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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Hospitals Manchester

28 replies

FluffyKitty007 · 08/12/2023 20:01

Hello :) I'm only 4 weeks, found out two days ago and the midwife registration form already asks me where do I want to deliver 😳

I have three options:

Saint Mary's Hospital at Oxford Road Campus
North Manchester Hospital
Wythenshawe Hospital

I’m living within similar distance to the first two but I’m leaning towards the Saint Mary’s. The last one is 40 min drive which sounds a bit too much, the others are 15-20 min away.

Can you share your experiences please?

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FizzyStream · 08/12/2023 20:07

Hi there
I went to NMGH for my first and wouldn't recommend it. It was a tricky birth and the consultant was sewing me up afterwards and I heard her say to one of the midwives "I'm rushing here cos I've got to pick my kids up". She completely botched it and I was in pain for weeks afterwards. Ten years ago now and I've never forgotten that. Had no help with breastfeeding and was discharged 6 hours after the birth.

Second son was born at Bolton in water and had a totally amazing experience there. Midwives and after care were excellent.

I believe Saint Mary's is very good though so if I were you, I'd go there.

Best wishes for your birth where be you have it

FizzyStream · 08/12/2023 20:08

*wherever

Mazuslongtoenail · 08/12/2023 20:12

One at Wythenshawe and one at St Mary’s here. They were both excellent. I’d say St Mary’s more ‘polished and professional’ and Wythenshawe more down to earth and warm, but still bloody brilliant.

The midwives at Wythenshawe were the most capable, kind and compassionate people I’ve ever met. I honestly think I’ll remember three of them forever.

Congratulations. xx

Misspotterscat · 08/12/2023 20:16

I don’t live in Manchester but I am having my baby at st Mary’s as I require specialist care. I have been really happy with the care I’ve received so far and feel really safe in their hands.

Ellie525 · 08/12/2023 20:24

St Marys was amazing for all the pre natal stuff but awful post natal ward, just no staff and ended up discharging myself as couldnt spend another night with noone around at all (buzzers went unanswered most of the night for all beds in our section.. partner came in morning to find me bloody from waist down, catatonic from holding baby all night after a section and no pain meds ever came on time..)

Cas112 · 08/12/2023 20:24

I can't comment but north Manchester was an option for mine but everyone I spoke to did not recommend at all

OopsieeDaisy · 08/12/2023 22:35

Wythenshawe was amazing for me, however a 40 minute drive will seem like forever when you’re in labour. There’s also a chance you could go in and be sent home if they don’t think you’re ready which could be difficult with a drive that long.

namechanger563 · 08/12/2023 22:46

Another vote for St Mary's. I ended up consultant led towards the end, footling breech and EMCS. Having all the experts in the same place was reassuring for me, whereas I would have had to transfer to St Mary's anyway if I'd gone elsewhere.

AgeingDoc · 08/12/2023 23:02

I've worked at all 3, though it was a long time ago. Based on my (admittedly out of date!) experience I would definitely pick St Marys if there is anything at all out of the ordinary about your pregnancy but I loved working at Wythenshawe as it was so friendly and personally I would probably choose it out of the three if everything was straightforward with my pregnancy. Certainly when I worked at St Marys it was very much geared to higher risk pregnancies which obviously is great if you need it, but Wythenshawe was a bit more homely if that makes sense? Of course there will have been a lot of changes since my day but St Marys still takes a lot of complex patients so I imagine the slightly different atmospheres are probably still there.
I didn't spend much time in the maternity unit at North Manchester and I don't know anyone who has worked their recently so can't really comment.

Skintdancemum · 08/12/2023 23:06

St Mary’s! I had 3 there, amazing care all the way through, plus I had loads of issues so expert care immediately accessed

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 08/12/2023 23:13

I had my first at NMGH, would not recommend. I arrived and was told to wait in a room and someone would be with me soon. Told them I thought my waters had broken and contractions were quite close and strong. They told me it was braxton hicks, and that if I was struggling now then it was only going to get worse and I needed to brace myself. A cleaner popped in mid contraction to offer support and went to get another midwife. I was 9cm dilated, yet they didn’t even want to know at first.

I had no support with breast feeding and was told if I couldn’t get him to feed I would have to give him a bottle as I was starving him. He was only 3 hours old at this point.

I had my next at home as I was really put off with it.

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 08/12/2023 23:14

I gave birth 30 mins after being sent to the side room, was told it was BH without even being checked over.

Teenylittlefella · 08/12/2023 23:19

My 4 were all born at St Mary's. They are excellent with complex situations but I felt like more simple pregnancies were a bit neglected.

When my youngest (now 13, so a while ago) was born they had instigated a dreadful system where you gave birth on delivery unit and then stayed in that same delivery room until discharge (most women were discharged within 12-24 hours). This was lovely for those it worked for but meant that those women were blocking delivery rooms for many hours after delivery. This came at personal cost to me as my DD ended up being born on labour ward because there were no rooms available in the consultant led delivery suites and no one being discharged. I kept asking what I was meant to do, could I have her on the midwife led unit instead? No, because I had cholestasis and a history of fevers during delivery. This stalemate continued with no one giving me an answer while women blocked the delivery rooms I needed, until I ended up giving birth in a side room of the labour ward. It felt very unsafe! Hopefully this policy has been changed now ...

Original poster

FluffyKitty007 · 08/12/2023 23:59

@Thisisnotmyname2022 that sounds awful. To be honest, I’ve heard one story first hand from the NMGH and it wasn’t encouraging. I thought I wouldn’t be able to choose so was very glad I don’t have to go there!

OP posts:

Original poster

FluffyKitty007 · 09/12/2023 00:01

@OopsieeDaisy that’s a super helpful perspective, thank You!

OP posts:

Original poster

FluffyKitty007 · 09/12/2023 00:04

@AgeingDoc that’s very helpful, thank you! I hope it will be all easy but I think I’d be reassured that specialists are at hand of anything goes wrong

OP posts:

wejammin · 09/12/2023 00:06

I had my first 2 at NMGH in the midwife led unit, both water births. Midwives were all brilliant. With DC1 I had to be transferred to the main hospital after the birth and also no issues, obstetrician was very good.

DC3 was born at Wythenshawe, he was a more complicated birth and so maybe that colours my view. The midwives varied, some were lovely, a couple were a bit rude/abrupt. The actual medical care was very good when there was a problem. Post natal ward was not great (had to go and queue for my lunch 3 hours after birth) and it took ages to be discharged so I was there a night longer than necessary.

Refbuckethat · 09/12/2023 00:15

First at StM as I wanted to be at leading hospital if any issues. (Over 45 etc),) Whythenshawe equally excellent. For a very normal birth either fin

HobnobsChoice · 09/12/2023 00:19

I had my son 6 years ago at NMGH. I was supposed to be at Oldham for induction but they had closed their doors due to being full so I was switched to North Manchester. My main impression of the antenatal ward was that we're beds were too close together. There was a woman having strong contractions being taken down to delivery in a wheelchair and the gap between the beds facing each other wasn't wide enough to get through without dragging the curtains.

The post natal ward was very understaffed and I ended up 18 hours post section helping a woman who was having a diabetic hypo because nobody was answering her bell. She keeled over while trying to get her baby out of his cot and I ended up yelling for help and then holding her baby while they got her sugars up as she was so distressed and he was wailing.
I got told off for opening a window by the same HCA who asked if my baby was planned...

I had to fight for a C section and the first obstetrician I saw was rude but once I quoted NICE guidance at her she changed tack.

My actual c section was very positive and I healed really well. I also had great breastfeeding support from a midwife on the day shift, she was called Lucia and I'll always remember her as she was so amazing.

itsatravestyy · 09/12/2023 00:31

For what it’s worth my best friend was a midwife at St. Mary’s. Everything she’s ever told me echos what is being here. Great, up until you get to the post natal ward.

Bali200 · 09/12/2023 06:37

Hi I have the same three options and are similar distances away from them. I was pregnant over the summer and selected North Manchester as it’s my closest and when I had my booking appointment I was advised I could pick any of the hospitals and look around them first etc she also said I could pick Oldham or Bolton so don’t feel like you’ll be stuck with your first choice.

I had my 12 week scan at NMGH where they found it was a MMC and the staff were very kind and compassionate. I opted for SMM via MVA which was done at St Mary’s, it is a busier hospital (parking a bit of a nightmare) but a lot more modern/cleaner looking. The nurses which did the op were from Wythenshaw St Mary’s unit and were lovely.

Now I’m just under 9 weeks again and have selected St Mary’s this time as mentally I can’t go back for my 12 week scan at NMGH after what happened last time.

I’m sure all three were in the news earlier this summer about safety concerns/requiring improvement which isn’t great, but hopefully changes have been made.

crostini · 09/12/2023 07:08

I gave birth in St marys.
Was very understaffed but they were friendly and did the best they could under the circumstances.

Was admitted to wythenshawe a few weeks after birth for birth issues and stayed for a few days. It was lovely. And I regretted at the time that I hadn't given birth there. 40 mins is quite a drive tho.

Coco9910 · 09/12/2023 07:11

I had my baby at Wythenshawe and had such a positive experience, from the pre natal care right though to being on the post natal ward. I was induced and ended up with cat 1 c section and the midwives on the post natal ward were actual angels on earth and I still feel so lucky to have had them look after me and baby.

edgeware · 09/12/2023 07:21

I think NMGH had a reputation some years ago but made improvements, I don’t know about right now but I had my first there nearly 6 years ago and couldn’t fault them on anything. Prenatal ward, delivery room, midwives, care, postnatal ward, all were absolutely above and beyond. I did not have a straightforward birth and had to go into theatre after. Every single person I encountered there was wonderful, to be honest, so I’ll never say a bad word about NMGH.

I had my second at Wythenshawe due to house move. I can’t say I rate the consultants I dealt with there. Dithery, indecisive and decisions that go against NICE guidelines ‘but they’re our trust guidelines’. I originally chose NMGH with my first because it was closer but also because it had lower intervention rates. And yep, at Wythenshawe I felt like I ended up with dubious interventions (and truly bullied into an induction).
But, both St Mary’s and Wythenshawe are good maternity units and I am now pregnant with my third and will go back to Wythenshawe as it’s closest, although I am far less likely to accept the amount of intervention they pushed onto me.

Food was absolutely awful at Wythenshawe. NMGH it was nice. But nearly 6 years ago so who knows.

fairymary87 · 09/12/2023 08:17

St Mary's 2022, I was induced as I had group b strep. Baby got into distress and there quick thinking and actions saved her. I later haemorrhage after having a placenta abruption, lot of blood loss but again quick thinking and actions then saved my life. The after care was outstanding. I was very traumatised and they gave me my own room to recover and checked on us and cared for us. Hands down would recommend, you never know how it's going to go down. So incase of emergency they are the most professional and have seen a lot. So know what to do. Forever grateful to them xx

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