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Original poster

Anyone with experience of giving birth at York hospital?

20 replies

Pootles2010 · 25/03/2010 11:51

Hi, I'm due to have our first baby at York in July, was just wondering if any of you ladies had given birth there? If so, what was your experience?

Any advice/reassurance? Rather nervous...

Thanks!

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orchid83 · 30/03/2010 12:57

I had my first baby there in August - but spent a few weeks prior to the birth in hospital.

Midwives were all fantastic. All good memories. Always worth asking if they've any private rooms free, much nicer than on a ward!

They don't do tours anymore but you will get a session at the hospital (with a physio) as part of the nhs ante-natal classes.

Original poster

Pootles2010 · 30/03/2010 17:22

Thanks for replying Unfortunately i'm not having the York antenatal classes - we live out in Pocklington, so fall under East Riding. I will have to ask my midwife to see if i can have a tour! Failing that, my friend's giving birth there a month before that, perhaps i can have a snoop whilst visiting her!

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SethStarkaddersMum · 30/03/2010 17:44

Well in my experience (3) they are fine, but they do seem very reluctant to let you come in/over-eager to send you home if they think you've come in too soon, which has resulted in one of my children being born less than 5 mins after we arrived at hospital and the other being born in an ambulance outside our house....
The breastfeeding support there seems fine and the healthcare assistants (who help you if you've had an epidural and can't move) are lovely.
There was another A1079 birth reported in the Pock Post this week too.

I love the Pock midwives by the way. I moved up from another city 3 weeks before having dd and the mws at Pock were just so much better.

btw don't worry too much if you don't get to see the hospital first - of course it is nice if you can but frankly the most important thing is just that your dp knows where to park!

Original poster

Pootles2010 · 31/03/2010 11:30

Argh don't say that! Took us nearly an hour to get parked when we went for the scan - they're re-doing the car park

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BexJ78 · 06/04/2010 21:28

i had my DD there in Dec and we could not fault the staff at YDH. They were great. we phoned initially when i was in early labour and was told to stay at home take some paracetamol and get in bath...to be fair, think that is common practice, as suggested by SethS but then when I felt i really needed to go in, they did admit me as they had an 'early labour' room available. all in all was a pretty good experience!

jo2k10 · 12/04/2010 15:43

i had my little girl there last april and my midwife has lovly i didnt hav a fault with her, i was in full labour when i went in they did what i ask im due my little boy in aug n hope 2 hav the same midwife again as she was so nice

BrownOwl18 · 13/04/2010 21:39

Don't worry about the parking thing. The maternity entrance is at the back of the hospital. DP can drop you off and temporarily abandon the car. He can then move it once you have access to drugs are settled.

I've had all 3 DCs at York - no problems. Didn't sample the postnatal wards this time as was discharged straight from delivery.

luigibosca · 15/04/2010 18:04

I gave birth to my first child there in January. I was also very nervous, and found there was no need to be, I had a really positive experience. The midwives were all fantastic and very helpful. I was very reluctant to stay in the post-natal wards but I'm glad I did. The midwives are happy to help and couldn't do enough for us. I would advise that you take as much help from them in that first day or so and ask all those 'silly' questions.

Mossyo · 07/05/2010 09:42

Pootles - I'm giving birth at York in July

I was there for my 20 week scan and everyone was lovely.

Bit nervous about giving birth but have only heard positive things about the hospital so that's all good.

Original poster

Pootles2010 · 07/05/2010 09:55

Mossyo- when in july? Not that the due date is that reliable...

Am a bit worried about them changing the car park round, apparently there's just one entry now for everyone? Might make dp do a practise drive there to see where we need to go... how sad am i!

Am also bit disappointed that they've stopped doing the tour round the labour ward as part of antenatal classes.

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Mossyo · 11/05/2010 16:35

End. Due date is 24th but I think that's fairly hit and miss!

I haven't been around the labour ward either and my AN classes don't offer a tour. Shame as would like to see it in advance just so it's not so terrifying on the day itself.

Northernlurker · 11/05/2010 16:43

Hi ladies

I've given birth in York three times and it's always been fine. I also work in the hospital (not maternity) and I would say you can have confidence in the whole hospital. No organisation is perfect but we have a good culture of learning from mistakes, of being honest with patients and of putting the patient first.

Now this parking thing.....for delivery you still come in to Entrance 3 - marked 'maternity, renal unit, deliveries (stores not babies) and you drive right round the back of the hospital over the lovely speed bumps to the delivery entrance which is right at the back in the corner near the footbridge over the railway. When you pull up outside the drivers side of the car will be parallel with the railway and you'll be facing the Bootham Park end of the hospital site. If you can see the footbridge and a portacabin type thing you'll be in the right place. If your dh/dp can't find a space he should just stick it anywhere out of the way (ambulances need to come that way) the worst that'll happen is a parking ticket and that's £10 if paid in a week I think. Certainly not worth missing the birth over - and of course you could complain! I hope you would be ok but parking is a nightmare.

Northernlurker · 11/05/2010 16:47

Oh and the rooms are pretty standard hospital size rooms. They have a bed and an arm chair and a big light and a cupboard full of stuff. They all have basins and some may have loos en suite otherwise the loo is just outside the door. There are curtains hanging on the inside of the door to protect your modesty ad the lights can dim I think - sure I remember that with dd3. they have birthing balls and I was very much encouraged to use one with dd3. there is a pool - maybe more than one? It's clean and basic and the midwives are lovely. There is no view at all out of the windows - you're basically in an air conditioned box (I'm sure they have air con) but imo that's what you need - somewhere safe and cosy.

BexJ78 · 11/05/2010 16:50

Wehn i was there in Dec, there was just one pool, which they encouraged me to use. Would defo reccommend the pool, it was great.

DwayneDibbley · 11/05/2010 16:58

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Mossyo · 12/05/2010 12:32

That's interesting to know, Dwayne. We weren't actually offered Hull, just York.

York seems fine and cos we live quite near the city centre I think geographically it makes more sense. Can't imagine trying to get to Hull at, say, 5pm in the afternoon with the traffic!

The Hull unit does sound nice though ...

Original poster

Pootles2010 · 17/05/2010 16:52

Oh now i'm all torn. We were offered the Castle Hill unit, which i believe is midwife led, sounded lovely but i just was too chicken to go in knowing i couldn't have epidural, and emergency c section etc, and didn't want to be transferred to hull. Now i'm tempted by hull... Does hull have birthing pool? Imagine it must do if its new..

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DwayneDibbley · 17/05/2010 21:52

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DwayneDibbley · 17/05/2010 21:55

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Original poster

Pootles2010 · 18/05/2010 09:00

Thanks Dwayne thats really helpful. Thats the thing with Castle Hill - if i knew birth would be straightforward, i'd go for it, but thats just not going to happen!

I had a look on the NHS website to compare York and Hull, Hull does look better - you have the possibility of 1-1 care from a midwife, which you don't at York, and they also have LDRP (have i got that right?) rooms, i know you're not guaranteed one but it would be lovely!

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