Anyone with recent experience from Royal Free Hospital or UCH?

[Izabel]

Hi everybody, I cannot decide which hospital to choose. Anyone to help? I am from North London. Thanks.

[goingfor3]

I worked as a nanny for a dr. She lived very close to the Royal Free but chose to have her baby at uch because she said it is much better.

[excitedm2b]

I'm at the Royal Free and 21 weeks with my 1st so can't tell you about the birth part but will tell you how its been so far if that helps.
Admin staff were completely useless to start with - although my doctor let them know at 4 weeks they kept telling me I wasn't in the system so didn't get a booking appointment till 14 weeks (after much badgering & getting quite upset).
Medical staff have been great so far. I see a community midwife just round the corner from my house who is really friendly and will see her all the way through which I like (although it prob won't be her for the birth). I have also seen a consultant due to a previous unrelated medical condition and will see him again in a couple of months time. He was also very friendly and helpful.
I'm planning to go the the Heath Birth Centre (midwife led unit) which I've heard good things about. I have also heard though that the post natal wards are a bit grim (but sounds to me the same in most London hospitals tbh!)
HTH

[missbumpy]

I'm at UCH (just posted on your other thread) having moved there from Royal London (in Whitechapel...not the Royal Free). I hated my experience at Royal London and it was making me quite anxious about the pregnancy and fearful about the labour. Eventually I managed to swap to UCH expecting it to be much the same because I'd heard so many horror stories about how terrible all London hospitals are.

Anyway, I've been really pleasantly surprised. I'm so pleased I moved. It's not 5* luxury or anything but I feel I've been well looked after so far and I'm hoping to give birth in the Birthing Centre which is meant to be great.

I'm sure Royal Free is good too. Might be an idea to go on labour ward tours just to get a feel for which one you prefer before you get referred. Also, bear in mind which is closer for you in terms of getting to antenatal appointments from home/work.

Good luck

[kerala]

Had a my baby at the Royal Free. The medical care was good. But the post natal ward (I had an emergency c section in the end) was not. The ward midwives were unsympathetic, badly managed and aggressive. I (and several other mums I know) ended up distressed while in there.

In my NCT group of 10 everyone that had to go on the post-natal ward at the Royal Free had a bad experience. Those that were at the birthing centre there and then left were pleased with it. The two girls that went to UCH had a more positive time. But both had easy births so hard to say.

Basically imo the post natal ward at the Royal Free has problems. This was last summer so may have changed I dont know.

[kerala]

oh and if I had another I would not go back to the Royal Free.

[Izabel]

Thank you all for your responses. So far UCH seems a bit better but is on a very busy road which gets quite jammed during a rush hour. I am worried about getting stuck in a traffic jam during the labour

[frogs]

Mine were all born at UCH, and I was very happy. Would love to have used the birth centre which had just started when I was pg with my youngest, but was not to be (induction).

But there was a thread like this recently where everyone was going into ecstasies about the Whittington, so might be worth a look. Mars rates it, and she is a doula.

[Izabel]

Thanks Frogs. I heard so many bad things about Whittington that I can't really go there. Especially my DH would't be up for it after hearing a story when mother was left in the corridor in full established labour with her DH seeing head coming out , screaming for help and noone was coming. It probably doesn't happen everytime but we don't want to risk it.

[PutThatInYourPipeandSmokeIt]

UCH Birth Centre in December
Familiar Midwife
Water Birth
No Drugs No damage
Private room in birth centre with en suite bathroom (by luck though I think)
Home few hours later putting a load of washing on
Couldn't fault it.
At all.

[Izabel]

Thanks. That sounds good.