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Original poster

Wythenshawe v Stepping Hill

21 replies

yeay2day · 12/06/2013 08:54

Hi everyone! This is my first post ever and wondered if anyone could help me? I am approx 7 weeks pregnant and met the midwife for the first time yesterday. Within seconds I had to choose a hospital for my care (I wasn't expecting the question) and plumped for Wythenshawe without knowing anything about either there or Stepping Hill. Have I made the right choice? Does anyone have any experience of either or both and could recommend one or the other - I'm sure I could change my mind at this early stage!

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Namechangingnorma · 12/06/2013 08:58

wythenshaw is a much nicer hospital, newer and cleaner, I would have picked it with those two choices

Hopelass · 12/06/2013 09:19

I agree with Namechangingnorma having lived in Cheshire and now Manchester I would also choose Wythenshawe. If you go on the NHS choices website you can do a comparison www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Maternity-service/Stockport/Results/6/-2.159/53.407/1802/20225?distance=25 hope this helps! :)

Original poster
yeay2day · 12/06/2013 09:22

Thanks both of you - I feel reassured already! i will have a look at the website now.

OP posts:
Hopelass · 12/06/2013 09:29

If you go into the drop down box called topics at the top right of the search results you can choose more options to get more detailed results of the surveys they have carried out on each hospital. TBH they both look similar to me, SH has better results than I would have thought but I would still choose Wythenshawe!

I found this website really useful and luckily the hospital 5 mins from where I live had great results! :)

Original poster
yeay2day · 12/06/2013 09:34

I see what you mean - they do look similar, but at least I haven't chosen a totally duff one. In fact, on the stats it possibly comes out slightly ahead?

OP posts:
Doctorbrownbear · 12/06/2013 12:06

I chose to give birth at Wythenshawe with my DD who is nearly 2 yrs old, even though I live very close to SH, I had heard such bad stories and experiences about SH, that I changed hospitals. I cannot complain about the overall level of care at Wythenshawe, my DD was delivered safely. I ended up having a foceps and the consultants and aneasthtists were amazing, my midwife was not great and was a bit of a bully and I was really dissappointed with the postnatal care on the ward at Wythenshawe but I think that it is a fairly common complaint wherever you choose. As it happens I am pregnant again and think that I am going to stick with SH this time as I feel a bit more confident that I would know when to speak up if there were complications and step in if necessary. I feel I made the right choice last time and stand by my choice. The birthing centre is lovely at Wythenshawe, the delivery rooms and wards are OK, I think the birthing suite at SH is supposed to be very nice too.

Doctorbrownbear · 12/06/2013 12:09

sorry one more thing, if you do change your mind you can change hospitals at any time.

Original poster
yeay2day · 12/06/2013 15:16

That's really helpful - thanks. I will stick with Wythenshawe for now and see how it goes but it's good to know you can change if you're not happy. Seems a very big decision to be making so early!

OP posts:
Shootingstarsandcomets · 12/06/2013 19:25

I was booked in to stepping hill for ds. Ended up having complicated pregnancy and hated the care at stepping hill. I changed hospitals at the last minute as did not trust them at all to deliver my baby. You did right hung picking wythenshawe!

ElBombero · 16/06/2013 21:53

Wythenshawe

TheSecondComing · 16/06/2013 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Metellaestinhortobibit · 16/06/2013 22:18

When I was pregnant with ds, GP advised me that the paediatric care at wythenshawe was better than stepping hill. So I based my decision on that. DH was most put out because he claims the parking is better at stepping hill!!!! DS was subsequently prem and did require paediatric care and although I hadn't been thrilled at the care I received myself, I believe the GP was right. For various reasons we had to go to stepping hill for some of the monitoring he needed but I always felt he had better attention at wythenshawe.
I opted for wythenshawe again with dd and had a much better experience myself. I second the view that the birthing suite at wythenshawe is nice (it had just opened when I had dd)
Congratulations on your pregnancy, hope it goes smoothly for you whatever you decide.

mummywantsaliedown · 16/06/2013 22:25

I had my dd2 at SH even though i wanted a home birth (but wasn't allowed). I found the midwives lovely and can't complain at all about the care while I was giving birth or after.

LovelyMarchHare · 16/06/2013 22:28

two babies born at SH and was impressed with them on both occasions (with the exception of a single midwife). Didn't SH come joint first in the country for maternity provision a year or so ago? I recall being at bit worried at what some of them must be like! Most of my friends had their babies at SH too and no real scare stories come to mind.

I was at Wythenshawe recently (not in maternity) with a family member and wasn't very impressed. However, it is a huge teaching hospital these days and I think that they have spent a lot of money on the women's unit.

I was born there myself in fact ..... a long long long time ago.

LovelyMarchHare · 16/06/2013 22:30

yes, here it is!

link

andadietcoke · 17/06/2013 07:54

I'm at SH with a 'high risk' pregnancy (twins). I've had very variable care - things have been missed, routine appts not booked, not seen the same doctor more than once so very little continuity, and different answers to questions from different people. Getting a bit frustrated by it all, but hopefully as my pregnancy progresses (28w tomorrow) there will be a bit more consistency.

All my friends that have had routine pregnancies have had no problems there, including a couple whose baby spent a month in the SCBU.

Original poster
yeay2day · 19/06/2013 17:51

I now have my first appointment next week at Wythenshawe so will stick with my choice for now and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the replies - its good to know from those in the know, and I can't ask my friends yet because I'm not telling till 12 weeks!! Sounds like either hospital is a good choice. andadietcoke - I hope everything goes okay with your twins. Exciting times!

OP posts:
Christelle2207 · 19/06/2013 17:58

I'm at SH because it's so close to my house. Have been messed around a bit with appointments but no concern about quality of care. If location is not a major factor though I would go to wythenshawe as have heard very good things about the facilities. SH is ok but nothing special.

Klootami · 19/06/2013 18:00

I have given birth at Trafford ( maternity unit now closed) and then Wythenshawe in 2011. Awful postnatal care at trafford with my prem DD1 so would have chosen anywhere but there had it been an option. wythenshawe was fine and i ended up being transferred from the lovely water birth room (these are new) to the hospital side for failure to progress. Have chosen wythenshawe again for 3rd and the consultant I saw yesterday was lovely. They seem to have sorted out the horrendous waiting times in antenatal for scans and appointments.

miffybun73 · 19/06/2013 18:04

I had both my babies at Stepping Hill and had no complaints whatsoever.

No experience of Wythenshawe, I suppose it might have been even better there.

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