Lewisham/Kent area - confusing hospital and antenatal choices

[ConfusedL]

Hi everyone. I'm due to give birth on 5 Oct, and live in Lewisham. However, I'm still registered at my old GP in Welling. When I found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago I started the process of changing doctor's surgeries to the local one down the road in Blackheath - however I was told by the receptionist that they would only register me at the QE or Lewisham to have the baby. Receptionist couldn't tell me what was going on at Lewisham, what with all the recent changes, and the Lewisham website doesn't give me much comfort either. So I binned the idea of changing surgeries (shh, don't tell anyone!) and am now registered at Darent Valley (QE is a no-no for me).
Given I don't have any close friends or family who have given birth recently that I can question about this, me and my boyfriend are finding it very hard to find out whether we've made the correct choice in hospitals etc, or whether there were any other options.
I recently received a letter from Darent confirming details of my booking appointment (it will be on the day before I am 12 weeks), and after several days of trying to call the hospital, I found out that my first ultrasound won't be happening on the same day, and they were at this stage unable to tell me when it would be taking place. Does this sound normal?
I'm just finding it hard to find out any information about our options and would be grateful if anyone could shed some light. (Oh yes, if I listened to the nurse last time I went to the doctor's surgery, I wouldn't be eating any fish (in whatever shape or form), soft cheese or peanuts now.....)
Thanks L

[ladymia]

I have sent you a pvt. message re. Lewisham :)

[AmberLav]

I wouldn't recommend believing the receptionist - one of my NCT group lives in Lewisham, and gave birth at St Thomas, but I think Kings College is also an option. I think we can give birth pretty much wherever we choose.

I'm booked in at Lewisham for April, and hopefully that will all be fine. Personally I think the NHS will be tied up in legal disputes for years to come. Hopefully it will never change, had a good experience there with my first birth...

[ChunkyChicken]

I had my DD at Darent & whilst my DS was born at home, I was under the MW from Darent. Firstly, despite what you can hear about the hospital, the antenatal care is pretty good. I would say its also unlikely to hear about a scan at the same time as confirming your booking in. I don't think I ever got much notice of scans, as I think they are really pressed for slots - baby boom obviously!! Could you ring the antenatal/ultrasound unit and ask if they have you in their queue? I would mention that you're worried you'll miss the nucal fold 'window'...

[louschmoo]

Hi there, why don't you call Lewisham direxct and ask? Their midwife info for self referrals is here: www.lewisham.nhs.uk/services/women__sexual_health/-_contact_midwives_directly.aspx

I am booked to give birth at Lewisham in March. All the notices they have up re: the closure state that it will take at least a couple of years to move everything over and as someone said upthread there are appeals going on. So the changes are VERY unlikely to affect you.

I had DS at Lewisham in 2011 and have had a difficult 2nd pregnancy with lots of extra ppointments. I can't fault the care I've received there for either of my pregnancies.

[sleeplessinselondon]

Hi there, the changes that are proposed for Lewisham will not come in for 3 years - the worst thing that can happen is that people stop using the services now because of misinformation like that given by your receptionist. There is an amazing birth centre at Lewisham, midwife led but in the hospital so you can be transferred if necessary. The changes proposed by Hunt are ludicrous, completely the wrong thing for mothers in the area and there is still a very active campaign to get them reversed.

Sorry for the rant! I had my daughter at Lewisham and will be having Dc2 there in September, I'd recommend it if it is your local hospital.

[Limelight]

The changes (or indeed butchering of much needed services) at Lewisham hospital won't come into effect. Judicial review etc will take ages. And hopefully it'll be stopped. I hope.

I had both DC at Lewisham. If it's your local and most convenient hospital, I'd go for it.

[EuroShaggleton]

Hi there,

I'm a Lewisham resident too and pretty dismayed at the proposals regarding the hospital.

Hospital environments terrify me and I really, really want to avoid giving birth in a hospital if at all possible. The Lewisham MLU looks attractive to me. I haven't been to my GP yet to tell him about the pregnancy, but when I do I will pass on anything I hear about it. I'm due a couple of weeks after you, all being well. A friend of mine who lives locally gave birth at King's, so you can consider that too.

[CrackleMauve]

Lewisham MLU is lovely and it will still be open. The changes are going to take years to go thrOugh, if they do at all. There will be no problem with you giving birth there in October.

[philbee]

I'm in Lewisham and transferred to King's when they announced the consultation (yes I feel like a traitor but it was stressing me a lot). Depending on your postcode St Thomas is also an option. Look on the websites and call the hospitals to find out if you can transfer there. Both Lewisham and King's will let you self refer, no need to go through GP. Fwiw everyone I know who had babies at Lewisham MLU has had a good experience, and similar reports for King's.

And I've never had booking in appt and scan at the same time, always separate as booking in is with mw and scan is with sonographer.

[philbee]

Just thought, another thing to consider is if you might want a home birth. I think the catchment area for that tends to be smaller than if you're booking in for a hospital birth. I can transfer to go in to King's but am too far away to have a home birth with them, I'd have to be at Lewisham.