Hillingdon hospital

Are you booked for a home birth with Hillingdon already? They seem very chaotic at the hospital, but the home birth team is very small and have been great with me so far (I'm 36 weeks pregnant). I see one of two midwives, both whom are very experienced and I have direct numbers for both.

My understanding is you can only use the home birth team attached to the hospital in your catchment area, so for me that's Hillingdon. I think you can also hire privately but that'll cost £1000s.

I had a traumatic birth at wexham Park for my first, and very keen for a home birth as a result. Feel free to message me if you want more details/advice x

Hi I haven’t booked yet it’s only my first appointment I had today. Same reason for wanting a home birth. I’d also happily free birth tbh. But i know it would be good to have the reassurance. If the homebirth team is good and not chaotic like the rest of the place then that’s reassuring. Also hillingdon is my catchment so I guess I can’t use anywhere else. I’ve never had a direct number with any midwives there so it would be great to have one. I can’t afford private for homebirth.

Hey love - had similar to be honest. I’m expecting my first in December and it’s be a minefield trying to navigate what I do and when. I spent days calling all the numbers on my blue book trying to get to speak to someone. My midwife appts are chopped and changed and moved all the time.
But my sister is preg in Watford and she’s had the same tbh so i wonder if it’s just staff shortage all round x

I also had my first appointment there today, mine too was meant to be yesterday and changed it for today very last min, I was on the phone for 50 mins before anyone even picked up and when they did she had no clue as to why my appointment was changed in the first place and had to call me back to find out what was going on, does seem a bit all over the place and the midwife told me today they are really short of midwives at the moment so I'm also thinking about changing, depending on how it goes in the future x

I'd recommend going with the home birth team then. They're a very small team and short staffed themselves (trying to recruit) but both ladies go above and beyond to try and make sure women can have the birth they want at home. I've been warned there's a small chance if no one can cover I'd have to go in, but they say its very rare and they often end up coming in on days off etc to make sure it doesn't happen. They're also supported by the community midwife team to bulk numbers.

It took a while to get onto their booking log (more hospital chaos I think), but since I have been I honestly can't fault them, and feel reassured it'll be a completely different experience to my first. They say they have a lot of ladies wanting home births because of trauma with the first, so they're used to providing a lot of extra info and reassurance, and even do extra visits (which are all to your house!)

Give me another month or so and I can comment on the birth experience too 😅

im so sorry you’re having the same issue. Maybe it’s just a issue throughout the country with lack of funding etc? I think I’ll have to stick with it purely for the homebirth team. I only really want the appointments for scans and important checks. I couldn’t care more about a chat with a midwife. But it does seem mental how bad things are and it’s giving me anxiety haha. I like organisation and this doesn’t seem organised at all

I hope you find a choice you’re comfortable with. It’s awful isn’t it! I’ll only stay because of the homebirthing team otherwsie I definitely would’ve changed given my last experience there, and that was when things were much more organised than this

aw they sound great and caring and exactly what I’m looking for! I’m wishing you the best with your homebirth! Please do let me know how it goes! I’m going to do a freebirthing course for the off chance I can’t get anyone and I feel comfortable to go it alone. Did you deal with any push backs from consultants for wanting a homebirth? My son was a c section so I feel like I’m preparing myself to argue with them about the risks etc. also how long did it take to get onto the homebirthing team out of interest?

Same issue with Hillingdon, every single appointment was with different person🤦🏻‍♀️. And had to explain my story to each every time, very annoying. Was thinking to change the hospital from first trimester but thought I will do all my appointments here as it’s very close to me, and at the 36 weeks changed for west Middlesex to have a water birth at hospital as Hillingdon doesn’t have it available now. So you can do same, all appointments in Hillingdon and later to change to give birth in another, not sure how are things with home birth when changing hospital

I’ll do some researching into whether I can use another homebirth team or whether my only option is hillingdon

I was with them by my 12w appt. Luckily no arguments about going into hospital as my last birth was low risk (just treated horribly, refused access to MLU, nearly gave birth in hospital corridor, the list goes on).

Look up home birth UK group on Facebook, they should have some advice on advocating for yourself on a home birth. I'm pretty sure they can't stop you having one as it's your choice! But might refuse care, which is awful really. Hopefully you at least get chance to speak to one of the home midwives, as they're super practical and will give you proper advice about it I think x

I should say I asked about home birth with my first at wexham, who said they only support them within their catchment area. We'll be moving soon and it was the same with central beds vs Hertfordshire catchments x

Thank you I’m already on the homebirth group uk it’s my saving grace haha 😂 I hope I’d get to see them by 12 weeks but I doubt it I haven’t got much booked right now. I think even with vbac it’s not enough of a reason for them to deny care. The whole pregnancy was low risk. So hopefully apart from the whole talk about risk of scar opening that’ll be it. I tried Wexham too but was told the same that’s why I’m stuck with hillingdon.

Please do not give birth at Hillingdon unless you have to I had a very traumatic birth there 4 weeks ago. The hospital is an absolute joke it’s so chaotic. I had an epidural because the midwife told me I had 12 more hours to go but she didn’t check me and I was 10cm dilated so I didn’t need the epidural

glad I swapped the birth place at 35 w from Hillingdon to west Middlesex after many recommendations. Now waiting for my baby at 40w to have a water birth there.

good on you girl I wish I had listened to my gut and did I had a bad feeling, after I gave birth they told my bf he couldn’t stay and left me in my hospital gown and didn’t even clean me or my baby I had to wait until the next day it was so horrific

omg…

sorry I replied the other day but it didn’t post for some reason. I’m so sorry about your birth trauma there. I can see the hospital is chaos. I volunteer in the infant feeding team so am on post natal ward and nicu regularly and see the issues first hand as do so many staff. I don’t want to give birth there at all but as I’m planning a home birth I believe I don’t have an option as it’s the only team that’ll supply someone to me as it’s my local one. I’m going to double check this at my birth options appointment though. If I can swap I will. But priority is having a home brith team to come out. I also had a huge birth trauma with my son there so that’s my main reason for not wanting to be there at all

I think they are very understaffed which is why they cannot give you the support you need. I absolutely hated it and am still recovering now with anxiety because of it. I was induced and the midwife’s with that were amazing but I feel like the birth team and after care was very shocking they didn’t seem to want to help you at all and sort of made you get on with everything by yourself. After I gave birth they made my bf leave and I had to stay in the ward and in my hospital gown until next morning because no wonder would help me shower or even offered to help me shower

im so sorry you’re struggling to come to terms with it so much. I also had an induction which left me with a lot of trauma. I would recommend a debrief but honestly I felt the head midwife just gaslit me the whole way through it. I’ve spent a lot of time educating myself since. The whole system of giving birth is so medicalised that it doesn’t give woman a chance to use their bodies natural ability. I feel like now I’d be confident even to freebirth as I’m more aware of what I’m capable of. I hope things get better for you x