St Johns or Royal Infirmary?

TheGoat · 03/12/2008 13:12

eri is BIG and busy, infact recently alot of women have been redirected to st john's or elsewhere cos it gets too busy.

i have heard st john's is nicer. i think both do waterbirth.

oopsadaisyangel · 03/12/2008 13:12

Hello and welcome the area!

I've had two children in St Johns and couldn't praise it enough. First labour was long and hard and they were brilliant - granted the ward was very quiet at the time so the midwife could afford to spend alot of time with me. Second labour was very difficult as we knew the baby had died and would be stillborn - again they were amazing, the midwife that saw me when we came in stayed with me the entire time (even after her shift had finished). The staff couldn't have been more helpful.

St Johns do have a birthing pool and through your pregnancy you will see you community midwife at your health centre and then the midwife that you have in labour will be the hospital midwifes.

With the first I was in hospital for three days - this was because DS1's temperature was low and they wouldn't let us out till it had risen. With the second, I was out that afternoon because I couldn't stand to be in the hospital and just wanted to get home and hold DS1. This time round (due in 4 weeks) if it is a perfectly normal/natural birth and everything is fine with baby and me then we will be out the same day.

I can't comment on ERI because I've never been in the maternity unit there but as a hospital I would pick St Johns every time but then again its the closest to me. Hope that helps and sorry its a bit long winded {grin]

rookiemater · 03/12/2008 13:12

Hi there, when I had DS in 2006, I opted for St Johns. This was because we had heard stories from various people that the Royal Infirmary was very short staffed so would only admit you when you were just about to give birth and struggled to provide decent after care. However most people I spoke to who went there had a good experience and when I went to visit my friend after she gave birth to DD2 I was very impressed with the room she had.

I found St Johns to be good. They have a number of rooms with big baths for water births. The night I gave birth there were a lot of staff available and when i ended up needing an emergency C-section due to complications this was arranged very quickly.

I stayed for 3 nights and it was clean and the staff were nice. Food was lovely although you had to make sure you were in bed when it came.

It won't make a difference to which midwife you get dependant on the hospital.

When I was pregnant we were able to arrange to see the hospital beforehand which helped in terms of the big night itself because the surroundings were familiar.

Don't know about the scans I'm afraid.

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christiana · 03/12/2008 13:23

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snowleopard · 03/12/2008 13:24

I don't know about St Johns, but I had a great experience at ERI, with constant, supportive midwife care, and a lot of support afterwards. I did have 5 days in hospital but I had had a difficult labour, dramatic CS and some complications. I suspect ERI are good when they have to pull out all the stops for a highly medicalised birth - I have heard less good things about them for more "normal" / non-troublesome cases with people being left alone and staff shortages, especially when they are busy. My personal experience though was that they were fantastic, both as a team and personally as individuals. Even the auxiliary nurses who gave me blanket baths when I couldn't move, and fed DS for me in the night when I was out of it and he was dropping weight, were so kind and knowledgeable. And although he was prescribed one night of formula to rescue his weight (I know some will not be impressed by that)... they bent over backwards with the breastfeeding support and I was able to bf exclusively from then on.

I even had the midwife who had triaged me when I arrived, and another midwife who had seen me through the first few hours, come to visit me and reassure me after the birth - no need for them to do that at all. I'm actually filling up at how fantastic they were.

TheGoat · 03/12/2008 13:27

sounds like you might be closer to eri. livingston is not so easy to get to during rush hour.

rookiemater · 03/12/2008 13:31

Ah but you can go via the ( very bumpy and cornery) A71 back road

kerryk · 03/12/2008 13:32

i had dd2 at the royal and could not praise them enough.

i had never even thought about a water birth untill they asked if i would like to get into the birthing pool.

i tried it and realised it was not for me so got back onto the bed.

the staff could not do enough to help me.

have also heard good things about st.johns even though i have never been there myself.

TheGoat · 03/12/2008 13:40

a71 is also shitty during rush hour.

snowleopard · 03/12/2008 13:45

Goat you are making me laugh with your "all roads to livingston" downer. Can envisage the OP setting off, contractions-a-go-go, only to encounter you at the side of the road with a placard reading "you'll never make it"

TheGoat · 03/12/2008 13:47

that'll be me!

i work on the west side of the city and am an expert on the traffic, obviously, so ignore me at your peril!

iloverosycheeks · 03/12/2008 13:52

to add by twopenthworth - you don't get hopsital tour beforehand at ERI if that is important to you. I gave birth there and they were very busy but I never felt neglected in anyway. I feel it is the luck of the draw which MW you get regardless of where you are - mine wasnt great but apart from that hospital was clean, food edible, staff kind and efficient. Have heard same about St Johns so probably six and half dozen TBH

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christiana · 03/12/2008 14:21

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aGalChangedHerName · 03/12/2008 14:41

I had 3 of my dc at St Johns. Was a lovely experience each time. I was at Simpsons for my 1st and hated it.

I have yet to meet a bad MW at St Johns. Had kind helpful and supportive staff. Good births and great BF support from everyone there.

If i had another (as if) i wouldn't go anywhere else!!

CoolYourJets · 03/12/2008 14:54

Simpsons for my first aftercare poor. Homebirth for my second Livingston team - fantastic.

Thecommunity midwifes in Edinburgh do tend to be pro homebirth I found. I wish I had taken them up on it the first time.

Pruners · 03/12/2008 15:15

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nailpolish · 03/12/2008 15:27

my friend is an anaesthetist and when his wife was pg he 100% wanted her to go to St Johns

katiepotatie · 03/12/2008 15:40

I had a lovley birth at ERI, last time round, had two fantastic midwives and a student Doctor who stayed till I had our dd. Will be giving birth there again with my second due in April. St Johns is too far away from me though.
You won't get a tour of ERI, they are far too busy.

Louise76 · 03/12/2008 16:17

Hello

I had dd at eri. Yes it is a busy hospital but I found the staff to be brilliant. I even saw a breast feeding specialist several times before I was discharged. The doctor who delivered dd was female and couldn't have been nicer. She came to see me twice after the birth to explain what had happened and check on my stitches.

My only complaint was that the bathroom on the ward was filthy!!

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christiana · 03/12/2008 16:27

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snowleopard · 03/12/2008 16:34

At ERI:

I went from the operating theatre to a recovery room where I was with DS and DP for about two hours, then to a ward four beds in it (though they do have some single rooms, I have a friend who got one). I don't know what happens after a non-CS birth though.

Your baby stays on the ward with you in a side cot thing (though DS was taken away now and again for tests). This, and the other babies, means you don't tend to get much sleep while there.

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christiana · 03/12/2008 16:37

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aGalChangedHerName · 03/12/2008 17:07

With ds2 i was in the labour ward for a couple of hours. Was allowed and encouraged to feed ds for as long as i wanted to,offered the option of a shower before going up to the ward. Was a bit noisy but ds and i co-slept and we dozed till breakfast time. (had him at 01.58)

Dd1 and i were again in labour ward BFing for a while then up to the ward an hour or so later. Just in time for afternoon visiting when dh and the ds's came in,was lovely. (had her at noon)

Dd2 was meant to be a homebirth but poss vasa previa which meant that it was (a very lovely) hospital birth again. I was allowed to co-sleep with her there after my shower as i didn't want to be admitted to the ward. It would have taken ages to get away in the morning. Once a pead had checked dd2 we were allowed to go. I was home having bacon rolls by 9am so perfect!!!

mawbroon · 03/12/2008 19:40

I had ds in St Johns (we lived out that way at the time, so no worrying about the A71 or the M8 )

It was fine. The place was really quiet. I was booked into bed A1 as I had an elective, so i don't know if that meant that they always came first because I was the first bed on the first ward!!

I was left to it breastfeeding wise though. But on the other hand, I didn't ask for any help. There were a couple of things I remember being told which I now know to be a bit rubbish.

Can;t comment about ERI, but just for location, I would choose to have any subsequents there.

Good luck

liath · 03/12/2008 21:41

Tricky decision!

I had dd at ERI and I can't fault the care in labour but the breast-feeding support left a bit to be desired. It is very busy & a bit of a conveyer belt. I had ds at home and the midwives were really excellent (craigmillar team).

Friends have delivered at St John's but one nearly delivered in the car park as she barely made it there due to heavy traffic (also her DH nearly crashed the car when he saw a goat holding a placard by the side of the road...). St John's has a reputation for being nicer with better aftercare BUT if the sh*t really really hits the fan ERI may be a better bet in terms of the medical care you or your baby would get.