowbridge hospital and it was great. I wasn't ill that time though.

Hi

I've had 3 children - the youngest 2 at the RUH. My ds2 was born by emergency c-section due to pre-eclampsia and I have to say the staff were great. I was lucky as I had a fantastic midwife and she was on most of the time I was in hospital - I've kept in touch with her ever since.

My dd was a normal delivery and it was OK but the aftercare was not so good and I was glad to transfer back to Trowbridge Hospital as the staff there are wonderful.

I think it's OK for delivery but not so good afterwards but I guess it depends what you expect.

Maria

Hi,
I had ds2 at Bath after a c-section with DS1 at Bristol. I was probably their worst nightmare...mum with previous c-section, 20 days overdue who refused any intervention! They were fantastic! Nobody gave me a hard time about my choices, nobody questioned my birthplan and although I didn't see much of them (my choice really) until the last hour, I couldn't have asked for better support. Big thumbs up in my book. Incidentally, the supposedly "nice" local unit at Chippenham were horrible...telling me nasty stillbirth stories about overdue pregnacies in an effort to have me induced.

I have had four children at the RUH. Delivery staff OK, but do expect you to fit in with their "ideals" (I do NOT appreciate being ordered around in labour - I was quite happy standing whilst pushing my second child out and was manhandled and hauled up on the bed in the second stage and made to sit on the bed), post natal ward bloody awful.

Trowbridge hospital absolutely lovely, like a kindly hotel.

I had number five at home and would never go back to the RUH out of choice.

I had No1 at RUH in 2003 after a transfer from home and No2 at home. I wasn't treated terribly at the RUH but it wasn't great.

With No1 we were readmitted due to suspected jaundice. I was desperate to breastfeed - I was distraught at the thought of anything else - but quite frankly I succeeded despite their "help" rather than because of it. Over the course of three days I saw only one person twice (and I saw somebody every three hours). This lack of continuity of care was crap and I now realise that hardly any of them knew anything at all about breastfeeding. This was four years ago so things may have improved. I don't know. With child 2 I had found out where to get decent help .

On the plus side DS1 and I were readmitted into a private room with a double bed (and a private shower). They put us in there because they thought he might need light therapy but he didn't. But they were very happy to let (almost order!) my DH to stay with us overnight which was what we all wanted. This sensible kindness made up for their crap bf advice, lol.

Friends who have had their babies at the RUH recently have reported shocking drops in the number of MWs around. A couple of friends were left with DHs virtually catching the babies alone. They were not pleased.

I personaly would never choose Bath - all I can do is go by my own experience - I would recommend Salisbury if you possibly can. Had my first in Bath - major complications and catalogue of errors. When I was pregnant with my now 19 month old my GP strongly advised that I go to Salisbury because of the failings I had previously experienced in Bath (in fact she told me that if she was pregnant, she would choose Salisbury) the difference was incredible. Please bear in mind this is my own experience - and sure plenty of others have had no problems - and my delivery in Nath was at the end of 2003. I had a caesarian delivery (because of the damage caused first time round) in Salisbury in 2006 - and I cant recommend it highly enough.

Had second baby 3 weeks ago, again at Bath. Was treated really well and the staff I saw were all lovely, patient etc. My midwives were lovely (had one for her whole shift, so then another after her, and a second present for delivery.) Tbh I really think it helped me come to terms with my first labour at the ruh, I was really concerned about having to have a hospital birth this time but now I wouldnt worry about going there again at all.

hi
i had my both my children at chippenham but the second had to go to the nicu at the ruh.
i stayed on Mary ward for six days and i have nothing but good things to say aboout it.
i never wanted to have babies at bath as i had heard terrible stories about it but my experience three weeks ago has changed my mind completely.
the staff were wonderful pleased to help always very supportive in my wobbley moments.Not judgemental when i gave up breastfeeding due to baby being too weak too feed properly.
In fact if i were to have anymore babies (not bloody likely!)i would definately choose bath over chippenham who i feel are now very over stretched.

I planned on a home birth but had to transfer to the RUH because there was another home birth the same night. I asked for an epidural and was told no as they had a limit of three that had been reached. They said I could have pethidine, I said yes and then they wandered away and forgot about my request! We eventually buzzed them back and reminded them about it. They did an internal exam and I was told I was already at 10cm so too late for pethidine. So all I had was gas and air (despite requesting everything else!) and that did nothing for me, I gave up on it in the end.

That's the bad stuff! Everything else was very good. The midwife who took charge of the delivery was really lovely, quite young but very competent. I feel really grateful for her support. It ended up being a ventouse delivery and again the doctor was really great, competent and confident and everything I needed.

The aftercare was good as well - DS wouldn't latch on to feed and they were brilliant at supporting me, kept trying different things, kept reassuring me that it was all fine and normal and that he would take the breast eventually (took a week in the end), and helped me express a few drops of colostrum to give to him. I'd be happy to go there again but I'd be a bit more forceful about the pain relief a second time!

I had two of mine at RUH.
First one was a fairly negative experience due to one particuklar midwife and the fact that a student present, so I had I had procedures/examinations done twice, once by student, once by qualified midwife.

Second was fine, really lovely midwife.

Antenatal a bit mixed...one memorable occasion when I had struggled into bath at therequest of a consultant, only to be toldby a different consultant, "I don't really know why you're here."

I had DS2 at RUH - only just, as laboured at home until quite late on, then panicked a bit (no need...) and went in. Midwife was lovely, one I'd seen in antenatal checks, and v much present, even though they were absolutely rammed.

But then had 3-hour discharge at 1.45am because they had no postnatal beds - was a bit at that, but it turned out to be great, as I went to sleep in my own bed, DS1 didn't know I'd been gone. The best bits of a home birth, but the security of hospital for the actual delivery!

Was worried about going there, as it is always near the top of those awful lists about MRSA etc - but it was fine. Maybe less fine if you have to stay in, though?

I'm new to the area and just found out that I'm pregnant. I now have to choose which hospital without any prior knowledge of the area at all!! My choices are Bath, Taunton, Yeovil. Does anybody have any views or experiences on my choice? I would prefer as little intervention during pregnancy and labour as possible.

I had my son at the RUH after a emergency transfer from the birthing centre at Paulton. I found the staff on Central Delivery were great even though the fact I was on constant monitoring meant I didn't get the birth I really wanted. They involved us in everything and explained what was happening all the way through. The registrar who carried out the forceps delivery was very nice and approachable too. My experience on the ward overnight was disastrous - left to deal with a screaming baby on my own after the best part of 3 days with no sleep and made to feel that I was a bit hopeless for not being to stop him crying. But to be fair they were overstretched that night and that might be the norm.

I transferred to RUH Oct 2010 after a great labour at home. Transferred because baby was presenting strangely and there were signs of distress. Had to really fight my corner about the right to a home birth (don't be afraid of what gets said to you if that's what you want, they'd like to put people off due to lack of resources.They HAVE to send 2 MW if you're at home, at hospital you take pot luck. There are good home birth websites around that will advise you.) When we got there, they knew we were on the way, so we took high priority. Consultant was v good, respectful etc. They tried to smuggle students in, they were sent packing. Ended up with Csection, all v efficient. Care on ward was pretty awful, no advice given for post-C section care (I split my stitches at home because of this.) So.. mixed reviews. Be warned, there are some amazing people working at hospitals, but they are very understaffed and therefore under pressure (heard RUH midwife begging mine to stay after transfer because there wasn't one there to stay with me). I would recommend having a doula (google Emma Harris, she was mine, and she was amazing, so reassuring). It made all the difference, and it became a very healing experience because of her (had horrendous experience with 1st DD at Gloucester 6+ yrs ago).

This is all really useful - two things - are there any more recent RUH experiences, eg '09?

And can anyone share experiences on Paulton's midwife-led centre? I'm due next Jan, so v early days, am meeting the midwives soon to talk about options and Paulton sounds ideal (esp given the RUH 'reviews' here!)

Thanks v much!

Hi GrinningIMP, I'm due on November 22nd and
as I maybe having a CS I'm going to have to g
to the RUH, but I'm looking to transfer to either Frome or Chippenham if I can for recovery. I'm very nervous about the RUH they treated a friend of mine appallingly.

Hi GrinningImp,

I have a DS, who is now 2. I was living in Bath, put in the process of moving out towards Paulton. I had all my pre-natal care in Bath, and had my son in the RUH - I found the delivery suite to be lovely, but it was the middle of the night and only one other lady there!! The ward afterwards was awful - considering it was my first baby nobody took an interest in me or him so we discharged ourselves 6 hours after I gave birth.

We returned to our new house near Paulton, and the same day I sorted out all my postnatal care with them.
The very next day they asked us to pop over to the centre - they were lovely, showed us how to bath the baby, and as I was bottle feeding they showed is different ways to get him to drink. Things the RUH never even attempted.

We are currently ttc our 2nd baby, and I wouldn't hesitate in going to Paulton, I will not consider anywhere else unless it is a must.

Hope this helps.