QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S OR EALING HOSPITAL?

[Fraggle74]

Hi
I found out to my surprise I was pregnant 2 days ago and am still in shock! My Dr said I need to decide super quickly which hospital I want to have the delivery in. I live very near Ealing but know it doesn't have the best reputation. I have heard good things about Queen Charlotte's but it is quite a bit further away.

Any advice or experiences anyone has to share will be much appreciated!

:)

[Boo81]

Hi, I had to choose between Queen Charlottes and Charing Cross and chose Queen Charolottes because because of its reputation for neo natal care.

I have to say I'm pretty happy with it so far (am 21 weeks). The antenatal clinic is very busy and you won't get to see the same midwife eacht ime, which is a bit impersonal but its very modern and clean which I love! My tip if you chose QC would be to try to book the early midwife appointments from 8.30am so you won't have to wait too long to be seen.

The ultrasounds dept is a bit more efficient and I've only had to wait 5 mins for both my scan appointments. I got the same sonographer twice and she was very nice.

So on the whole I would recommend QC, although I still have a long way to go yet.

[ShirtyGerty]

Many congratulations!

I'm at Queen Charlotte's - 22 weeks - and I am really happy with it. Very busy ante-natal clinic but I've had some complications and received excellent care.

I know quite a few people going there and all of them are happy so far.

[Cyclebump]

I opted for Ealing Hospital as we don't have a car and it's a 10-minute walk from my front door. Their stats are reasonable and I may not be able to give birth naturally because of a pelvic condition so was not fussed about midwife-led units and home from home facilities.

I wasn't given any formal information to help me decide but apart from an admin cock up when I was first booked in they've been fine. I asked my very nice GP that I have lots of faith in for his advice and he said that as I'm high risk if I went into labour unexpectedly I'd be taken to the nearest place anyway and that their care is just as good as anywhere else.

[ShirtyGerty]

This website lets you compare birth units. Personally, I would focus on the facilities rather than the statistics.

www.drfosterhealth.co.uk/birth-guide/

Also bear in mind which is the easiest for you to get to.

[serendipity16]

I'm at Queen Charlotte's, i've had 5 babies there & i'm going to have my 6th there in 4 weeks, i'm 30 weeks now.

I've always found the hospital to be very clean.
You will more than likely have a long wait for your midwife appointments. I don't see a midwife as i'm under consultant care but everytime i've been there i've heard ladies complaining of 2 hours waits.

Having said that waiting to see a consultant isn't that much better either, i generally wait 1 - 1 & a half hours just to see my consultant.

The ultrasounds dept like Boo81 said is better, although again i have had to wait up to 45mins for a scan but its less crowded round there so i didn't mind.
I must be getting the wrong sonographers lol cos the 2 i've seen were as miserable as hell. Had a 28wk scan recently & saw a locum sonographer who was fantastic.

I haven't had completely wonderful experiences at Queen Charlottes, i did feel let down a lot when i had my stillborn baby there. On the upside when i hemorraged with my next pregnancy & was really ill, the staff on the delivery suite & in HDU were fantastic.

All in all i would recommed Queen Charlottes.

Just out of interest, Boo81, you said you had a choice of QC & Charing Cross..... i wasn't aware that Charing Cross did maternity, do you mean Chelsea & Westminster?

[ellesbelles79]

Im at QC and am 23 weeks. I live very far away in Harrow but wanted to avoid going to Northwick Park Hosp which is awful...I nearly miscarried and the care I received there left a lot to be desired!

Ealing is not much better (possibly worse than NP) so if you can go to QC then I would definitely go with that option.

It does get busy but at least its clean and the care you receive is good!

[fiftyfifty]

I had my first baby in Ealing hospital in 2005 and it was fine. I had some problems in late pregnancy that resulted in an emergency c section so no idea about labouring there. The only thing I was unhappy with was that I was left alone all night (and as I'd had a spinal I couldn't move) and nobody came to change my baby's nappy or give her to me to feed. As a result she went nearly 12 hours without a feed. I was in shock as I had only gone in for a check up and wasn't thinking straight. Also being my first baby I didn't have a clue. I could really have done with some guidance in those first few hours.

[ellesbelles79]

that sounds awful fifty...you must have felt totally lost and unsure of what to do! What rubbish care! I really do hope that was a one off incident. xxx

[Cyclebump]

So do I! That's pretty bad. A friend is now pregnant with her third child and had the previous two at Ealing, both natural births with gas and air and no other intervention.

She said she had a good experience both times and I think she used their 'home from home' facilities.

[Boo81]

serendipity16 - opps yes, I meant C&W!

[fiftyfifty]

Well it wasn't an ideal start to motherhood!
We moved away soon after and I had my second baby in a different hospital, natural birth with gas & air, totally different experience thank goodness. Was terrified about the birth all the way through my second pregnancy though!

[Fraggle74]

Thanks ladies, that's really helpful. So much to think about, can't believe this is all happening still! (shock)

[PipPipPip]

Hi there,

I live in West Ealing, and I applied for Queen Charlotte's too late so instead went for Chelsea & Westminster.

I'm still only 18 weeks pregnant, but so far the care at Chelsea & Westminster has been excellent.

Congrats and good luck!

PS. Pregnancy yoga classes in West Ealing on Tuesday nights :)

[Cyclebump]

Ooh, where is the pregnancy yoga?!

[FindingGuysMojo]

I had DD in the birth centre at QC - bloody marvellous! Delivery suite is just upstairs & if you need it you just move up - I had huge room, pool, dim lighting, bouncy balls etc etc - peaceful & quiet & lovely.

The QC birth centre midwifes run an ante-natal clinic in Chiswick (where I work) and I did most of my check ups there. Hoping to do the same this time around.

[PipPipPip]

Hi Cyclebump and other W5, W13 ladies.

I'm going to my first pregnancy yoga class tonight in West Ealing. It is near West Ealing train station, Tuesday nights 7pm -8:30pm.

£9 per class.

My friend highly recommended it, and said it was a great way to meet other Mum-to-be in the area.

If you're interested, phone Elaine on 020 85671599.

[Cyclebump]

Ooh, am tempted. Can't do this week but may well give it a go...

[Carrie06]

I had both my DCs in QC and unfortunately made extensive use of the fetal medicine unit and neonatal unit - I can't fault these. It's a busy hospital but I don't think I ever had to wait a serious length of time for any appointment. There were plenty of midwives around to help with BF although of course they all have a different theory and the nightime midwives are very quick to offer formula to you. If I was able to, I'd go there again but I got transferred from another hospital for first pregnancy and they accepted me automatically for 2nd. One-third of their deliveries are c-sections due to being a tertiary referral centre so they get a lot of multiple and difficult pregnancies. I don't know if this means they would resort to a section quicker than another hospital but both mine were sections although both necessary. Good luck - wish I was at that stage again:)

[skum]

I had my first baby in QC last year.
Positive: * The antenatal classes - we did all the classes plus a day on natural birth- worth it!

• after care - excellent! breastfeeding help etc.
  
  negative: It was hard to get to QC specially A40 -its always busy..but I guess that's OK because if you looking for a good care.
  
  I chose birth centre - But that was a wrong move!! if you choose QC go for care where doctore are involved..In the birth centre there are not doctors..!
  
  prenatal appoointments - always late - had to wait for 1 hour or so..

[Boo81]

Skum - interested to hear more about your experiences of the birth centre in QC. Isn't it normal that there aren't doctors in birth centres, only midwives?

That aside, what kind of birth did you have at the birth centre? Was it at least comfy, homely?

I'm due to give birth at QC in March and not sure about whether to opt for birth centre or delivery ward so would appreciate any advice and comments.

Thanks!

[BeatrixRotter]

I had an amazing time at the birth centre. Gave birth in pool, had our own room, DP could stay the night (which won't happen on a delivery ward, if you give birth in the middle of the night your DH/DP will have to go home).

They had all the balls and a harness thing to hang off if you need it. We had music and the lights down low. Lots of options.

The midwife left us to it coming in every 10 minutes or so to check the heartbeat and as long as that was fine I was left to get on with it until I was ready to push.

I honestly could not have had a better experience but then I was lucky as had no cpomplications at all. If your pregnancy progresses normally then you are fine to give birth with only midwives there. At the first sign of anything going awry you'll be transferred to the delivery ward with all the doctors etc. Same if you decided you needed an epidural.

[BeatrixRotter]

Should be clearer, I mean the birth centre at Queen Charlottes!. If you do decide to go for it OP do not delay and make sure the docs don't either, it is very quickly booked up.