Lindo Maternity Unit

[midwife4]

I am the senior midwife manager at St Mary?s Hospital?s Lindo Wing. For expectant mums, I wanted to clarify what?s happening in our upcoming refurbishment which begins this October and will last a year.

A huge improvement programme has been scheduled, costing £9million, to improve our services.During the closure we will continue to take bookings for births. However, during some of this time bookings will be limited.
Between October 1 and November 19, women having a baby with us will give birth in the delivery unit but will be cared for post natally on a different floor in the Lindo Wing, cared for by our fantastic team of consultants, midwives and support staff.
On November 19, the Lindo Wing will close completely for 10 months and all our expectant mums will be looked after by our staff to the same excellent standard of care in a different area of the hospital.

In October 2011 the Lindo Wing will reopen at full capacity, reconfigured, refurbished and with three operating theatres. There will be a dedicated delivery and post natal unit including a nursery. Every room will be en suite with climate control and Wi-Fi. Double rooms will be available as well as antenatal classes and tailor made packages of care before and after delivery.
If you?d like to know more, please call our service manager Tracey Howson on 020 3312 1943.

I am the senior midwife manager at St Mary?s Hospital?s Lindo Wing. For expectant mums, I wanted to clarify what?s happening in our upcoming refurbishment which begins this October and will last a year.
A huge improvement programme has been scheduled, costing £9million, to improve our services.
During the closure we will continue to take bookings for births. However, during some of this time bookings will be limited.
Between October 1 and November 19, women having a baby with us will give birth in the delivery unit but will be cared for post natally on a different floor in the Lindo Wing, cared for by our fantastic team of consultants, midwives and support staff.
On November 19, the Lindo Wing will close completely for 10 months and all our expectant mums will be looked after by our staff to the same excellent standard of care in a different area of the hospital.
In October 2011 the Lindo Wing will reopen at full capacity, reconfigured, refurbished and with three operating theatres. There will be a dedicated delivery and post natal unit including a nursery. Every room will be en suite with climate control and Wi-Fi. Double rooms will be available as well as antenatal classes and tailor made packages of care before and after delivery.
If you?d like to know more, please call our service manager Tracey Howson on 020 3312 1943.

Thanks for posting this. What facilities will ladies have after November 2010? What are the rooms like in the hospital, which will be used for private patients? Are the staff NHS or private? And how would the care differ for a private patient vs NHS?

The work begins in late September, actually. And no guarantee of an ensuite room, and no discount for the inconvenience

When planning the refurbishment the subject of birthing pools was discussed with the obstetricians who practice at the Lindo. Due to space restrictions and the consultants? preference, we are not intending to install birthing pools. However if you have any specific requests for equipment, furniture or aids that you would like to use during you labour, I?m really happy to discuss this with you.

We have built five new rooms for the private maternity service during the period of the Lindo refurbishment, of which two are designated labour rooms and three postnatal rooms.

All rooms have en suite bathrooms facilities or a designated bathroom nearby. All rooms have TV, telephone, and in room refrigerator. Fold up beds are available for partners who wish to stay overnight.

The staff are the same staff employed by the Lindo Wing, which is a private healthcare facility.

As a private patient you will receive consultant led care from your consultant obstetrician and anesthetist and you will cared for by the team of Lindo Wing midwives, assistants and nursery nurses. The Lindo Wing works closely with the high dependency and intensive care unit and also the Winnicott baby unit (specialist intensive care unit) should it be required.

Thank you for your posting. To clarify, some refurbishment work will commence on the 26th September, and therefore from 26th September to 19th November the post natal ward will relocate to another floor within the Lindo Wing. This will mean that not all rooms are en-suite but rest assured that the two rooms without full en ?suite facilities will have a dedicated private bathroom close by. A full nursery provision will be maintained

I contacted the Lindo Wing today to find out about birth there, and alot of what was said here was confirmed (not that it needed to be!) I asked for information on booking/prices/consultants etc and was told I would be sent something via email today. That was at 9 am. Its now 5 pm and nothing - which means I won't have anything till next week now. I am concerned that a number of hospitals seem to book up rather fast - any idea where I can find information on prices and how to book?

Hi Enni, I am very sorry to hear that you didn?t receive the information you requested via email. Please contact Liza Blannin, maternity coordinator on 0203 312 6224 and she will be more than happy to forward any information you require and answer any questions you may have in relation to prices and booking

Hi supersunnyday, thank you for your lovely comments about the Lindo and our staff. I am sorry you felt that there was a greater emphasis placed on women having an epidural rather than supporting women to give birth naturally with limited pain relief ( if this is their preference). Although we are a consultant led service our team are committed to support women in meeting their expectations and wishes. I would suggest you discuss your birth plan with your consultant prior to your admission. Any question, concerns or requests you have can then be explored. We currently do have birthing balls and low lighting.

I had my baby at the Lindo and it was very good, but I have to agree there was a very strong emphasis on Epidural and little on active birth. I am disappointed that the opportunity hasn't been taked during the refurb to put in birth pools and other active birth equipment. I was also told explicitly by my consultant not to make a birth plan.

Dear Eeyore, I am very glad that you had a good experience at the Lindo Wing. I am sorry that you also felt there was a greater emphasis on women having an epidural. I am very sorry that you were advised against making a birth plan. As a midwife, we are passionate about supporting our mothers in achieving the birth of their choice . I will discuss both your points with my consultant colleagues

In the future we will be looking at ways to offer enhanced services to our mothers and I do take your comments on your board about offering birthing pools and the provision of active birth equipment, unfortunately we are unable to install birth pools in the new delivery suite due to the space restrictions. But some of the ideas we are exploring are parent education classes, ante natal care and individualised packages of care. The thoughts and ideas from women are really helpful in our shaping services for the future

Dear Supersunny day, I am very happy that you have had a good experience when you were treated at the Lindo, and thank you for your comments, I?ll be sure to pass them on! I?m disappointed to hear that you will be booking elsewhere, but I wish you a happy and safe birth and I do hope that we meet you in the future.

Hi All, Does anyone have any experience of the temporary Lindo Wing (while it is being refurbished) at Alec Bourne and any experience with Dr Shahla Ahmad as a consultant? I am in my 7th week and was looking for recommendations, so any tips would be helpfil.

I had DD at the Lindo and am going to have my next there too. I hypnobirthed number one and was very opposed to any intervention which was fully respected. Unfortunately I did need an ECS (surprise breech!) My consultant this time around is aware that I will be hypnobirthing again, no drugs and VBAC without continuous monitoring, time limits etc - these are against St Mary's protocols but: my body, my baby, my birth is being fully respected. They won't push what you don't want.
I didn't use the pool last time (while still at home) as I was far too hot and I didn't want to lie down.

Anyone any experience with the provisional facilities?

i gave birth to my son at the Lindo Wing in Oct 2010. The refurb had just started at the time. I was very pleased with the staff and service - my midwife was fantastic and they fully supported my wishes. I had my first son overseas and it was a terrible birth but my second son born at Lindo was a totally different experience. We plan on having one more and I will be booking back at Lindo Wing again with Dr Horner as consultant without hesitation.