Kingston or St Helier? views please!

[babydriver]

I had DS at Kingston 20 months ago and am now pg with no2. Have put down provisionally for Kingston but not guaranteed, plus am still wondering whether St Helier might be better.

I was in Malden Suite last time, then a main delivery room (looooong labour!) and private room after. I thought my labour care was excellent BUT post-labour care virtually non-existant. Plus they didn't offer water births (do they now??), or domino care, and it's a pain getting to Roehampton for antenatal stuff. So I'm wondering whether to go for St Helier instead.

Help!!

[noddyholder]

I had ds at St Helier and it was terrible but it was 11 years ago so it may have improved

[bigdonna]

i went to st georges have heard good things about kingston not so good about st helier i would choose kingston even over st georges.

[LaurelLeaf]

Where do you actually live? A friend of mine has just had an excellent experience at Epsom. I'm 9 months now and under St Helier and if I had to choose again it would definitely be Epsom.

[stripey]

Had ds1 at St Georges (Kingston was full and after visiting St Helier was not impressed - then I think they had 6 beds to a ward post delivery). Had ds2 at Kingston and was out the next morning they released us without Pead even seeing ds2 had to bring him in for a check a week later.

I would still choose Kingston if I was having another although have heard of good and bad experiences at all hospitals TBH

[uwila]

I have two kids. One was born in Epsom (2 years ago) and one at Queen Charlotte (8 weeks ago). Queen Charlotte is lovely. Epsom is good, but I would rave about it. But I also wouldn't frown upon it.

I have hear bad things about Kingston. But then I don't know anything at all about St. HEllier. It might help to look at www.birthchoice.co.uk or www.drfoster.co.uk.

[pinotgrigio]

TBH I've heard bad things about both. I live in Kingston but had DD in the Royal Surrey, Guildford.

Out of the two I would choose Kingston above St Helier though.

[kgc]

I lived in carshalton for a long time and would always favor St Helier it is a wonderful hospital....

[LeahE]

They still don't do water births at Kingston. Do they have the private rooms at St Helier, though? That's the really big plus for Kingston, IMO -- you're unlikely to end up having to share a room.

[babydriver]

Thanks for thoughts so far. I'm in Merton Park so Epsom is probably going to be a bit far. Kingston felt far enough last time when I was in labour! Likewise Queen Charlotte's tho' I'd love to go there as that's where I was born. Have looked on birthchoice website but annoyingly the Epsom and St Helier information is combined and I suspect that (given the reputations of the two) a good performance by Epsom may mask a slightly less good one by St H.

[uwila]

How pregnant are you? If it's early days, you can go where you want, but you have to flat out refuse to go to your local. Don't register there. Don't see the midwives. You have to really stand your ground. This is how I got into QC, but it took a lot of determination (and a very helpful GP). My first GP told me I didn't have a choice and I had to go to St. Peters. So I got a new GP and she was ever so helpful.

[uwila]

Oh, and if worswt comes to worst you can always show up somewhere in labour... though this is only a good idea as a last resort.

[LeahE]

I think if you can come up with a potential complication you may be more likely to be able to get into QC -- at least that's what a colleague whose wife works there told me. But then if you have a potential complication they might not let you have a water birth anyway, so maybe not a great plan.

[babydriver]

Thanx for further advice. Have now found out from drfoster website (really handy, not looked at it before) that Kingston apparently has a newly installed birthing pool, so that helps to sway me further towards Kingston. Fingers crossed that I got to the GP early enough to get on their out of area list.