leicestershire mums - opinion on St marys, Melton vs LRI

[oggybags]

hi
i am booked for Leicester royal but didnt realise until yesterday that you in theory are only there for 5 hours after birth...
I realise you can then transfer to st marys at melton for postnatal care which evertyone raves about - so i wondered if I'd be better off just goig there anyway?
I ahd chosen royal as it has such excellent neonatal care should anything be needed, but I would like a water birth, and am currently low risk, so would I be better just cutting out LRI all together?
Only downside is melton is 40 mins away vs 20?
suggestions / comments gratefully received
thanks

I saw the midwife at Melton for my first child however booked to have him at city hosp in nottingham and am doing the same for this pregnancy as I live closer to notts than leics.

Melton is a nice community unit and I know a lot of friends who have transferred back there after having their babies in leics however if you choose just to opt for a birth at Melton then you need to be sure you will not want any other pain relief other than gas and air as thats all you can have.

Also if you have any problems during they will transfer you to leicester by ambulance so you could end up there anyway, I knew somebody that went all the way through labour, had their baby at melton and tore really badly so had to be taken to Leicester for stiching.

Don't mean to try and put you off and any decision needs to be the best for you but you may be best just to go to leicester where you know you have medical care options available to you if you need or want them.

I really wanted to go to Melton but had a panic about something going wrong/needing an epidural and not wanting a half hour trip to Leicester in an ambulance.

I decided on the General after my confidence wobble. I think I was swayed to the general over LRI purely because that was where my midwives worked. My waters broke, called up the general who told me they were closed (it was September which is v busy from lots of Christmas shagging) so I had to go to LRI. I couldn't praise them highly enough. They were brilliant. I'm so glad I didn't go to Melton. I'm sure they are brilliant there but my DS was back to back and I had contractions for 4 days and was in agony so ended up with an epidural.

I got a private room afterwards (which I think was probably luck of the draw) and was kept in for two nights until my DS had latched on and fed. If I'm crazy enough to have another one then I would like to think I'd consider St Marys at Melton but would in reality probably just go for LRI again.

Am currently trying to make the same decision myself...I automatically opted for LRI at my booking appt as I live nearby but the more people I speak to I hear great things about Melton.
I'm still very early on so in theory have time to change my mind. Personally it is the pain relief issue that I am most concerned about

I'm going to LRI then hopefully to Melton for postnatal care. Like yourself, I'm low risk and hoping for a water birth, but I like the security of knowing that the main labour ward and the doctors/anaesthetists/neonatal unit are very close by. My pain threshold is rubbish so I bet I end up with an epidural!

thanks all - I went to have a look round on sunday and am now erring towards there - its was soooo quiet like having your own private place, there were only 3 mums in, and the midwives were so lovely and spent loads of time with us
They went a long way to say it was our decision, and answred all questions in a way that seemed honest & open
I'm happy that they would trabsfer you at the glimmer of any concern, & then youd be top of the list at lri / lg
all that said still seems like a non easy decision! Its not helped as I've heard from various sources that even if pool at lri is available often staff are not, so who knows!!

If having a pool birth is very important to you, the LRI is perhaps not the best place. The pool is not often used due to staffing issues and the room doubling up as a high risk delivery room. Water births are very common at St. Mary's.
If you do choose to book at the LRI, St. Mary's would be a great option for postnatal care if you were in no hurry to go home. Great for breastfeeding support.

I had a great experience at the KBC at the LRI. Seemed the best of both worlds as was low-risk, midwife-led, all kept active and 'natural', but reassuring as epidurals down the corridor and neonatal unit upstairs! (neither needed). I was kept in overnight, but no private rooms available. But you can transfer to Melton after the birth - with hindsight wish I'd done this as the aftercare is apparently so much better than on the busy ward, so I'd recommend this.
This happened a couple of weeks ago, so pm me if you want any more info.

I had my third baby at LRI Kensington Birth Centre two weeks ago. I was very low risk and I have to say they were absolutely brilliant.