Hi
I'm now 31 weeks and today went for a tour of my local hospital. I am planning on going to the local birthing centre but thought I should look round the hospital 'just in case.' The tour was like being herded sheep and I found it all incredibly impersonal and sterile. The rooms were ok & the midwife was nice but the way she spoke about the 'quick turnaround' of mothers in labour and the need to have the labour room back so quickly made me think that people were going to be banging on the door to get in! She said that I may only have an hour in the room to get bathed and changed before going onto the ward before I could have skin to skin contact with my baby!

I remain hopeful that I will deliver on time and naturally at the local birthing centre but am feeling more and more anxious and uneasy about the possibility that I will have to have a c section at the hospital (I have a low lying placenta and re-scan in 5 weeks to see if it has moved) Does anyone have any positive stories or reassuring words to help me get my head round the hospital thing?? Please!

Thanks
Donna

i wanted a birthing centre birth but went 9 days over and had to be induced so went in to hosp it wasnt too bad i had to spend a while in the waiting room before i got into a delivery suite cuz it was busy but it was fine and your in that much pain you wont notice. it was less than an hour and i was on the ward but my auntie was in 4 days after me and they ran out of hot water and she couldnt have a bath and cuz it was her first they wanted to see her bath the baby before she could go so after 4 days she just signed herself out. it was horrendous

I know what you mean, the hospital said the same things when I had my son. It wasn't like that though, and I didn't feel rushed out of the delivery suite - I think they painted a worst-case-scenario. The midwife said that some periods are busier than others and they always worry about having enough delivery rooms for everyone - my son was born in July and apparently that is a busy month!

I booked a private room at the hospital though because I didn't want to be on the ward - I definitely felt that it was worthwhile and only cost about £30 a night. Might be worth looking into that - it's just a lot nicer when you have visitors and you get to retain some sense of privacy!

I wish you lots of luck and hope you get your birthing centre birth - will one of the midwives from there go with you if you have a hospital birth?

Fingers crossed for you xx