Would you agree Holles St. is better than Coombe?

Classact

I have been looking at Reviews posted on Irishhealth.com on different maternity hospitals and I know it's all about personal experience at end of day but if lik me I am having your First baby in April 2011 - How do I decide between the two? I need to be deciding soon enough I would imagine too.

Can anyone help me with making my decision. Is Holles st better for first time around or are the Coombe just as good do you think???

I know I will be an anxious patient and will want best care I can get and everything explained to put my mind at ease

Thanks again

How Strange

I'm due my first in jan 11 so it's all new to me too. I chose the coombe purely on location. However I 100% believe that you'll have the same level of care in all the maternity hospitals- the rotunda, holles st and coombe.

All I will say is don't listen to other people's experiences because they are totally subjective and not indicative of the general level of care. There are so many factors which can determine a woman's birthing experience so you could be in the best hospital in Europe and still have a terrible time of it.

For what its worth I had my first ante natal visit in the coombe as a public patient a few weeks ago and I was very impressed.

crazy cat lady

All of the Dublin maternity hospitals are pretty much on par! All very old and busy but all trying to provide the very best service they can with the conditions available.

I'm a Holles St trained midwife and I also had my first baby there this year. Care is of a very high standard in my opinion and I'm speaking from both sides of the coin!

However, if the Coombe or the Rotunda was closer to me, then I would have no problems in going to either of those hospitals. Holles st was the most convenient for me, especially as I could attend a satellite clinic in Wicklow for my antenatal care.

All 3 of the Dublin Maternity Hospitals have come together to produce poilicies etc... so there is a standard of care that is in place in all the hospitals.

I would suggest that you look at which hospital is most convenient to you. Think about when you go into labour and which hospital is going to be the easiest to get to! That's when it'll really matter!!

Classact

Thanks so much for that Crazy Cat Lady & howstrange. It's put my mind bit more at ease to look now for which is more convienent to me in getting there!

Guess just panicked when read reviews off Irishhealth.com on the different hospitals. Too much of a worrier!!! Thanks again

January

I had my second daughter in the Coombe and my first in the Rotunda and if I were to go again I'd pick the Coombe one thousand times over. It may be over the other side of the city to me (I'm in Dublin 15) but the care I got there was second to none. Ok, it's not the most hi-tech hospital in the country but they have mini scanners in all the consultation rooms and I got a mini scan every time I went and I was a public patient.

Chriscl1

we had our first child in the coombe and are having our twins there too. we have had loads of scans which was great this time and did last time too. its great peace of mind. A bloke that i work with said his partner only had one scan for the whole pregnancy at holles st and so did a few other couples they know. i wouldnt fancy having just one scan for the whole term.

crazy cat lady

You would have a lot more scans with twins as there are more risks of complications. Were you a private patient the last time?

Current guidelines suggest that unless there is an indication for an early scan (irregular cycle/previous miscarriage/ectopic) then the only scan needed is the 20(ish) week anomoly scan.

You may have more scans after this if there is again an indication (small for dats baby/twins/low lyling placenta/something in your obstetrical history)

Its not ideal but with services the way they are, I doubt there's enough hours in the day and enough scanners and technicians available to meet the demand for scans as it is! I know everyone would love more scans, but you're only guaranteed the one if you go public, regardless of what hospital you attend.

I wouldn't be picking my maternity hospital based on the number of scans that somebody else had as you may not be so lucky! Its all about convenience really as the standard of care is going to be the same across the board. If you still can't decide, you could always visit the hospitals and see which one has a better feel about it for you

ellee

Hi I was public in the Coombe on my June 2009 baby and will going there again for my April 2011 baby!

I found the care great, v attentive and I felt the staff were v approachable, took what you said seriously, never made you feel rushed. I met the cons several times but not every time.

And yes, got mini scans at every visit to the cons team which was v reassuring.

My sister is having her first with the mw clinic in holles st. It took a bit of time for her to get placed in the right system. She has met the cons once and has had only 1 scan. She wanted a natural childbirth but seems to have lost confidence in the hospital somewhat. She chose Holles St as she and her husband know a cons on the staff there and thought they would be assured of better care.

Her experience wouldn't inspire me but poss she has just been a bit unlucky. Plus, I'm a bit older than she is and perhaps they regard her pregnancy as more routine. It's hard to know what factors are causing what appears to be a huge variance in the level of attention we both got.

edellc

This is my first baby and im due today :eek:
i have been attending hollis st and have found it very good if not busy learned that when you have your appointment at the clinic turn up at least half hour early that way your first in and out and it should be too stressful
all the nurses are gems so nice and friendly and make the experience so much easier and the doctors are great apart from one older man who i will not name but has a habit of telling everyone they are fat and need to be on a diet :mad: when i said it to the nurse she did say that he should look in the mirror hehehehe
other than that one the rest of the doctors are great very helpful and informative and would recommend hollis st any day

Chriscl1

crazy cat lady wrote: »

You would have a lot more scans with twins as there are more risks of complications. Were you a private patient the last time?

no we were'nt private last time nor this. we had the mini scan every appointment last time. i understand that we would have more scans than normal with the twins but its pretty mich the same as last time with the little fella, he was perfecly healthy, no probs at all throughout the preg, he came out 9lb 3oz. the twins are now 4lb each and about 6 weeks to go until 38 weeks:)

Samanthawho

Hi girls,

I'm due March '11, I'm booked in with Holles Street, however i'm starting to change my mind. The coombe is slightly closer and i could avail of the clinic in Tallaght Hospital for my appointments which is good.

I just hear so many bad things about the Coombe. i.e they are not strict on visiting or the number of visitors, so it gets crowded, also that visiting hours are not too strict, and visitors are more or less free to come in from 5 -9 and also the hygiene is not great?

Can anyone tell me what it is like. Rather than the staff, can you tell me what you thought of the hospital and the policies they have?

Thanks

January

Samanthawho wrote: »

Hi girls,

I'm due March '11, I'm booked in with Holles Street, however i'm starting to change my mind. The coombe is slightly closer and i could avail of the clinic in Tallaght Hospital for my appointments which is good.

I just hear so many bad things about the Coombe. i.e they are not strict on visiting or the number of visitors, so it gets crowded, also that visiting hours are not too strict, and visitors are more or less free to come in from 5 -9 and also the hygiene is not great?

Can anyone tell me what it is like. Rather than the staff, can you tell me what you thought of the hospital and the policies they have?

Thanks

Completely wrong ... I was there in February to have my baby and while it was during the restricted visiting for the swine flu (I think this is actually still in place), there were NO visitors (not even nominated partner) between 12.30 - 1.30 and 4-6.30pm. This was to facilitate mothers eating meals.

They also are pretty much the same in respect to the Rotunda where they are only allowed two visitors at a time and if both visiting cards are out then nobody else will be permitted to visit.

Also it's actually spotless, I never once had a complaint about hygiene in my 6 days there (1 before the baby was born and 5 after!). Nurses and midwives very attentive, especially one of the night midwives was fantastic. Food is also pretty good!

How Strange

There seems to be a snobbery about holles st v the coombe. Perhaps it's based on location, I don't know, but it's ridiculous. I've been in holles st visiting many times, I'm attending the coombe. There is nothing obviously remarkable about one and nothing particularly wrong with the other. I never thought when in holles st 'oh look it's so clean I'd eat my dinner off the floor' and I never felt grubby in the coombe.

The standard of care which I've received in the coombe is second to none and that's as a public patient. The midwives, nurses, clinicians, consultant are all lovely. I'm given loads of time and attention. My only negative experience has been with the rudeness of the Irish clerical staff at the check in desk but the non irish staff are lovely.

As for visiting times I noticed that sign outlining the quiet times when no visitors are allowed.

I certainly wouldn't be having my first baby in a dirty hospital providing a poor level of care.

How Strange

Also just to say, I had my first scan in the coombe at 12wks, I had a mini scan this week, I'm booked for another scan at 25wks and I'll prob have another mini scan when I meet my consultant again at 28wks.

elius

My partner was 18 weeks gone when she found out she was pregnant. Had a scan at 19 weeks 4 days to find out dates and another one 3 weeks later just to confirm the dates and another mini scan last week. We have been given loads of scans we gave a copy to each grand parents. Have to say we have found them spot on cue's can be longish and have found the clerical staff spot on all in all nothing to complain about at all. Parking has been easily obtained aswell.

Samanthawho

Thanks for your replies. The parking at Holles Street was another issue for me, at least the coombe has its own car park.

My friend was staying in the coombe, and said she kept asking the nurses to move her as the girl beside her kept asking her for money and when the girls partner came in, they were arguing about drugs!! The nurse kept saying she would move her but they never did.

I know, thats an issue with every hospital - just hope i don't have to stay too long

How Strange

So all the junkies go to the coombe to give birth? Where do you think the junkies who live around holles st go?

Samanthawho

Did i say that? NO!

I'm was only telling a story I was told. I did not say this would impact on my decision.

Yes i know people on drugs have to give birth and its not only one haspital they go too. So why are you taking it out of context?

average_runner

Coombe allows only one visitor duirng day time and 2 at night time at the side of the bed and mo more. Very strict one that.

Also Coombe has the car park which can be handy.


Holle St and Rotunda are city centre so if your other half works in city it can be handy for them

Samanthawho

Thanls Average Runner,

I think i will choose the coombe, i was only worried baout overcrowding but i have also read on other forums that this is not the case. I know the level of care after birth is not great, but as long as i'm ok and so is babs thats all that matters hopefully i can opt for early transfer home.

Thanks again..

January

Samanthawho wrote: »

Thanls Average Runner,

I think i will choose the coombe, i was only worried baout overcrowding but i have also read on other forums that this is not the case. I know the level of care after birth is not great, but as long as i'm ok and so is babs thats all that matters hopefully i can opt for early transfer home.

Thanks again..

The level of care I received after birth was second to none.