John Hunter or Maitland Hospital for child Birth

[Jess74]

I have just moved from Western Australia and am expecting my forth child. I have been told due to the area I live in that John Hunter or Maitland Hospital would be my choice for public maternity hospitals. Could anyone give me good and/or bad experiences with these hospitals and let me know if they shared rooms or had there own room once the bub was born. Thanks

[Faeml]

A very good friend of mine had her DS at Maitland, and she told me it was a very positive experience, lovely nurses and midwives etc. I don't know if she had her own room or not, but from her photos I'd say she did. Don't know if that is the norm or not, sorry! Her son did room-in with her, but she would have chosen that anyway, even if it was not hospital policy.

Good luck :thumbsup:

[Minke]

My friend had her forth at John Hunter and has said she would never go back. There was no aircon, four new mums to a room and the bathrooms were down the hall. She is now pregnant with her fifth and is having it at Maitland.

(She's had four at three different hospitals and said that was the worst)

[bronny-jane]

my sister had her baby at john hunter, she had to sahre her room with people who snored:eek:
and the midwifes forgot to call her dp until it was to late and he missed his dd's birth:(

i havent delivered at maitland, but have seen a speacialist there and he was great and the midi's were nice too:D

[DoubleAce]

I delivered at John hunter and loved it. Had an amazing experience! I went to the birth centre there but even those that I know that didn't still had a great experience. Yes you have to share a room, it's the same with Maitland. I know that the JHH are getting a/c soon. It was on the news recently that there was funding for it now.
I've had a few friends deliver in Maitland hospital and will never go back. One friend was in labour for 36 hours. She only ever got gas. She asked for an epidural but it was after midnight so she couldn't get one (no one on after midnight to administer it). They had an ambulance ready to take her to the JHH cause she was having complications and Maitland weren't equipped for that (cause it was after midnight). Well they decided that the baby wasn't going to be much longer....3 hours later (she pushed for 5 hours total with no one helping her out) she finally gave birth. When I was telling a nurse at the JHH she was disgusted and said that would never happen there. Another friend was having her baby in the middle of the day and everyone left the room when she was fully dilated. Her DP started to deliver the baby while her mum had to go get someone. Another friend needed an emergency c-section...baby needed to be out! Not enough staff...so three hours later she got her c-section. Maitland hospital is very under staffed. I don't blame the hospital but what do you do if you go into labour when they are busy and don't have enough staff members? They also close the labour ward at times when there are no staff so you'd have to drive to the JHH anyway.
You have to room share at maitland. One of my friends was with a snorer too..it's just pot luck. At the JHH you can go home after 4 hours if you want, not sure about Maitland. You can also deliver at JHH and then go to newcastle private if you have health insurance, and stay there. It's on the same grounds.

I haven't personally heard of anyone not liking the JHH but have heard way too many bad stories about Maitland (and not just people that had babies there).

edit - Just wanted to add..my mum's friends hubby missed the birth of his first son cause maitland hospy sent him home and then called him back too late. Best way to not miss a birth is to not leave!

[lovebubs]

I have to agree with those that said there experience was less than great.

I had my son there in 2004 and it wasn't the experience I had hoped for, although my son is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

I went in as a private patient under shared care with my GP and everything seemed to be going alright until I went in to get induced after having gone 2 weeks over. My waters broke early the next morning after not having any contractions etc and I instantly went from not even thinking about labour to knowing exactly what it was all about! That was fine, nothing I couldn't handle but the worst thing was, I had to ring the bell 3 times before anyone came into my room and when they did come in they told me to just stay there! I couldn't move, having gone from nothing to everything in no time at all!

I asked them to ring my fiance as they said they would but the midwife said that it wasn't their problem!! He was the only one that I had as a support person and after them telling me that he wasn't allowed to stay overnight, I got that upset about the whole thing, I think I would have walked out had I been mobile hehe!

They finally got me up to the delivery suite and I was still distraught and the first thing I got was 'SHUT UP, its not that bad!' Shortly after that they administered the gas without me even requesting it and then wondered why it wasn't working... I was hyperventilating therefore wasn't breathing in the gas so instead of helping me calm down and breathe, they upped it to 80%. It still didn't do anything until there was a change of shift. I started to breathe only to find myself on another planet!

This went on for my entire labour which is probably the reason why I chose to push him out in 3 and half pushes! My labour lasted 2 hours from start to finish, which in the end made them realise that I wasnt messing around.

During the process I also broke my coccyx bone and was in that much agony that I couldn't sit which made breastfeeding difficult and still, I got no support from anyone. My fiance got kicked out again after us having no time to ourselves with our new son due to visitors, I had hardly any contact with midwifes, doctors or anyone medically minded and in the end decided that I was going home, however not without a fight! They told me I wasn't allowed to due to my 'condition'!

I had 2 midwives stick there heads in my room and ask if I was alright for the entire time that I was there, I had no support, no help with breastfeeding and was in pain all whilst trying to learn how to be a mother! I was out in 12 hours :).

I know this is only my experience but it really put a dampener on how I felt about the whole thing. Probably the hardest thing was not having my other half there when I needed him the most... I really think that whole policy should change but then again, everyone that I have spoken to has said they haven't had a problem! Must be my luck!

Now being a student midwife, I am using my own experience to help those Im working with fulfil in everyway their labour and birth experience. Having been on the other side I am now better prepared for my next one and know who to go to and what I want and will make sure I get it :yes:

[DoubleAce]

Was that Maitland or the JHH lovebubs?

[petrijack]

I had DS2 at Maitland Hospital and thought they were great. DH missed the birth but thats because it happened so quickly. The midwives during the delivery were nice. There was one back on the ward that i didn't like but that will happen anywhere i think. I had a post-partum haemmorhage and the care was wonderful. The last night i was there, DS was very unsettled, and one of the midwives took him for a few hours so i could get some sleep. There was 3 beds in my room but i pretty much had the whole room to myself. There is also the early discharge program so you can go home early. Not sure how soon it is though as it wasn't something i wanted to do.

Anyway, i loved Maitland Hospital and had a really postitive experience. I have friends that loved JHH and others that hated it. I think the midwives have a lot of impact on whether your experience will be good or bad, and no matter where you go, there will most likely be a midwife there that you just don't like!!

When I was telling a nurse at the JHH she was disgusted and said that would never happen there.
Something similar happened to my friend at JHH, she ended up having emergency c-section.

lovebubs- sorry to read about your experience!

[DoubleAce]

Something similar happened to my friend at JHH, she ended up having emergency c-section.


Yep that's what my friend should have had...an emergency c-section.

[lovebubs]

Was that Maitland or the JHH lovebubs?

SORRY! That was at JHH! I was planning to go to a private hospital but after having been told that I would never have kids, my doc said it was best for me to a public hospital just in case things didn't go as planned.

Everyones experience is different and for some it may be great, but its opened my eyes up and made me determined to be the total opposite of what they were for me! Im taking every opportunity I can to be involved and help women throughout their pregnancies! Follow throughs seemed so scary at the beginning but now I cant get enough! Im hoping that this will make for a new generation of caring and thoughtful midwives :hugs:

[Wondermum]

I can only comment on JHH as I have no connection with any experiences at Maitland hospital. I can tell you if someone in my family is in need of emergency care the hospital I would choose to go to is JHH so that is where I decided to have my first baby. Both JHH and Maitland are in similar proximity to where we live. I had great antenatal care with the midwives at JHH and birthed in the Birth Centre and had a positive experience as far as being in labour goes. Once transferred to the ward I experienced both positive and negatives. Some of the staff were lovely some not so (this really depends on the individual midwives) and I would say could be experienced in any hospital. I guess my expectations of postnatal care did not live up to the same standard of care I received while being pregnant and in labour. Yes, I shared a room. There were four beds to a room but I only had one other mum in my room and her baby was in intensive care, so I basically had the room to myself (again pot luck). I hated the beds (very uncomfy) but I presume they are all the same standard hospital beds in every hospital! I think it's very rare to have a room to yourself now days unless you go private or in some cases have a c-section. I felt I would get more assistance from my DH in the comfort of my home so I left as soon as I was successfully breast feeding my DS. In total I was at JHH for 3 nights. I had my baby in April so aircon wasn't an issue for me.

I am due to have my second baby in about 2 weeks and I am booked into JHH delivery suite this time. So, I guess I will experience a different birth again??

If you are considering between both hospitals, I would suggest calling them and arranging a hospial tour of the maternity ward, delivery suite and birthing center. I know JHH arranges tours at certain times as we did this before DS was due.

All the best in your decisions ;)

[chellaboo]

i've had 2 at jhh and it was great but 2 of my friends had them at maitland and they hated it so much

[timmy]

My Friend Fallon Thrlow Has 3 Weeks To Go And Dose Not Know Witch Maternity Hospital To Go To And This Is Her First Child