Anyone having their baby at St George's in Tooting, London?

[Boobz]

What's your experience been like so far? Am waiting for my referral and chose St George's over St Thomas' because it's closer, but don't really know much about it.

Any comments would be useful.

A

[Anglepoise]

Yes and no - had antenatal there but moving to Cheshire next week (at 33 weeks) so won't be giving birth there. Antenatal care has been fine (though I have nothing to compare it to!) - scans were particularly good, especially after reading other people's experiences. I do know someone who started at St G and moved to St T at around 22 weeks, but I'm not sure why (possibly just because it's closer?).

[notcitrus]

I'm 32 weeks today and booked at Georges. Took ages to get my booking appt (GP had my +ve result at 14 weeks, booking 22 weeks), but apparently my GP should have faxed the paperwork and told me to phone for an appt, not to wait for the process.

Still, apart from that the midwives have all been lovely (phoned once very worried, couple other routing queries, 3 visits), and I've previously seen the head consultant obgyn, who is excellent and a really nice guy.

I've also gone on the tour of the delivery suite and midwife-led unit, both looked impressive although the MLU is triage only, you can't book it, so may not get in there even if low risk. I think Tommies you can book but still may not get in.

When I needed a referral for SPD, I was offered a same-day midwife appt (I went next-day), had a physio appt in 3 days for the next week, and the obstetric physio was fantastic. They did lose my blood test results but got someone round so I didn't need to queue again. The scans were great, both dating and late anomaly - took the time to explain lots of stuff.

Like Tommies, it's a huge busy teaching hospital and tertiary referral centre (so deals with lots of high-risk pregnancies which affect its caesarian rates etc). Obviously I don't know what it'll be like actually giving birth there but I figure it should be OK with MrNC and two friends to be there and demand food/help/care as necessary.

My NCT class is split between Georges and Tommies and the tutor says they're pretty similar. The MLU at Tommies has a lovely view over Parliament but you won't appreciate it at the time!

[1dilemma]

notcitrus you can't book the MLU at Tommies, there was a thread on her not that long ago along the lines of has anyone actually given birth in the MLU at Tommies (obv. lots have) but lots havn't and it got me thinking.....
I believe one of the local NCT teachers implied that it was often 'unavailable'

Georges MLU is new so looks very nice, I also can't imagine getting service like your para4 from Tommies.

I have a couple of friends/work colleagues booked at Georges and they have no complaints, I also know a couple of people who have had a child with problems born there (genetic rather than due to birth problems) and they have both said it was great wiht the extra stuff they needed too.

[WarmFuzzy]

The views of the river, the London Eye and Parliament from Tommies were breathtaking and very much appreciated before and after my babies were born.

[WarmFuzzy]

But St George's post-natal care couldn't possibly be worse than St Thomas's

[1dilemma]

Agree Tommies post-natal (shudder!)

[Tinasan]

I had my first baby at St George's and will be having my second there too. The antenatal care is good, and the care during delivery was excellent too. Post natal was dreadful -BUT - it's much the same in all the London hospitals. I had my first baby just before the new MLU opened so can't comment on it but I've heard it's very good. Good luck!

[blueberrysmoothie]

I had DD at St George's prior to the new MLU being opened. My delivery suite experience was good - it was well-staffed and the midwives were very supportive but the post-natal care on the ward wasn't up to much. But I cared less about the post-natal care and felt very safe during a difficult labour which I think is more important.

[Anglepoise]

Oh yes, I did have my 20 week scan quite late (22+4) and so did my friend who started her antenatal care there, but it was fab when it actually came around!

[FruitynNutty]

I'm booking in at St.George's. Had my 1st at Chelsea and Westminster so I'll be lurking here to see what all your opinions are. I'm guessing all hospitals are roughly the same anyway. C&W wasn't much good but no real complaints. Just filthy bathroom/toilet and no help post-natal

[EyeballsintheSky]

I was born there if that helps?

Sorry...

[notcitrus]

Not sure what the procedure is for getting into the MLU at Tommies then - maybe it's just that you have to ask when you turn up that's the difference, whereas apparently Georges now offer it to you - our NCT tutor said this meant that Georges MLU ended up with lots of women who had never heard of such a thing or considered it giving birth there, whereas the women in Tommies are very much the educated types who want it.

Had one friend give birth at Georges (perfectly happy), one at Tommies (fairly happy but complaints more to do with husband not believing she was in labour...), and the Tommies one is returning later this year for #2.

Advice I've had from all my friends who've given birth in London hospitals is take your own food, flip-flops, big dark towels, and if you want lots of pillows, bring your own in ugly pillowcases. Especially food!

Any other advice from people who've been there before? I was wondering if there were any 24-hour food delivery places around - I don't cope with hunger at all and can just imagine myself refusing to do any more labouring at 5am until I get a lassi and some peshwari naans...

[Boobz]

Thanks for all your messages -- sounds like pretty encouraging stuff.

Will chase up booking appointment with Doc if I haven't heard by Wednesday or so.

Perhaps see some of you down there along the way then?

[PheasantPlucker]

I had dd1 at SGH, it was excellent. DD1 was born at 27 weeks, and then had months in the NNU at SGH, all truly fabulous. We had a room of our own post-natally too (as DD was v ill) which was organised by very caring Registrars and Midwives.

5th Floor - as it was then - gives a great London skyline view fron Tooting!

Food was a bit rubbish though.......

This was a few years back, but I have massive praise for the way we were cared for, and without the staff there we certainly we not have dd1 with us today.

Good luck with the new baby.

[FabioUnblogged]

.

[jafina]

Had my dd at SG last September. Very impressed with midwives and doctors (I had a VBAC and ended up being induced, epidural etc..). All very calm and professional. MLU was not yet open but I had a high-tech birth anyway so not an option for me. Postnatal was fine, but I was only there for 24 hrs after birth and DH brought my food! Food is revolting but same in all hospitals I believe. Take your own! I didn't try to get a takeaway.... The delivery suite was clean, just old and in need of refurb.

But the most important thing IMO is the staff and they were fabulous, I felt very safe and cared for. If anything were to go wrong you felt you were defo in the right place. The head midwife was lovely, great sense of humour.

good luck!

[thehouseofmirth]

Had DS there 3 years ago and cannot fault the ante natal care or the care in my whole (long and eventually a bit complicated) labour. I did think the aftercare on the maternity ward was non-existent and a friend who had a baby there in March this year had an awful time establishing breast feeding and only got got help when I visited and got a bit stroppy assertive with the MW. Have booked in there for DC2 and all my appointments so far have come through when they should.

Also they have a fantastic half-day breast feeding workshop you can do before you have your baby but they never seem to tell anyone about it so do ask.

[Elsy]

Had DD there 18 months ago. Both the midwives I had during the birth were fantastic, but I'm afraid the aftercare was absolutely shocking. We were in an overflow ward with one nurse on duty. We had to ask for a sheet for the baby's cot because they just put her down on a plastic mattress. No one came to help me clean the blood off her for about 5 hours, despite me asking several times. And the bathrooms were in an absolutely disgusting state, with blood all over the floor and bins overflowing with bloody sanitary towels. Even though it was my first baby, I insisted on being discharged without staying overnight.

Sorry to be negative - maybe I was just unlucky - and, as I said, there were absolutely no problems with the staff attending the birth.

[dinny]

have had two babies there - first not great delivery or Pn experience, 2nd good mw delivery, crap PN again

LOADS of Indian takeaways in Tooting, for whoever asked....

[badkitty]

I am with St Georges - at least, I am hoping to have baby at home, but will be there if for any reason I can't. I have the midwives from SG and so far have found them very nice.

I have 20 week scan there tomorrow - have not actually been to the hospital yet (had early scan elsewhere for various reasons) - can anyone tell me how to get the scanning unit? Am worried I will get lost and miss it!

[dinny]

oooh, which team, Badkitty? I had Red Team with ds....all lovely. Ended up in the Rainbow Suite though, not at home!

scanning unit is in mainentrance, main lifts and really easy (think 4th floor iirc)

good luck

[badkitty]

Green team! Am sure there is a reasonable chance I will end up in there at some point as it is my first, must get round to doing tour of the labour wards etc to see what it is like. Thank you for the directions - very excited!!!

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

I'm the one i think angelpoise is talking about

i was at St G's then transferred to Tommies - mainy because my community mw's will come from Tommies despite me living closer to St G's. Also I'm considering a homebirth and St G's don't offer it. My mw's are all local to me now which is better than trekking to the hospital, and I have a midwife team of 6 instead of what sounded like tons at St G's...though have to say I couldn't fault the care I received while I was there.

I've heard good and bad about both and so much of it seems to be down to luck of the draw on the day - I do know a few people who have complained about cleanliness on the wards at St G's (bloody showers not washed out after use etc), also the antenatal classes seem more prolific through Tommies, but again I think this might be particular to my local midwife team.

spent a saturday at Tommies recently after sever pains and it was very understaffed which worried me a bit - hence probably going for a home birth regardless

over riding response from londoners seems to be don't go to chelsea and westminster though!

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

badkitty we're also considering a homebirth for our 1st...but seem to meet with strong reactions againts it (apart from mw's who are really aupportive) - how's your thinking going on about it?

[FruitynNutty]

Doesn't St.George's offer homebirth? It didn't cross my mind that they wouldn't I had an awful birth which ended in c-section last time round. I don't want that this time. I want a homebirth with help from St.George's, I live round the corner from them - well, 5-10 minute drive in no traffic anyway