Has anyone had a baby at Watford hospital?

[lemondaisies]

Hi
Has anyone had a baby at Watford Hospital? Would you recommend it? Also, I'm likely to be consultant-led - what were the wait times for booked appointments? I have a history of polyhydramiosis, so expect the same this pregnancy. Wait times at Barnet for the day unit are about 4 hours. I work part-time but am self-employed and am worried about the cost and logistics of childcare on top of losing a day's wages for each hospital appointment. I think the alternative of entertaining 2 preschoolers in a hospital all day is not going to be easy. Is Watford better? Thanks.

They are both the same level of rubbish according to which magazine. So it would probably depend on your needs. Barnet seems to have a much lower unplanned c-section rate, so my guess is they may refer out complicated deliveries to another hospital (Watford sometimes refers mums with complicated deliveries to Milton Keynes or into London).

I had my first baby at Watford, and am due to have my second there. I had a good experience with the actual birth, as well as the prenatal care.

I was consultant led last time, and have been again this time. Depending on where you live, that might have an impact on where your consultant appointment/scans etc are. I’ve never had an appointment or scan at Watford, always at Hemel or St Albans hospital. I’ve never had to wait for a scan, they are always pretty prompt, in my experience, and I think my longest wait for a consultant appointment was about 45mins? I’ve also seen the same midwife my entire pregnancy (although again this might be dependent on where you live).

I was induced last time round, and it was a long process, and there was a lot of waiting around for drs to check me over, and my 1 hour wait for the delivery ward turned into 5 hours, but I expect that’s probably not just a problem limited to Watford. The worst thing about the hospital (and St Albans) is the parking - it’s a total nightmare and really stressful trying to find a space.

Hope this helps

Thanks. Parking also difficult at Barnet. Hemel would be a bit tricky to get to.