Kingston Hospital - advice on parking!

[tew]

Had to go to Kingston last week at 20 weeks as had a bit of bleeding. Advice for any of you who are having your babies there, on now account drive yourself! There is not enough parking there, so all the cars double park. Eventually after 30 mins going round and round, worried about my baby, I burst into tears when a nice doctor told me to double park. Then when I tried to leave (all fine with baby) had to call 4 people to ask them to move their cars!

Nice time I'll definitely take a taxi!

[Hazellnut]

If you do need to drive there are usually some free spaces on Gloucester road . The meters are cheaper than Kingston hospital parking too ! Mind you, don't do what dh did and, on the day dd and I were released from hospital, fed up with having paid Kingston's extortionate rates decided to park on a meter only to return and find he'd picked the only residents parking place in the row and a £40 parking ticket.... Thankfully bringing dd home after us spending 8 days in eclipsed the event and made an interesting souvenir for her baby book !

[tew]

How was your experience of Kingston? Was everything ok? Have to say they were great on Thursday when I had a little bit of bleeding.

[Hazellnut]

Hi Tew - yes I was very pleased with my care from Kingston. I didn't have a particularly straightforward pregnancy - Mainly IUGR but had also had a seperate worry (unfounded !) at about 16 weeks. As a result of an overcautious sonographer (for which I am v. thankful for !) I was scanned regularly from 22 weeks. All the way along everyone kept saying it was probably just that dd was naturally small as both dh and I are but from about 32 weeks it became clear that there might be a problem. I found when I needed extra tests/check ups I never had to wait and all the doctors I saw (registrars and consultants) were fantastic. I went in for a scan at 37 weeks thinking it was just another scan only to be admitted straightaway and I had 3 days of induction which failed and resulted in an emergency cs in the middle of the night. As you can imagine our emotions were all over the place but we were handled with such care and compassion that it really helped us through it. At one point we were told I might have to be moved hospitals due to a lack of neonatal beds and we pleaded with them to let us stay (with lots of tears from me !) and they managed it which I don't think was particularly easy. DD was in fact fine although v. small. Postnatally, the individual ensuite rooms are a bonus (although not sure if you're guaranteed one with a natural delivery - but then I think its only one other person you share with). My only complaint was help with breastfeeding which I had a lot of trouble with and don't think I was given the right sort of help (there was a bf counsellor so plenty available but it jsut didn't suit me) - others though did find the bf-ing help very good so maybe I was just awkward.

The most important thing we thought was that no one ever made you feel like you were wasting anyone's time and everyone took time to explain things very clearly.

Sorry to go on - some people might not share my view, I guess it is all subjective on your personal experience - but it wasn't that long ago for me and I am very very grateful to them for the safe delivery of my dd !!

[tew]

Thanks Hazellnut for that, very reassuring. Had my first dd at St Helier, having been transferred from Chelsea & Westminster by ambulance as dd tried to come at 32 weeks and there was no room in the inn! Lots of tears, especially when the silly midsife told me that I was going to St Hellier, when I burst into tears as I thought it was in Cornwall! In the end dd came 40+4 and was a whopping 9 4, so all was fine. Care I got at St Helier was great, but it's a prewar hospital, and the wards after delivery are for 6 people, so all through the night you get disturbed by new mothers arriving with their little darlings, so I love the idea of just sharing with one other!

[fisil]

dp parked in Norbiton station carpark after 30 mins of cruising round and round. I carefully went into labour on a Sunday morning this time!

[tew]

Thx Pamina3, wouldn't be the end of the world if transferred to St Helier as I know it well!

[LeahE]

tew -- Yes, you're almost certain to have a single room postnatally. This is a big perk of Kingston, even if the parking is terrible (although for even worse parking (yes, it is possible) try going to Kingston's spin-off antenatal clinic at Queen Mary's in Roehampton). C&W or St Geroges will charge you extra (in some cases a LOT extra) for a single room.

It is possible to find parking at Kingston after about 18.30, so I recommend going into labour then :-)

Over 4 days of post-c-section recovery I hate to think how much DH spent on parking.

[tew]

Think next time, unless I'm actually in labour, I'll get a taxi!

[fisil]

leahe - I cracked Queen Mary's parking by always getting the first appt of the day!

[Hazellnut]

One of my friends was put in the Worcester team - Esher suite which is a seperate postnatal 'ward' (again private rooms) in a different part of the hospital. She had been in the normal bit with her first and said that the Esher Suite was very quiet and much preferred it ! Am sure you wouldn't get a choice but you never know !!

[LeahE]

Yes, I was in Esher Suite and it was very nice and quiet.

[fisil]

I was in Worcester - in a shared room - hadn't realised quite how bad my luck was!

[LeahE]

fisil -- It was payback for the parking...

[Willow2]

Hazellnut - I just tried to CAT you re' a feature that I'm writing on IUGR, but you've chosen not to have messages passed on. I'd be really grateful if you would get in touch - either CAT me or email me at aeffreelance AT hotmail.com. Thanks every so much. xx Willow

[Hazellnut]

Hi Willow - have emailed you, solet me know if you don't get it and I;ll sort out my Mumsnet CAT profile thing !