Kingston maternity April 2014

[ABM2209]

Hi Ladies

I'm due to give birth end of April at Kingston. Feeling very unsure about whether it's the right choice as West Mid is closer to home but GPs wife is booked into Kingston so figured it must be better.
Tried to search for reviews online and neither kingston nor West Mid have glowing feedback. West Mid have been recently refurbished so may be better?
I'm hoping for a natural birth in the pool but of course that depends on how it goes.
Anyone have experiences / recommendations?
Thanks

[Tea1Sugar]

Me too! Due 22nd April at Kingston!

[ABM2209]

Me too! 22nd April :) I'm having a boy. Do you know if yours is boy or girl?

[IHeartKingThistle]

I gave birth at Kingston in 2006 and 2009 and had really positive experiences, if that helps. I was in on quiet days though!

[Tea1Sugar]

Haha snap! I'm having a girl :-) I'm having an elcs probably about a week early. How are you feeling?

[helterskelter99]

I gave birth at west Middx and it was fab
I was on the case loading scheme and had the same mw all the way through but everyone we dealt with at west Middx was lovely

[londonlivvy]

had DD in Kingston in Oct 2012. The midwives during labour were fab, I had a pool in the midwife led unit (though subsequently transferred to the Worcester suite so I could have an epidural).

Post natally it was alright but I didn't feel the same warmth from the midwives.

On the whole I thought Kingston were good. I would order a pizza after the birth though as a stale sandwich and cool tea didn't make me feel much better after a very long back to back labour.

[juniper44]

I had DD at Kingston in October. I wasn't very impressed with some of the stuff. I have Strep B so was meant to have an IV 4 hours before labour. They put it in 1 1/2 hours before I gave birth. As I was pacing, I noticed that the baby's head was sticking out and they all rushed to get me onto the bed. They then asked me to hold off an hour... whilst her head was out?! Weirdly enough I couldn't hold her in.

She ended up getting Strep B from me, and needed antibiotics when she was 2 weeks old. It could have easily been avoided if they'd given me the drip earlier.

Also, I asked for an epidural but it took 2 hours for the anaesthetist to turn up, by which point I was 10cm and not able to stay still for the time needed to insert it.

After DD was born, she should have been checked on every hour but it rarely happened. The paperwork claims otherwise.

[luckiestgirlintheworld]

I've just had DS1 a few days ago at Kingston.
The labour was a long (so I was there a while and got to experience many wards!) I was induced Monday morning, laboured through Tuesday and Wednesday and had an emcs Wednesday night (babies head was in the wrong place so I wasn't dilating). Then stayed in postnatal til Saturday morning.
I suppose overall the experience with Kingston was good. Most of the midwives were absolutely lovely. I felt like I was being constantly monitored. I got what I needed when I needed it.
I suppose the worst bits were having to wait for a space on the labour ward to become free so I was contracting for a good few hours in the antenatal ward where I was induced. Thankfully my contractions calmed down overnight and I could sleep, because a space didn't become free on the ward until about 15 hours later. But I'm sure that could happen in any busy hospital so I didn't mind.
And then the only other worrying thing was being told by one doctor I was 7-8cm dilated, and then told 2 hours later by a different doctor that actually I was only 5cm and need a cs straight away. But again, this was the fault of one doctor, not a whole hospital and I bet doctors make wrong readings and decisions in every hospital.
What I will say though is the postnatal care at kingston was bloody amazing, so if anything did go wrong and you had to stay in, they really do look after you.

[mrsspagbol]

Had an emcs at kingston last july after waters broke with meconium in them. Cant praise them enough esp the post natal ward. Fab docs, fab midwives (except butchered meputting an iv in), Great anaesthetist (sp?) - really caring post natal staff. V busy but v good considering. And clean. Get food brought in though.

[ABM2209]

Thanks ladies, I've since met few people who've been to Kingston everyone had positive feedback. I accept it could be a busy time and things may not go as I wish.
Fingers crossed it won't be a busy time :)

[HarderToKidnap]

Kingston has done a YouTube thing to show the facilities... Bit cheesy but you can see the rooms and things

m.youtube.com/watch?v=uMNnPd03_YY

[ameliasmama89]

Hi, I had my DD in July 2012 at Kingston Hospital, using their birthing pool suite. I would absolutely do it all over again there :) I was assigned two midwives, both equally lovely and calm. I had a slight problem where DD shoulder got a little stuck, but they knew all the positions to help me give birth to healthy baby girl, 7lb 13 oz (still in the birthing pool) No tearing, no gas and air. Just how I wanted my Labour/birth experience to be :) I arrived at hospital about 5.30am and she arrived at 10.52am. I came home the same day. They have a policy that baby has to be a minimum of 6 hours old before they can discharge baby. Of course I was happy to wait as long as I could of slept in my own bed that night. Good luck! x