St Johns in Chelmsford- Experiences please!

[WheresTheAuPair]

I had a horrendous experience with DS1 at an East London hospital so decided to go further into Essex to have no.2.
So far am not wholly impressed with the antenatal care as they cocked up the nuchal fold scan and told me I was high risk when in fact on 2nd opinion I was fine. Otherwise the care has been ok. Has anyone any experiences they can share with regard to the labour ward and postnatal?

I had DS there four years ago and have just been booked in there for my second one. I loved it - only really had experience of delivery and the postnatal care as all my antenatal appts were at the GP. Very nice cottage hospital type feel to it and you could buzz a midwife whenever you needed help with feeding etc and someone came immediately. Everything was very clean and the food was okay too! I had really nice midwives in labour although they were a bit short staffed but I was lucky and it was a quiet day when I went in there.
They didn't do nuchal scans when I had DS and I was a bit worried about how accurate they would be as they have only been doing them for a few months. Sorry to hear about your experiencec - did you have to go private for a second opinion? I've got my scan next week so will see how it goes.....

I had DS there almost 2 years ago - and my DH works for Broomfield (at the time he was stationed at St. Johns though)

To be honest I had good and bad experiences there. But if I am being really honest... I would have to say a little bit more bad.

They misdiagnosed waters breaking for a show so DS was in danger straight away. They induced me a week too late. The epidural failed so I was paralysed but had no pain relief. BUT my MW was wonderful and if it wasnt for her support it would have ended much worse than it actually did.

A nurse in the BCBU preformed something on my DS that I did not give consent for which traumatised me terribly. I dont really even want to get into that right now.

Ok. Those are the bad things.

The good things.

Some MW's were fantastic! Really compassionate. I was very ill and DS was very... delicate after being induced early and a traumatic birth. They gave us a private room and also allowed him to stay with me rather than go to SCBU going out of their way to treat him so I could be with him all the time.

I think if I am honest I would say there was more bad than good. BUT I honestly believe that every hospital has its great and terrible days. I dont know if you could find any that didnt. Colchester, for example - I know someone who had a wonderful birth there and someone who had a terrible one there. It just seems so random.

I am TTC DC2 now. When I do give birth I will probably go back to St. Johns mainly because DH works at Broomfield and because they tell you the sex of the baby there and they dont at Colchester. I just hope the next time around will be better.

I feel a sense of loyalty to the place because DH works there. But I just asked him if it was more good or more bad and he said more bad. I said "Do you think that reflects on the hospital?" He said "Everything reflects on the hospital".

I dont know. I am waffling. It was a mixed bag.

I really really hope I havent frightened you. Let me stress - the head consultant there Dr. R profusely apologised for what happened to me and he is now personally overseeing all my care. He said my case was the worst there had been in a very long time. So the odds of you having a hard time like that (I hope) are slim.

If you want more details - the sort I cant give out on a website - you can email me at senatorvass at gmail dot com Best of luck!

sorry I just realised how long that was!

Meant to say - the doctor who came in the middle of my labour was a total wanker. The MW thankfully kicked him out of the room.

I had to pay for a private 2nd opinion as I felt that the sonographer seemed to be rushed and not very confident. Since presenting the consultant with the 2nd opinion from the FMC they have ordered an investigation so i wonder what that will show..
I think i'm going for an elective section this time around as i'm still having a lot of pain from my scar area from DS1. he was huge (over 10lbs!) and i'm still not totally 'normal' 19 months later... my last scan showed this one is already 95th centile so looks like another bonny one
Was also thinking of asking to be transferred to St Peters midwife unit for aftercare- has anyone done this? Its a lovely unit but i'm too high risk to consider having this one there. they did say i could go after for the postanatal care tho which i'm considering- particularly if the care in St Johns is patchy!

Thanks eennybeeny for your story-i probably will email you!

Hi wherestheaupair, I too am booked in at St Johns or St Peters at Maldon if I can manage the no epidural thing and after reading eenybeany I might just do St Johns. I too had my DS 13mth at an E London hospital - Royal London. We moved to Esssex a couple of months ago. I truly believe that each hospital has its awful days and good ones and equally I know of people who had fantastic care at the Royal London and others who had horrific experiences.

When are you due?

due the 30th october but asked for a elective section. They said depending on size of baby they will do this at 38/39 weeks so anytime from the 19th. I have looked around st peters and it was lovely- lovely and quiet and really clean and homely. i'm thinking that i'd like to be transferred there for the aftercare regardless of what hospital i go for-if i know i'll be in for at least 3 days then it may as well be somewhere nice!!

when are you due JIMW?

Begining of Dec. I had my booking at St Peters and the MW there was lovely she almost persuaded me to give birth there but after a 3 day back to back labour last time round I am really concerned about doing it au natural.

Do they have private rooms at St Johns would that make oyu feel a bit more comfortable about the after care?

I had my DS there Jan '06. Im 17 weeks now and having this one at st. Johns aswel.

I found it quite good there, i needed some extra care after the birth due to PPH, they gave me my own room on the labour ward as all the private rooms were busy. Midwifes took DS away both nights for a few hours to give me some rest aswel.

Only problems i had really was that during labour one midwife came to clean all my sick up, but she kept trying to get me to lie down and have gas and air (i didnt want either but she wouldn't listen - so had a go at her).
And at 37 weeks i thought my waters had broken so went in to be monitored. Was kept in overnight, then had to be monitored again. But they lost all my notes and then wrote in my book that the reason i ended up in hospital was because of post coital bleeding when it was actually cos i thought my waters had gone.

i've no idea about private rooms in st johns. i'll have to ask for a tour around the unit me thinks.
Among the many-the main problem at the last hospital was I was unable to move properly (it took 10 days for the spinal/epidural to wear off) and they were too busy to help me with the baby. I felt totally abandoned and physically unable to get to the baby who was throwing up blood from the section. I also had air going in my drip, was covered in blood myself and had a catherer that I had to empty myself as it was overflowing. I pulled my UV out in the end as no-one seemed bothered about it.
They were just so hopelessly overstretched that all of us in the postnatal 'special care' unit were in similar desperate states. I was so traumatised by it that i vowed i would have the next baby privately but sadly haven't won the lottery in the last 19 months lol.
My main concern is that the midwives are good and able to help when needed. The buzzers and lights in the last hospital I was in didn't work and it was horrific. Made worse that they had not worked for 10 days .

sorry x-posted with glitterstar. so they do have private rooms then!

Bloody nora, what hospital did you deliver in?

King Georges- Goodmayes

When i had the tour around St. Johns my midwife said that they sometimes will let you have a private room for about £40 per night as long as they are not too busy.