Is it just me or the Homerton maternity helpline never pick up the phone!!

Like what’s the point of having a helpline?!! It’s so frustrating

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Never. The midwife unit especially

They were a shambles for me, wish I had had my baby somewhere else, has an emergency c section and the aftercare was so bad, my baby had jaundice and they refused to test him x

They definitely seem so unreliable, I’ve rung them 11 times now just to get confirmation on something. I wish I can complain & to make it worse I’m having my first baby there so I hope I have a pleasant birth experience

Really omg i gave them a call on Friday they answered but i hate their self referral scheme its so long I wish I could just call them and arrange an appointment I tried doing that & they said I must wait for the appointments team to get back to me 😂

To be honest my experience so far has been great. The midwife emails me and answers my queries, never needed to wait more than 10min for the appointment and I went to the emergency unit and they were so good.

I’ve had a very positive experience with them so far. When I’ve called I just leave a voicemail and they got back to me 30 mins later.If it’s urgent, you can always call the delivery suite.
Only downside has been sometimes waiting 45mins- hr past my appointment time.

I couldn’t get through when I tried in first trimester with a few issues/worries. I called the general Homerton helpline in the end & they said the hardly ever answer the phone & to use this email address instead “huh-tr.epau.referrals@nhs.net” when I emailed & got a call back that day from a midwife with a scan booked in for the next day.

in our community

She’s here

First C-section was worth it all to meet her🩷

What to do the night before a c-section

My planned c-section is in 6 days! I am so nervous. I’ve had an emergency c-section with my first baby, so there is some trauma associated with giving birth for me. I’m excited to meet my baby more than anything though.

What should I do the night before my c-section? I know you are not supposed to eat for 8 hours prior. What kind of meal should I eat? I was thinking tofu rice bowl with avocado.

I’m going to do a full shower the night before and then a body rinse the morning of. Did you do your hair? I read no hair products? What day should I shave this coming week? I read you shouldn’t do it the night before.

I have an OB apt on Friday, so I know I can ask these things then, but I’m just feeling anxious to plan.

Baby breathing

Guys is this breathing normal for a newborn baby? I’m a new mom and have no idea what I’m doing. I’m an over thinker. idk if this breathing is normal or not. I have no idea who I would call to ask for advise. She also is a bit blue around the eyes and mouth

Early delivery

I had a routine midwife appointment on Monday at 3, and the midwife struggled to get a good heart beat for more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time, so I was told to go maternity triage so they could do it

Once I was there, babies heart beat was low and within 20min I was taken to delivery and told I needed an emergency c section but I’m only 25 weeks + 4 at the time. The babies heart rate was going from high to low for about 3 hours but after that he recovered and went back to a regular rhythm at normal speed. The main reason I didn’t go for the c section because they couldn’t tell me why he’s heart rate was going low, but they were incredibly pushy on having the C section, putting a cannula in and barking orders and making me sign consent forms while everything was happening at once.

I’ve spoken to a few other people about it and what their experience is and all of them have told me that the hospitals they were at recently did everything they could to keep baby inside them for a long as they could before delivering to give them the best chances.

Is the hospitals treatment of me normal or am I overreacting?

Baby is all ok now had a more in depth scan and apart from small tummy he’s great

Does anybody else feel they were cornered/pushed into a C-section

I was induced because of hypertension at 39 weeks. I wanted to labour. I wanted to do what my body was supposed to do. Once my waters were broken. I was told to move to increase the chances of dilating well. Except the little coil thing they attach to baby's head to monitor heartbeat got tugged out and the midwives could monitor him with me moving. So I couldn't move . Contractions were agony but then don't check cervical check me again untill 12 hrs later. I was at 3.5 cm. I was then bombarded by probably 4/5 people coming into the room and telling me. It's Friday evening you should probably have a C-section now cus if I get distressed and tired I'm t may be more difficult for a C-section later. It was then they told me I was bleeding a little. I sobbed. I didn't want a C-section I was so scared. I pleaded for one more hour to see if I'd dilate as much as they wanted me to for that period of time. But within that hour they basically stopped the drugs that were speeding up my labour... Obviously I didn't dilate as they wanted and had to agree to the C-section. I'd already had 2 failed epidurals so they had to do a spinal block. I just feel like I wasn't being informed about what was happening. That decision were being made about my labour for me. My baby was fine his heartbeat was fine. And I wasn't in a position or informed enough to advocate for myself. Not to mention after the shift change the midwife I had was horrible. She was cold and miserable. Like everything I said, did asked was annoying and an inconvenience.

I truly wish the midwives had gone to find someone to refit the spring thing on babies head so I could have moved about in those vital early hours of labour.

Yes I healed rather well and I'm glad my baby and I are alive and well. I just felt so cornered, belittled and not heard.

Induction

Nervous about induction. Those that were induced, any tips please?