Which one is better, Rotunda or NMH?

Fyan

Somebody told me National Maternity Hospital is the best in Dublin, what do you think? Thanks!!!:)

AmcD

There isn't much difference between the two. I worked in Holles Street and am now attending the Rotunda's Domino scheme. Both hospitals are huge ancient warrens. The care you receive is likely to be very similar.

Moonbeam

Pick which is nearest work is my suggestion.

I picked nmh/Holles st because I was born there,they have a fantastic neonatal unit and it is near enough to work.

Fyan

Ok, I see! Thanks!!!

How Strange

IMO pick which ever is closest to where you live. You get paid time off work for your visits. Holles st is closest to my job but I'd have to drive past the coombe to get there from home and I don't plan on going into labour in work!

I'd say all 3 hospitals offer a similar standard of care

Grawns

Rotunda scores better for hygiene than the others. Do a search for similiar thread and you will find a link. I had my baby in the rotunda, my sister went to holles. Neither of us have complaints.

Dancor

My GF has decided on Holles St. The Rotunda is closer but we heard far to many bad stories about the place.

Grawns

I had the same view of holles and coombe because of their higher rates of episiotomies and forceps delivery. But I wanted and had a planned section and the rotunda is more favorable towards that. Also fetal testing is straightforward and on-site as it is protestant hospital. These including hygiene were my priorities ( also I was born there). Ireland is one of the safest places in the world to have a baby - so you'll be fine where ever you go in Dublin:).

How Strange

Dancor wrote: »

My GF has decided on Holles St. The Rotunda is closer but we heard far to many bad stories about the place.

Best piece of advice my doc gave me was not to listen to other people's horror labour and birth stories and make up my own mind based on what was right for me. For every good story about a hospital you'll hear 10 bad ones. Who wants to hear of women who give birth as easy as farting and are home the next day and praise the hospital. The 40 hour labour, forceps, 70 stitches nasty midwives, horrendous nights sleep in a public ward makes for a far more interesting story.

I chose the Coombe purely on proximity to me, I've never known anyone to go to the Rotunda, my mam and lots of family and friends went to Holles St. I've heard negative things about the Coombe and Holles St but I know people who had positive experiences too.

I firmly believe that all hospitals provide similar standards of care, there will be advantages and disadvantages to all of them and each may specialise in
specific areas but it doesn't mean one is better than the other.

January

Dancor wrote: »

My GF has decided on Holles St. The Rotunda is closer but we heard far to many bad stories about the place.

Funny, I've heard a lot more horror stories about NMH than the Rotunda, but then again, it depends on who you know and "oh my friends friend had a baby there and the nurse was horrible and pulled the baby out blah blah blah".

You're going to hear that about EVERY hospital in the country. Whether it be maternity, children's or otherwise.

Best thing for you is to have a look at this: http://www.cuidiu-ict.ie/fulcrum.html?ep=53

It's a link to the Practices and Policies of the Maternity Hospitals in Ireland and also the statistics of birth in 2005, I know it was a long time ago but it will give you an idea.

Do not listen to other people when making your decision for a maternity hospital because someone will always have a horror story about somewhere if you dig deep enough.

For what it's worth, I attended both the Coombe and the Rotunda and didn't find them very different to be honest.

AmcD

Why do people think it is a good idea to tell pregnant women all the horror stories? My mother-in-law told me of at least three women she knew who apparently died in childbirth, screaming in agony. This is impressive considering Ireland has extremely low rates of maternal mortality.

Dancor

adrieanne__x wrote: »

You're going to hear that about EVERY hospital in the country. Whether it be maternity, children's or otherwise.

You see this is the thing, we did not hear one bad thing about the NMH, except about a rude nurse/midwife that some couples had a common experiance with, but thats wasnt a good enough reason not to go there.
Its not a decision she made lightly and you cant help but ask peoples experiances and some people cant help but tell you theirs.
We are of course judging it ourselfs at the moment and cant fault the care at all.

Khannie

Dancor wrote: »

You see this is the thing, we did not hear one bad thing about the NMH

Wel.....You'll never be able to say that again.....My wife had her first in there and said she was treated very badly (we didn't know each other at the time).

We've had 2 in the Rotunda since then and she said it was chalk and cheese. Now she was public in the NMH and semi-private in the rotunda, but we ended up in the public ward in the Rotunda on the last one (semi-private beds were full) and it was absolutely bang on. If anything the room we got in the public ward was actually better than the semi-private treatment we had on the previous one. Less (i.e. zero) stuck up eejits in the room. (I know I probably shouldn't say that, but it's how we both felt).

edit: I agree with the general consensus that you are likely to get a very similar level of care in either.