"I was a patient at the labour ..."

What I liked

I was a patient at the labour ward and had a very good experience at the ward. Both of the midwives that we had during the labour were very professional and caring. They kept me informed at all times about what was happening and what my options were. They both made me and my husband feel very comfortable during the entire procedure. I had some complications in the middle of the labour and at that time the doctors were called immediately and they professionally and competently dealt with the situation - having such care made a very scary situation a lot easier to deal with.

The after care from the hospital has also been very professional.

We had a private room, which had a ensuite facility. Both the room and ensuite facilities were very clean and well looked after. All the facilities at the labour ward felt very modern and clean.

What could be improved

During an early phase of my pregnancy (week 14), I did not feel that there was any continuty of care. I had a concern about some symptoms I was showing and was directed by the maternity unit to the A&E unit as the maternity unit only deal with women after week 15. After spending 4 hours at the A&E unit to see the doctor, we were referred by the doctor back to the maternity unit the next morning. It felt very circular and an unnecessarily longwinded process to end up at the same place that I had called initially. I would recommend introducing some kind of care service for women up to week 14 as well - it feels quite arbitrary to say that any issues that arise before week 15 need to be dealt through the A&E.

Anything else?

Both the prenatal care and care during the labour was excellent. The hospital staff were all wonderful and very caring. They helped my husband and I get through a difficult pregnancy with a lot of care and patience. At no point did we feel rushed, misinformed or that we were not in charge.

Overall I would recommend this hospital and I will definitely be back for my next pregnancy.