Confused after BFP - how to self refer? How to choose hospital?

[DanisEndo]

Hi everyone, I got my BFP on friday and a few more over the weekend!! I called the GP today and the receptionist wasn’t suuuuuper clear on what happens next. She text me a link to self refer to a maternity unit and said to book an appointment with them. BUT there’s a few hospitals near by and the link she sent was for one I’ve heard a lot of negatives about.

am I able to self refer to a different hospital?
once I choose one is that the THE ONE I have to give birth in?
do I still have the choice of a birth centre?
is there a way to actually compare hospitals?

I'm so confused and it seems so soon to be making BIG decisions?! Have I got the wrong end of the stick?

Do all of the local hospitals come under the same trust? As you might be able to refer under that link but tell them at your booking appt that you’d rather be under whichever hospital

If not, I’d speak to the receptionist again and ask if there’s a different link you need

You can also transfer to a different hospital any time during your pregnancy. One of my friends transferred just before giving birth

have a look online at the maternity department’s CQC reports

@DanisEndo this just happened to me! Do the self-referral and then the midwife should be able to transfer you at your booking appointment. I had my first at Warwick hospital last year and couldn’t choose that on the self-referral but when I spoke to the midwife she said it’ll be possible to swap.

Self refer to the hospital you feel most comfortable with... This might be the facilities (i.e. you mentioned birth centre) they have or distance from home or whatever. You can still change at any point during your pregnancy. If it's a different trust you'll probably have to do you booking in appointment again with them. I changed at 36weeks when home birth services opened back up again and I needed to be under the Trust that was more local to me.

Thanks everyone!

It’s Watford and Barnet I’m choosing between, theyre basically the same distance. and different Trusts I think but looks like they both cover Hertfordshire?

I think I’m leaning Barnet as they the better CQC (thank you @FirstMondayInMay ). They also have a birth centre on site (@Juicyjuicymango that would be my preference I think but knowing there’s a hospital upstairs if I need it)

@HannahT93 it’s all so confusing isn’t it?!? Was it easy to swap?

We moved during pregnancy, just self refer to one of them for now and you can always move to another. But do bear in mind they won’t see you until at least 8 weeks so no rush

@PinkRoses1245 ahh yeah that’s a helpful reminder actually I think I’m 5/6 weeks now so I suppose there’s some time to think it over.

@DanisEndo I’ve not done it yet because it’s another couple of weeks until my booking appointment but have been told it won’t be a problem so fingers crossed!

@DanisEndo funnily enough I'm with Watford.

They do have an attached MLU which is meant to be good but if you end up on labour ward for whatever reason the facilities are not great. (I was there in 2020) although I can't fault the care I had there.

Parking is bloody terrible though and you risk getting stuck on Match days too. I know a couple of people who have chosen Barnet over Watford if that gives you more confidence for leaning that way.

This pregnancy I haven't had to go in due to planning a home birth again so had all my appointments with the community midwives at my surgery. (Which is why I'm obviously not bothered by the parking situation 😅)

Best wishes for a smooth pregnancy x

@Juicyjuicymango ah it’s so helpful to here your experience! I hadn’t even considered match day or parking….. but actually my husbands grandad was there at the end and visiting was a nightmare for both those reasons.