"Excellent care!"

My words won't be able to do the staff at Sunderland Royal maternity unit justice! I gave birth to my first baby here in Feb 2017. Honestly, the care we received was second to none! The midwives were absolutely amazing. They were extremely knowledgeable and professional, and I could tell that they genuinely cared for me, my husband and our baby. They could not have done more to make me feel at ease! I started labouring in the birthing pool and it was the most relaxing and special time! They made sure I was fully aware of what was happening at each stage, and when baby got into difficulty during labour they were extremely calm and kept me informed every step of the way. I ended up having an epidural, and the anesthetists were brilliant. The doctor who performed an episiotomy and forceps delivery explained everything to me and made me feel comfortable and relaxed about everything she was doing. Once our baby was born we received loads of information and advice, and practical help - especially with breastfeeding. Husband and I both agree that if we had paid to go private we would not have received better care than we did receive at Sunderland Royal through the NHS. We are seriously impressed with all the staff we encountered and can't thank them enough for the excellent care we received from them!!