Portland Hospital Consultants...

[user1470962059]

I have decided to deliver my baby at the Portland and was wondering if anyone had any feedback about Mr Kevin Harrington? or could recommend any other consultants... this would be for birth only, so say from 30 weeks.

Any views on the care at Portland would be appreciated too.
Thank you
Mazi

[Harveyrabbit76]

Hi mazi, I gave birth there last month and had a ELCS performed by Cathy Roberts and Maryam Parisaei. They and their team were brilliant and really made the whole thing much less stressful.
The hospital itself was great and the midwives were brilliant, really glad we decided to go there. Nice for my husband to be able to stay too.

[Allison3]

Question on Cathy Roberts. Is she a good fit for hypnobirthing/natural birth plan?

[Harveyrabbit76]

Hi Allison,
I am not sure but contact her maybe? She strikes me as very empirical and medical so not sure how into natural births she is but I am sure she is very supportive of all types of birth! I was recommended her by Dr gibb as I had a permanent cervical stitch placed and so needed a caesarian. Best of luck x

[mayhew]

Consultants at the Portland usually have NHS practice which takes the majority of their time. They are part time at the Portland and generally there for the scheduled medical end of things. For natural stuff, you need midwife led care.

[Allison3]

Thanks. Any recommendations for an independent midwife with strong hospital connection/experience? I am not looking for a home birth, as I had a postpartum hemorrhage that required surgery with baby #1.

[W8woman]

If you want midwife-led care with serious clinical/surgical back-up, I don't think the Portland is a good fit. In your shoes (which I was in 3 years ago) I'd be looking at Queen Charlotte's - they have a package that offers exactly what I think you want, up to a 'natural' ELCS if that's what you decide.

[Allison3]

I have an appointment scheduled with Cathy tomorrow - we shall see how it goes :)

[W8woman]

Jenny Smith is the Head of Private Midwifery. We thought she was lovely, but she's rushed off her feet. Book in now.

Having booked in for midwife-led care, hypnotherapy and water birth tra-la-la, I changed my mind at the eleventh hour and had an ELCS with Phil Bennett. He has a tiny private practice so I'd been told he's always available if required, and he was. Tiny practice because he's the head of obstetrics at QCCH. He must have thought I was such a hypochondriac but the great thing about paying is that they daren't say so.