Which Hospital - Royal Berkshire, Basingstoke or Swindon?

[farmersdaughter]

Just looking for some advice on which hospital I should have DC2 at?

I've made my booking appointment which is in 4 weeks I was told I would have to make a hospital choice by my booking appointment.

I have a EMCS with DD (in London) so will be asking for an ELCS this time.

Naturally at this stage I can't ask any of my friends who have had DC at the above hospitals. So I'm asking you lot

Any advice, words of wisdom would be great.

Thanks.

Can't work out where you live from that list but is Frimley too far? That's where I had my DC and it was fab.

RBH for me was nearer but the two things that put me off was it was insanely busy and had (at the time) a high rate of c-sections. Not sure if either of these are true anymore but 3 of the 4 births in my NCT group at RBH ended in section.

Nearer the time I would go and have a look round and see what you think.

Good luck .

Sorry, just noticed you wanted an ELCS - RBH would be fab then .

Domestic We live on the Berkshire / Hampshire border. So Frimley is too far.

When I made my booking appointment, the lady was adamant I would need to make a choice by then? Which wasn't how it was done when we lived in London.

Thank you for replying.

I just had a baby at the GWH on Swindon and it was excellent.

With my experience with all three Hospitals through a working capacity, I have viewed all three maternity wards and would highly recommend Basingstoke. All the staff are really friendly, it is newer and more up to date than the others and there just seems to be a calmer atmosphere.

I have been there at very stressful times and I have never felt in the way.

Hope this helps.

xx

Can I basically repeat Domestics post? I am nearer to RBH but was gunning for Frimley since day one. I also live on the hants/berks border (eversley).
Frimley saved my DS life, I had a EMCS, and am booked in this thur for ELEC, with DD.
I never recommend things but Frimley is the dogs balls!

Shame about Frimley, I've heard lots of good things, and know lots of people who were born there, and gave birth there. :)

I have no maternity experience of Basingstoke, but they did miss my fractured vertebrae, then gave me the wrong meds, so I don't know that I'd go there again by choice.

farmer, you might be right about making the decision by booking in - although I think you can change your mind, but not sure how easy it is.

Sucks, I agree, it was an amazing experience for us - I had such anxiety issues through my pgs and the Frimley MWs/consultants held my hand throughout. They are fab fab fab .

I've been to Basingstoke, severally times with DD. I found them good.

Tiggle you raise a good point about it being 'calmer' after DD's birth, frankly anything would be better.

Sucks Best wishies for Thursday, enjoying meeting your little lady

Mrs bloody hell.

I need to check my healthcare plan and insurance. To see what if anything I am covered under.

Domestic I know I can change my mind but it's such a pain to do so. Did it with DD as we moved within London.

Domestic, I may have told Dr Elkington that I loved him (and David Attenborough) the last time I saw him!

Thank you farmers daughter .
I started off at St Peters but they were terrible and cocked up royally. I knew I was quite ill (Pre Eclampsia) but was told it was first mums jitters by St Peters. So my mother and I drove from that hospital to Frimley and asked to seen by them. Within two hours they had rushed me in for a EMCS.
I never had to deal with any paper work re swapping hospitals but it did not seem to big a problem. Everything is so technical nowadays they just seemed to swap details around.

Good luck x

Ah ok, farmers, don't know what the procedure is.

Sucks, I had PE too - with DS2. They were amazing.

Did I mention how amazing they were?

Basingstoke have recently become VERY anti C section just for previous CS so if you do go there, bear in mind you might have a jump a lot of hoops.

Good to know goody I will be having a CS. The main reason being I was told after having DD that I can't delivery naturally. Also having a near 10lb baby I am not pushing that out

Shameless bump to see if anyone else has any advice?

I had a good experience of an elcs at rbh in feb 2010 and am booked in for another in July. Yes they are incredibly busy and there are long waits at ante-natal appointments etc but the consultants are some of the best in the area (opinion of medical friends) and midwife care good too.

Which hospital is closer for you, and how long does it take you to get there? I had a choice of hospital too, Swindon, Oxford John Radcliffe or royal Berkshire, and went with Oxford, however that was several years ago before the new hospital at Swindon.

I had both DCs at RBH. DS, was in with pre-eclampsia for 15 days beforehand. Although managed very well, i think they should have induced me sooner! It ended in EmCS. But I recovered very well.
With DD I had VBAC - was advised the pros and cons of VBAC v ELCS and it was very much emphasised that it was my choice. The midwives were very supportive of VBAC.
I am back for another in November and I am opting for ELCS this time. I am happy with RBH although I agree, it is very busy. However, i live 15 mins away so its the obvious choice for me!

Was in rbh last year. Induction, forceps, emcs, pph..the works really! Horrendous experience, mainly down to understaffed overworked midwives pre-birth, and horrendous aftercare. They were soo busy when we arrived I had to sit in the corridor for 3 hours.
But, once it became serious and we were rushed into theatre the team were incredible. Consultants and especially the anaesthetist were fab.
But I wouldnt go there again by choice.

I've had really really positive experience of a consultant at the RBH and ELCS - but it does depend where you live. You are probably going to be fine anywhere with an ELCS and therefore the geography (incl traffic etc) would be the key factor for me (if I were you) with having a DC already and thinking about logistics.

Thank you everyone very helpful. I think I'm leaning more toward RBH at the stage.

Hi Ya,

I had DS1 at Basingstoke by EMCS. They were excellent. After care was excellent too.

I grew up in Reading and so have been to RBH a lot.

One silly difference but did make a difference for me and why I was glad I chose Basingstoke is the parking is right outside the maternity unit. At RBH it is a long walk. Which is fine as a one off but when DH is visiting you twice a day for four days it does make a difference.

Also from my house its back roads to get to Basingstoke where as its all around the one way system to get to RBH.

I am having the next baby in two weeks by ELCS at Basingstoke.

RBH has the new midwife-led unit which opened last September which is supposed to be very nice. Unfortunately, I didn't get to use it as I had to go in for an induction which led to an EMCS. My care was excellent though, the same midwife who inserted the pessary also asked to look after me when I went back to the delivery suite the next day when I was 3cm dilated and I really appreciated that continuity. Also, the surgeon I had for my caesarean was excellent and made me feel very looked after. He also asked after me and the baby when he bumped into my husband a few days later.