St Marys V Wythenshawe? Any advice please?

[Frolie]

Hello

I'm 6 weeks pregnant and saw my Dr this morning. I need to let him know on Thursday whether I'd like to give birth at Wythenshawe or St Mary's, so that he can refer me to a midwife. I'm not sure where to go for advice to help inform my decision. I've looked online and St Mary's doesn't have 1 to 1 midwife care, whereas Wythenshawe does...Is this important? I live in South Manchester.

Has anyone got any experience of either hospital? I know St Mary's has a brand new building, but I just don't know which to go for. Any advice or thoughts would be very welcome!

Many thanks in advance!

I gave birth in Wythenshawe hospital 5 months ago. I cant say I enjoyed it. They lost my paperwork twice (once gave my notes with VERY private information to another woman to take home), One time I spent 6 hours waiting for midwife, only to be told they are very sorry for forgetting about me, but it is too late and I should go home and come another time. When I came another time, I hade to wait 4 hours in the stinky waiting room. I had private scans, which picked up on me having excessive fluid (one in Wythenshawe did not), apparently I had diabetis, but hospital did not pick up on it. Found out only due to private scan, but it was too late, at 38 weeks, so was not treated for it during pregnancy. I had a planned section as due to diabetis baby got too big, well I got ready for the section, sitting on the table, they gave me a scan and told me I can go home, because the baby is had down now. My jaw just dropped. Apparently they looked into wrong notes AGAIN. After my section I was not feeling right, told the nurse, but was told "to be brave". In the morning my blood pressure was 20/40, I fainted and found out later I lost over 3 litres of blood. But it was evening and the nurse was too tired and wanted to go home, so she said the'll give me transfusion tomorrow! WTF? The doctor told her to stay and start the transfusion, so she was very rude and snappy with me, as it was my fault for being ill. Not sure I am very happy with my experience, but it might be just me...

What I meant to say, when they found out I am bleeding in the morning, they tried to stop the bleeding, and connected me to some equipment, it took the whole day till they got my blood tests back and desided on transfusion.

St Mary's all the way. I have had experience of both in a professional capacity and would not go near Wythenshawe with my enemy's child. Sorry.

I gave birth to my DD at St Mary's 3.5 years ago, so not in the new building. Have to say that the midwives there were generally very good at my check ups and when in labour, although I saw different people every time I went. They gave me a private room on the ward as DD was delivered by forceps and they wanted to keep an eye on me. They ran a breastfeeding workshop and I found some of the midwives there very helpful with trying to BF.

Hi Falafel! I am so scared of Wythenshawe hospital now, do you think I'll be able to go to St Mary with my next pregnancy? I live in Altrincham, not sure if we are in the catchment area? I was offered Trafford or Wythenshawe hospital, so chose Wytheshawe as I heared many horror stories about Trafford...

Also meant to add that I was also offered the option of St Mary's or Wythenshaw, but chose St Mary's as it was much easier for me to get to for antenatal appointments.

Oh, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

Oh, I also forgot to mention that by mistake they gave me a kids bed, I asked to change it, but they refused, so I had to sleep 5 days on a small bed with bended legs. I could hardly walk after that!

WGO- I'm sure you'll be fine, just make sure you have someone with you who will act as an advocate for you. But I'm sure you can book anywhere you want- why not ring another hospital direct and try that way?
Stepping Hill great and they have a good birth centre- I would also highly recommend Hope (Salford Royal)hospital.

Thank you everyone for all your posts. It's so helpful to have your input and makes me feel as if my decision is more informed. Falafelatyourfeet it's good to hear you've had professional experience at both.

I'm sorry to hear what a terrible time you had at Wythenshawe, whatsgoing1. I must say that 5/6 years ago I had an awful experience in the Obs/ Gynae ward there, my GP was so appalled at my treatment that he wrote a letter of complaint to the board and consultant involved. I thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt with regards to my first pregnancy, but hearing your experience I think I'll go to St Mary's.

I had a HB both times but was under Wythenshawe. (Also live in S Mcr!) I have to say the care I got was great, and the midwives were fantastic, but as I say I didn't give birth there. (But I did have to saty overnight when I was pregnant with DS2.) I was a bit alarmed to be told that if you give birth in Wythy they give you a set amount of time to push before they get involved, just because they don't have the time/resources to let things take a more natural course. St Mary's hasn't had the best rep over the years either but I think it's getting better.

All hospitals should provide 1 to 1 care in labour but it is not always possible. St Mary's can be very busy, very medicalised and can often be closed at busy times. Wythenshawe is very busy at the moment I understand due to the closure of Trafford hospital. Can I also put in a bid for Salford Royal. I work there but I also think the care given there is outstanding in the main. We have a birth centre and have 'baby friendly' status (which Wythenshawe and St Mary's don't). We also have the best CNST rating for maternity (an insurance policy for trusts). Although I understand some local GPs are deterring women from booking there telling them we will be closed before they deliver, we are not due to close until 2012 and that is not set in stone. Btw, we are closing for political reasons, driven by neonatal services, not because we don't provide good care!! Good luck with whatever you

I agree with what you say there Reikizen (esp. about Salford Royal) but it is interesting to look at the St Mary's statistics from the point of view of the women they look after- after all, they might be more medicalised overall but they also take on a lot of the 'complicated' births from all over the area. So coupled with that, if you look at their intervention rates as compared with Wythenshawe for example, they are incredibly low. And despite that, I think their c-section rate is about half that of Wythenshawe last time I checked (which admittedly isn't recently)

you are quite right Falafel. I think it is more from the staff that I hear negative comments ( the nickname Scary Mary's I think does relate to the sometimes very complicated pregnancies they deal with there), most women I speak to have had a good experience there.

I've had three babies at St Mary's, my last DS was born just as the new building opened last July.

I had a near death experience the first time and the care I received was tremendous. My two further elective sections were fine. The breastfeeding support was great although they don't have breastfeeding friendly status (or whatever its called). Ante natal care was good and I was consultant led.

I travelled from North Manchester as I wouldn't want to give birth anywhere else.

As I always say on these threads though, it completely depends on what midwife is on duty whenyou deliver. You could have a totally different experience to the next woman.

HTH

Reikizen - is Salford Royal anywhere near Hope Hospital because Hope is meant to be good for everything (but sadly closing down)

Btw, I know someone who thought Crumpsall Hospital was better than St Mary's (she had number 2 there but wanted to go back to Crumpsall for 3 and 4). Most people I know seem to go to Crumpsall or Fairfield which seem to be ok.

I was very very happy with st marys! (sorry just wanted to add)

I went to Wythenshawe as it's only six minutes away from where we live. I had a fairly short labour (arrived at the hospital at 1:15am, Alexander was born at 6:54am) and the midwife who was with me in the delivery room was great. I had to stay in for almost a week afterwards as Alexander had jaundice, then some other test was a bit too high, then jaundice again, which was annoying, but the midwives were generally helpful and overall it was a positive experience. (Except that the food was horrible - not even my husband could eat it and he was at boarding school for 11 years)

I opted for Wythenshawe as I didn't like the idea of needing to get to the centre of Manchester in a hurry if I ended up going into labour during the rush hour! (Didn't happen for me, so it was a needless worry).

I was also advised towards Wythenshawe and away from St Mary's by my GP (I think, or it might have been the midwife at my booking-in appointment in the Sure Start centre) as I was a straightforward pregnancy and St Mary's are apparently "brilliant if there are unusual things wrong with you/the baby, but tend to ignore the uncomplicated cases and leave you waiting for ages" (Not a direct quote, but that's the gist of it).

Alexander is my first child and so I've nothing to compare my experience to, but Wythenshawe was fine for me.

I've had my first at St Mary's and my second at Wythenshawe. I had a hideous, hideous experience at St Mary's and would never go back. I found Wythenshawe cleaner, kinder and more professional.

Both my own GP and a woman I know who used to be an obstetrician both had their own children at Wythenshawe and recommended it to me. They had both worked at St Mary's and both told me not to go there.

BTW Stepping Hill is meant to be good from what I'm told.

St Marys, My sister went to Wythenshaw it was apaulling.

I live south Manchester too