choice where to give birth

magali

I read recently lot of bad reviews about the hospital maternity ward where I am mean to give birth, I am 5 months pregnant.
I spoke with a friend who experienced this latest and another hospital a couple of miles away, she recommended me the last one.
I told my GP and she told me that unless I had better excuses I had to go to the hospital the closest, the one I want to avoid.
I saw on some threads that women can choose where to give birth, how can I move to the hospital I want to go if my GP won't recommend me?

Justie

what is it about the hospital that's so bad? If you can narrow that down then it helps you make a case. Would you consider a home birth? Is there a midwife lead unit in your area? Do you need (for medical reasons) to have a hospital birth? In theory you should have choice but it's not always easy to arrange. You should look at the overall picture of what the benefits are of going to the nearest hospital and going to one (even just a little bit) further away. Don't forget that everyone's birth experience is different and just simple things like being attended to by different staff or being there when it's quiet as opposed to busy can make a big difference.

If you still really want to go to the other hospital once you've considered everything then speak to the head of midwifery at the other hospital (you may need to book an appointment) to see if there are any ways of doing it or if you're under consultant care then speak to a consultant. With patient choice it should be possible to transfer to another hospital no matter what your GP says it's just how much you want to fight for it and what hoops you have to jump through first.

Counting_Pennies_2

Why don't you talk to your midwife, they are more clued up than the GPs.

You will probably have been asked in your booking in appointment by the midwife where you would be having the baby. My area has a mixture of a natural birthing units, and two other hospitals, one closer than the other. The assumption is that you will go to your local one, but you will probably have been asked in passing.

Why not speak to the midwife and ask if you can change.

Do remember though, you might prefer to have a hospital closer to you. Scare stories are just that, every hospital has their moments, and there is such a boom in having babies this last year that there are probably lots of stories coming out of over crowding, shutting of units when full, midwifes being overstretched and not giving the care that is aspired to.

In my experience, I have found when overstretched hospitals will concentrate on the antenatal and labour side of things, as these are the most crucial, and when stretched they will find the postnatal care is of a lower standard. Maybe buzzers not being answered quickly enough, not enough support breastfeeding, drugs rounds etc.

This is precisely the problem I had, I was left in a private room pressing buzzers postnatally following a c-section without response, and then had a non life threatening issue which wasn't looked after sufficiently and it did upset me greatly at the time. Looking back on it though I would sooner have had that than being ignored in the run up to the birth, or during it.

The key thing I can recommend is take control of your care postnatally. Such as, if c-section be aware of when your blood pressure should be checked and make sure you or your partner ensure it is carried out. If you aren't getting adequate breastfeeding support, at your bedside find out where the voluntary clinic is (most hospitals have them running) and go and seek the help there, it is often just a lift ride away and go in your dressing gown, which is completely expected. If the drugs aren't forthcoming on the regular basis stated on your notes, take charge of the times you are meant to have them and keep track of the drugs trolley.

It would obviously be lovely if all the wards were as per the tv programmes and old fashioned matron run calm units of decades ago, but really most hospitals do experience rush times that do create issues, panorama, newspapers and other current affairs programmes focus on the worst cases that have occurred, there are thousands of mums who go through and have perfect care. In my NCT group and large group of friends, out of some 40 new mums who had babies at the same time I was the only one who went through what I felt was neglect at the time postnatally. Everyone else had positive experiences.

The ward I was on was going through a busy time that if people didn't go home with their newborns they would have to close the wards, and I remember at 24 hours postnatally they were begging me to leave along with the rest of the ward, in the hope that some mums would depart in time to save them this nightmare, they had completely overlooked my postnatal situation, so I told them that no I was staying there, I was c-section just over a day postnatal and I was sorry but it wasn't the right time to leave.

The reason for the long rambling response, is that the likelihood is you will have a good experience, and if you find the hospital is going through a busy time (which if my dates are right you are expecting November/December statistically this isn't a peak time of the year to have a baby) then take charge of your care to ensure what you need is what you get.

I am expecting baby number two, in peak time in just under 2 months time, I am going back to the same hospital, and I will be taking charge of my care.

Good luck.

magali

Thank you for your answers.
I am french and it is my first baby , all is a bit different here and of courses stories don't help...
I am more likely to ask for an epidural and I know that here it is more natural birth oriented, my partner is english and would miss the birth if I go back in France to give birth.
The midwife or GP never ask me which hospital I would like to give birth.As for a home birth I won't consider because of epidural.

me_and_me_monkeys

Like you I disliked my closest maternity unit and had my last 2 children over 40miles away from home (I must have passed 4 maternity units on the way to get to the hospital of my choice.) my nearest maternity unit is 1.4 miles

I would suggest getting in touch with birthchoiceuk.com they have a helpline.

Also have you thought about a home birth?? You could talk to the NCT for advice as well

Good luck, please let us know how you get on.

Justie

magali wrote: »

Thank you for your answers.
I am french and it is my first baby , all is a bit different here and of courses stories don't help...
I am more likely to ask for an epidural and I know that here it is more natural birth oriented, my partner is english and would miss the birth if I go back in France to give birth.
The midwife or GP never ask me which hospital I would like to give birth.As for a home birth I won't consider because of epidural.

Why do you want an epidural? If there's no particular reason other than fear of the pain there are other better ways of dealing with it than presuming you'll have an epidural. Epidurals increase the likelihood of forceps delivery (and the episiotomies that go with them) and increase the likelihood of other interventions - you may not be in pain but you may compromise comfort in other ways. It sounds as though you need a good long chat with your midwife - book a long appointment so you don't feel rushed and raise all the issues that worry you sooner rather than later. You still have plenty of time to plan everything so don't get too worried about it all yet.

positivelypurple

I had my little girl here in the UK last summer after having my son abroad - I heard so many horror stories about the hospital I was going to and people advised me to go elsewhere.

But I had a great experience, far superior to my first one and while the midwives and staff were a little stretched for time, I left the hospital feeling really happy with the whole thing.

People rave about the hospital where I had my first baby and I thought the medical care was appalling - it's all subjective!

Best of luck finding a place where you will feel comfortable.

Curious_George_2

Justie wrote: »

Why do you want an epidural? If there's no particular reason other than fear of the pain there are other better ways of dealing with it than presuming you'll have an epidural. Epidurals increase the likelihood of forceps delivery (and the episiotomies that go with them) and increase the likelihood of other interventions - you may not be in pain but you may compromise comfort in other ways.

on the other side of that, i didnt have an epidural and still ended up with a forceps delivery with episiotomy and stitches thrown in for free...

she wants an epidural, thats good enough reason for her to get one in my opinion! everyone is different... i will do everything i can to avoid an epi, and as ive said on the preggo thread i cant imagine a worse experience than a home birth!

magali - it was assumed that i would give birth this time in the same place i had my now 7 year old daughter, it was even written into my notes without even asking me about it...
but in those 7 years it has turned from a hospital maternity ward with doctors and flashy equipment into a midwife only led thing, and if there were any difficulties i would have to get in an ambulance to travel another 20 miles up the road....
I wasnt having it! I love my local midwives but i would rather start 20 miles up the road with all the docs and the expertise and life saving gear that comes with them,

i cant say i even mentioned it to my doctor, after my OH and I had talked it through, i told the midwife at my next antenatal appointment that i wanted to change where i was booked in and she did it without question,
she said if your not happy labouring somewhere, then you wont labour productively...
birth is so stressful that you have to be completely comfortable and have everything (within reason) exactly as you want it...
and if thats all happening at the place up the road, then thats where you should be

Gingham_Ribbon

Call AIMS for information and advice. They were very helpful when I needed someone. AIMS Helpline - 0870 765 1433

babs

magali,

I am a midwife and I know in our region a woman can give birth in whatever trust she likes. The woman would need to be booked in at that hospital and all her scans will need to be carried out there along with blood tests etc. This referral is usually initiated by the her GP. The postnatal care by the community midwife is done by her local trusts community midwives though.

I would also like to stress that if a woman came to me wanting an epidural from the onset then that's what she would get. The only time this would differ if she was in the late stages of labour where it would not be in and effective before delivery was occurring or there was a reason why she could not have it (spinal problems etc). Magali, its YOUR baby, its YOUR choices and YOUR experience. Just keep that in mind and go for the birth that you want. Talk to your GP and see if you can change hospitals or if you decide to stick with the local one - attend their ward tours (most hospitals have them - so ring to find out the date) and ask all the questions you need to to put your mind at rest.

Curious_George_2

see! midwives are lovely