Anyone changed their mind on where to give birth?

[fatsamsgrandslam]

I'm 34 weeks and after hearing a bit of a horror story last week about my most local hospital, I think I've changed my mind on where I want to give birth. I went to check out the maternity ward at a hospital about 40 minutes away, and think I'd feel much more confident there. Is it a simple request? Do I just need to call up Community Midwife to get it sorted?

I wanted to change my hosp about 15 weeks with 1st pregnancy and was met with irritated resistance by my MW, due to paper work etc, but I insisted and it happened. Not sure at this late date, but I wouldnt go there if you are worried before you are even off the starting blocks.

I believe if you show up there in labour they have to take you, anyway. You still have a few weeks, I would change it.

It depends if the new hospital is in the same Primary Care Trust. If it is, the chances are your notes will already be up to speed.

I was automatically booked into our nearest hospital, but wanted to go to a nearby midwife led unit over the county border. I needed to make a new booking in appointment with the new hospital so they could write up all my notes again to their own format.

In the end I went very overdue and had to be induced at the original hospital, but by having both sets of notes, I would have had a choice of where to go if I had laboured spontaneously.

My midwife didn't care that I decided to change hospitals, but she wasn't willing to do the paperwork - I had to organise at myself with the new hospital.

I moved house about 25weeks and when I saw my new community midwife she was really helpful. As nan mentioned, if it is the same PCT it should be really easy as your notes will be in the same format. I'vemoved from one MLU unit to another but if anything goes wrong I'll be sent to the consultant unit in an ambulance and I've had nothing to do with them the whole time. I'd ask you midwife to arrange for you to go to the new hospital, have a look round and chat to the midwives there or you could ring them up and arrange that yourself if she isn't helpful. Good luck! I'm 37+5.

Thank you for your replies. Am planning on calling my MW on Friday to discuss. I'll let you know how I get on. The hospital I'd like to go to is in a different PCT.

Hi OP, I briefly considered it as I am due to have my baby at the same hospital where the man died of dehydration recently. I'll probably stay where I am though as it is so near and I felt they were generally very good when I had DS there last year.