Can I choose which hospital to give birth?

bobsa1

Hi, I had a high risk pregnancy so had to go to our local large hospital rather than the nice midwifery led unit that is just round the corner from me.

Because I had consultant led antenatal care I actually saw the consultant at the midwifery unit and got monitored by the midwives there. I only went to the large hospital for the birth and postnataly.

When I came home I had community midwives, many of whom I had met at the midwifery unit.

For me a home birth wasn't an option and although the large hospital I gave birth in would not have been my first choice it worked out fine in the end.

I'm not sure if they still do it but DOMINO care may be an option, where you go home quickly after the birth.

jellyhead

when i was in last year and this week actually, my sister's had a baby, people were leaving within hours of giving birth. some women like a rest in hospital, others want to go home. if mum and baby are well they should let you go home after a few hours if you ask them in plenty of time for getting the baby checked over etc. my sister gave birth 48 hours ago and each bed in her room has had 2 or 3 different mums in it - she's the only long term stay (48 hours isn't that long really is it, but she's enjoying it lol!).

when i was in last year there were 3 of us giving birth at the end of visiting hours, put onto the ward alone at ten pm and first thing in the morning one girl had her husband collecting her, before breakfast, before visiting hours began at 9.30 - she wanted to leave asap and nobody tried to stop her. the other woman stayed longer because she was taking prescription painkillers (kapake) and needed to wait for a doctor to prescribe them for her, but others who took ordinary paracetamol with codeine (8mg) that you can buy over the counter, or nothing at all could go sooner. sometimes it's waiting for a doctor that causes delay.

midwives come to visit you at home for ten days after the birth and if there are problems (large clot, etc.) you can call the hospital. if you feel able there's no reason to stay in hospital any longer than necessary i suppose so you might not need an overnight stay anyway.

my baby will only be 15 months old when i have this baby, so i can't imagine leaving him overnight, and i'm quite fond of my husband too, i was upset that he had to leave straight away last time. he'd cuddled the baby for an hour or so first though while i screamed for a bit (still had the drip in), had a bath, drank tea etc.

november

What Crispy Ambulance and Jay Jay said.

I don't know if legislation has changed but when I was pregnant many many years ago I was told I had a legal right to a home birth but not to pick a choice of hospital etc. I therefore went for the home birth. Can't say as my GP was particularly pleased but I had all 3 of my children at home. The middle GP was the worst as he actually kicked the whole family off his list and I had to go and find a new GP while pregnant but, quite frankly, I didn't want a GP like him anyway once I found out what he was like. What decent doctor would kick a small child and partner of a pregnant woman off his waiting list because he didn't agree with her wish to have a home birth!

I was considered 'higher risk' for the first child as I was an 'unknown quantity' not having had a child before.

Shame they were so funny about it really - first time round I had no problem with going into midwife unit where they let you keep your baby with you. However they couldn't guarantee it and I didn't 'have a right' then to go where I wanted (I did check) Plus our hospital, at that time, was taking babies and putting then in the nursery. I thought having the baby at home was probably safer than my getting involved in a fist fight after giving birth if they tried to take my baby off me!!

I don't know if you now have a right to pick where you give birth but I strongly believe you should have.

black-saturn

I wouldnt worry about what doctors, nurses and midwives say. They like to scaremonger first time mothers. When I had my scans with my first one first they said they couldnt detect a heartbeat and asked me to come back in a week, so I spent a week worried sick. Then they told me she was going to be a huge baby of at least 9lb and was probably going to be early and had a huge head. When she was born she weight 5lb 5 and was 2 weeks late. So please dont take any notice of what they say.

I believe you can give birth anywhere you like within reason (it has to be easy and quick to get to whilst in labour and easy to get to appointments). You could contact the NCT about it who are into "informed choices" in childbirth.

http://www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com/

Queen_P_2

black-saturn wrote:

I wouldnt worry about what doctors, nurses and midwives say. They like to scaremonger first time mothers. When I had my scans with my first one first they said they couldnt detect a heartbeat and asked me to come back in a week, so I spent a week worried sick. Then they told me she was going to be a huge baby of at least 9lb and was probably going to be early and had a huge head. When she was born she weight 5lb 5 and was 2 weeks late. So please dont take any notice of what they say.

I totally get wat your saying and really dont know how you even survived a week when they first told you your baby didnt have a heartbeat :eek:

My docs keep talking as if im not even pregnant they say "if you even are STILL pregnant" implying to me that ive lost it.. they really scare me.. just because i dont have all the classic symptoms they assume im not pregnant.. ihad 3 tests (2 at home, 1 at docs). Their attitude is so appaling.. so thats why Im left to do all the antenatal research on my own, they didnt give me any booklets.. didnt refer to a midwife till i kicked a fuss and even then i will only get an appointment in about a month which is fine (i'll be almost 3 months) but it would have helped to have a bit more reassurance.

At times I feel maybe i am silly, maybe im not pregnant... then hate myself for thinking that.

black-saturn

Really don't take any notice of them. Just a word of advice though is that hospitals and doctors dont acknowledge any pregnancy until it reaches 16 weeks. After that you will hear more from your midwife and start going to ante natal checkups.

Queen_P_2

Ive realised that too, and its so frustrating, here me and Hubby are.. all excited about the pregnancy.. wanting to get things going and make sure things are ok.. and there the docs are.. saying well we dont much care till your at least 3 months...

But they do see it everyday so ok i guess I can understand lol

andycarmi

Queen_P wrote:

My docs keep talking as if im not even pregnant they say "if you even are STILL pregnant" implying to me that ive lost it.. they really scare me.. just because i dont have all the classic symptoms they assume im not pregnant.. ihad 3 tests (2 at home, 1 at docs). Their attitude is so appaling.. so thats why Im left to do all the antenatal research on my own, they didnt give me any booklets.. didnt refer to a midwife till i kicked a fuss and even then i will only get an appointment in about a month which is fine (i'll be almost 3 months) but it would have helped to have a bit more reassurance.
.

Poor you. I went to the doctors at 16 weeks he felt my tummy and said "can't feel anything and I should by now, oh well I will just put down I can..." LUCKY for me I had my 12week scan few weeks before(late as the doctor 4got or they didn;t get the letter at the hospital) so I knew there was a baby there! :rolleyes:

I would def consider going to another doctors!

Lillibet_2

jellyhead wrote:

my baby will only be 15 months old when i have this baby, so i can't imagine leaving him overnight, and i'm quite fond of my husband too, i was upset that he had to leave straight away last time. he'd cuddled the baby for an hour or so first though while i screamed for a bit (still had the drip in), had a bath, drank tea etc.

Oh oh oh oh oh......are you knocked up AGAIN JH????!!!!_party_:dance::grouphug::T

(Sorry, I have to shout online at the mo as I have Laryngitis & absoutly no voice!)

Big big congratulaions:T:T:T I defiantley won't be going through it with you this time....just the thought of another so soon makes me feel queasy:rolleyes2 But Yay you & Mr JH:cheesy:

Sorry to the OP, didn't mean to hijack thread:embarasse

Lillibet_2

november wrote:

What Crispy Ambulance and Jay Jay said.

I don't know if legislation has changed but when I was pregnant many many years ago I was told I had a legal right to a home birth but not to pick a choice of hospital etc. .

This is exactly what I was told by my GP last year. You have a right to express a preferance and this should be accomodated if at all possible (in my case it couldn't be) but it is not a right to chose where to give birth except at home.
Good thing I didn't want a home birth as the midwives never even mentioned it as an option during antenatal care to me! Thankfulyl I'm the sort of person who wouldn't have had a problem asking for it if it was what I had wanted but for some women I can imagine they are just stuck on the conveyer belt & don't know how to get off. I suspec tthis is beacuse of staffing issues. Legally you are not allowed to give birth without a midwife present but it takes at least 2 midwives out of the hospital for every home birth.