Choosing where to give birth

[Maybemaybenot76]

After a less than thrilling hospital experience with my first, I’ve chosen to give birth at its sister hospital (also a teaching hospital) which is much smaller and in a smaller town.

The thing is, I’ve panicked myself a little. I know that if you are especially high risk round here, you have to labour where I had my first. They have the best premature baby special care unit in our area, but why would they be considered better for the mother? The consultant said high risk would mean an excessively high BMI, heart problems etc

Does this mean that my original hospital are better equipped to deal with an emergency for the mother? So if I suffer some rare, horrific complication, then they would be better to handle it? I can’t get a straight answer out of anyone. My midwife just said they have the better baby unit, but it is only for premature babies born before 32 weeks, and since I’m passed that, it’s not a concern.

Does anyone know why a woman with a high BMI or heart issues would be told to give birth at one hospital over another? If both are able to handle a medical emergency I am struggling to see why. Both have A&E, critical care etc

I'd imagine it's more about the concentration of resources. A smaller one might have expertise and equipment but not enough for the whole place to be full of higher risk mothers.

Basically higher risk often means you might need emergency caesarean, maybe the small hospital has one theatre but the bigger one has several. Or more consultants on duty.

If it makes you feel better, I was unhappy about having to have vbac at a slightly gloomy and grim delivery suite when the midwife led unit was all yoga balls and sofas, when it came to it I couldn't have given a flying shit!

@fearfuloffluff Well strangely enough the whole reason I’m choosing to go elsewhere is because of how understaffed my first hospital was, as well as having been rated inadequate in its latest cqc report!

Thats why I’m struggling to make a decision as to where would be safest to have the baby. They’re saying that for high risk mothers, a hospital rated inadequate overall as well as for maternity services is the place to be, over a cqc rated “good” service at a smaller hospital. I can’t wrap my head around it. I just want to know that if shit hits the fan, I’ll be just as safe at the smaller one. Post natal care was crap with my first, and I’ve heard better at this smaller hospital -
but I want the safest overall.