Hospital tours

[becks20]

I thought this would be a good thread for others coming up to there due date, if we say what we thought about the hospital tours we were given and what we thought of the hospital from that, it may help people decide what hospital they want to give birth at aswell.

I had my hospital tour at Southend hospital yesterday, i had to wait 15mins before anyone came out to us, but in that time i noticed there security is really good they wont let anyone in unless they have buzzed and told them who they are coming in to see.

After we was taken in we got showed the Fetal assessment unit and the place we would go if we have any problems with the pregnancy, there wasnt really much to see there. Then we was shown the postnatal ward, again we didnt see much as all the cubicles were taken by people and there babies

After that we was taken to the central delivery suite where we was shown the labour rooms for low risk (they hadnt been cleaned as they was really busy, but they clean them when you phone up to say your in labour) and for high risk. The water birth room was in use so we couldnt see that but the woman in there we could hear lol. We got shown the ward where we would be induced and TBH it was VERY hot in there the same as the labour rooms so i deffinatly will have to get a hand held fan for OH to use on me.

The midwife who showed us around the labour ward was really really nice and i really hope i get her when i have baby but knowing my luck ill have someone moany and wont deliver my baby without a doctor lol. It has deffinatly relaxed me slightly about giving birth there just got me thinking about what midwife ill get x

 

[AugustMum]

Sounds like a nice hospital you're going to

Ive asked a couple of times for a hospital tour but they've still got ours closed to anyone that isn't in labour because of swine flu I suppose its too late now and Ill just have to see when I get there! lol

Glad you feel more comfortable though. I imagine it's alot nicer knowing what everything is like before hand. x

 

[becks20]

Sounds like a nice hospital you're going to

Ive asked a couple of times for a hospital tour but they've still got ours closed to anyone that isn't in labour because of swine flu I suppose its too late now and Ill just have to see when I get there! lol

Glad you feel more comfortable though. I imagine it's alot nicer knowing what everything is like before hand. x

Oh i thought swine flu was long gone. But i suppose its good they are protecting the babies and mummys from the risk of it im sure your hospital is lovely, mines had bad reviews but it didnt look that bad x

 

[serenitylove]

im going to be doing one of mine in a fe weeks with my birth partner because she never been there befor will update once i have

 

[inky]

Your hospital sounds good Becks, I was the same as you when I went to mine, I was checking out the security first lol! I had a tour round our hospital a couple of weeks ago and was shocked by a few things - how quiet it was (although I spent a whole day there for the following week and it wasn't quiet at all hehe!), just how HOT it was (!) and that the birthing pool was empty - apparently no-one ever wants to use it! I'm glad we had the tour though, feeling like we know what we're heading into when D-day finally arrives should hopefully make us both feel more at ease with things!

 

[mel_ed]

my hospital (north stafforshire hospuital) doesnt do tours any more. which i can totally understand. its brand new only built last year and they stopped doing them for security and cross infection reasons.
2 b honest i dont understand why they do do them them poor women giving birth and then theres a loada pregnant women looking around and listening i know i wudnt like it.
ive heard its ment to be really nice every labour room has en suite with it with deep bath, birthing ball and bean bags and big comfy chair for dad.

 

[becks20]

Mel your hospital sounds nice.
I would end up slowing my labour down too much if i didnt know where to go and what the rooms were like. Apparently going to hospital to give birth slows labour down slightly anyway but can imagine its worse if your not sure what to expect.

We saw a man on the phone just inside the labour ward telling somebody his OH had had a baby girl and he was so happy and nearly crying and my OH picked up on this and i think hes really got into the idea of that hes going to be a dad soon I think the tour done him just as much good as it done me. x

 

[mel_ed]

Mel your hospital sounds nice.
I would end up slowing my labour down too much if i didnt know where to go and what the rooms were like. Apparently going to hospital to give birth slows labour down slightly anyway but can imagine its worse if your not sure what to expect.

We saw a man on the phone just inside the labour ward telling somebody his OH had had a baby girl and he was so happy and nearly crying and my OH picked up on this and i think hes really got into the idea of that hes going to be a dad soon I think the tour done him just as much good as it done me. x

aarrrr!! thats such a nice thing for the men to be able to do. my OH cant wait to tell every1. we have been 2 the hospital but for antenaltal classes n that was just in a class room.

ive heard the babies have to wear a elevtronic tg at our hospital 2 and if they r taken out with 1 on all alarms go off and the windows and doors lock!!! is it like that at urs?

 

[becks20]

Ohh i dont think so they just have a security man or woman sitting just outside the door and they have a sheet of paper with everyones names on it who are in there. and the doors are locked so no-one can get past the security guard without her/him letting her in but when they arent there they have the buzzers to use. No staff can let anyne on the ward unless they give a name of the person they are seeing. They also dont let you take baby outside until you leave and a midwife comes down stairs with you with baby still in the crib and you put baby in car seat at the cafe downstairs. Im only going in for a domino birth anyway ill stay in my labour room after i give birth and can go home any time up to 6hours after aslong as babys feeding ok, if any complications then ill be put on the ward but can have a private room x

 

[Tasha89]

We were given a mega old DVD with a tour on it - they're putting one up on the website apparently although they've said this for a good year now! lol!
They don't do tours of the actual hospital due to infections and the fact that having a group of pregnant women walking about oggling at women in labour can be very off putting! lol!

 

[x_MrsE_x]

I thought this would be a good thread for others coming up to there due date, if we say what we thought about the hospital tours we were given and what we thought of the hospital from that, it may help people decide what hospital they want to give birth at aswell.

I had my hospital tour at Southend hospital yesterday, i had to wait 15mins before anyone came out to us, but in that time i noticed there security is really good they wont let anyone in unless they have buzzed and told them who they are coming in to see.

After we was taken in we got showed the Fetal assessment unit and the place we would go if we have any problems with the pregnancy, there wasnt really much to see there. Then we was shown the postnatal ward, again we didnt see much as all the cubicles were taken by people and there babies

After that we was taken to the central delivery suite where we was shown the labour rooms for low risk (they hadnt been cleaned as they was really busy, but they clean them when you phone up to say your in labour) and for high risk. The water birth room was in use so we couldnt see that but the woman in there we could hear lol. We got shown the ward where we would be induced and TBH it was VERY hot in there the same as the labour rooms so i deffinatly will have to get a hand held fan for OH to use on me.

The midwife who showed us around the labour ward was really really nice and i really hope i get her when i have baby but knowing my luck ill have someone moany and wont deliver my baby without a doctor lol. It has deffinatly relaxed me slightly about giving birth there just got me thinking about what midwife ill get x

My daughters were born at southend hospital, When i went for my walk about back in 2004, the rooms were all clean and the staff were very nice, when i was in labour they were all lovely, i didnt get one grumpy midwife, when i got rushed in for an emergency section, they kept my mum and ex up to date with everything and asked if they needed anything.
When she was born and i needed help feeding her in the night one midwife offered to take her to the nursery but because i refused she sat with me, chatted to me and asked if she could feed her, she was lovely, all the staff were and when i was back just a year later for my elective section they were lovely again, i couldnt complain about anything. Ill be having this one at southend too and havent got any doubts about the hospital or the staff, plus my best friends dad is one of the security and he highly rates it there

 

[Rowesb]

Sounds like a nice hospital you're going to

Ive asked a couple of times for a hospital tour but they've still got ours closed to anyone that isn't in labour because of swine flu I suppose its too late now and Ill just have to see when I get there! lol

Glad you feel more comfortable though. I imagine it's alot nicer knowing what everything is like before hand. x

Swine flu???? I thought that had well gone too, seems a bit random
We saw the home from home rooms (low risk) but the other rooms were all in use...
... I ended up on delivery suite at 26 weeks for a check in the middle of the night and they seemed nice. I can go again if I want, I am still in two minds about it...