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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

hospital in central London

42 replies

innka · 26/09/2010 23:45

Hello,
I am trying to choose which hospital to register with and am lost Confused
The closest to me are:

  • Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital
  • Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital
  • St Mary's Hospital
Does anyone have any comments about them? Are there any easy to read ratings on internet? Please help!!
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Suzihaha · 27/09/2010 07:10

I'm not sure about ratings but I have two friends who gave birth at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea & Westminster. They both had a good experience there. Chelsea & Westminster has really nice rooms for the birthing pools with good lighting, seperate tothe normal birthing rooms. You have to share a bathroom between two rooms though.

My doc friend works at Queen Charlotte's and says the facilities are great; would be her pick for her child.

HighlandlassinLondonshire · 27/09/2010 10:01

I'm having the same problem in London too...! I'm going to go and have a look - tour of the hospital which i'm sure will make my mind up.

Original poster
innka · 27/09/2010 23:29

I had a really bad experience with Chealsea and Westminster, that's why I excluded it from the list...

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Original poster
innka · 27/09/2010 23:30

HighlandlassinLondonshire, let's stay in touch please and exchange information!!! I am also planning to go for tours and ask around.

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hellymelly · 27/09/2010 23:32

I had both mine in the EGA (UCH,old building)and was very happy with my care antenatally.My consultant was wonderful.I hear the new building is great but I didn't experience it.

MamaTama · 28/09/2010 00:10

I had my DS at the midwife-run Birth Centre in the Royal Free (not strictly Central London I know but still not too far) & couldn't recommend it highly enough on all levels. :)

hellymelly · 28/09/2010 20:46

That's intersting mamatama as the Royal Free used to have the worst reputation for its maternity unit-maybe the birth centre is different or maybe they have vastly improved?

Original poster
innka · 29/09/2010 03:43

Thank you Hellymelly and MamaTama! That's very-very useful

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susiey · 29/09/2010 05:34

I have had all 3 of mine ar uch 1&2 in the old hospital rundown building but great care( except postnatally but this is common in all hospitals)
3rd one 2 weeks ago in the new building everything was lovely great birth and best postnatal experience I've had so far

hellymelly · 29/09/2010 21:55

Susiey when did you have 1 and 2? Maybe we were in together!

dinkystinky · 29/09/2010 21:57

Gave birth to DS1 at Royal Free in 2006 - had horrible time. Gave birth to DS2 at St Marys in the birth centre in 2009 - midwives appointments in hospital always running late but the birth centre was lovely, the midwives were great and the birth was excelllent.

tethersend · 29/09/2010 21:57

UCLH (EGA) are amazing. Had DD by elcs in the new building about a month after it opened.

hellymelly · 29/09/2010 22:04

I was quite sad to miss the new building, it is rather swish,especially compared to the old one which was quite battered.

dikkertjedap · 29/09/2010 22:07

My first choice would be Queen Charlotte's but you would need to be very quick that get fully booked quickly, so I did not manage to get in. I had dd at UCH, was truly awful experience, but this was in old building in 2006. But my biggest problem was lack of communication between doctors and nurses and nurses and midwives and midwives and doctors, everyone was at each other's throat and they forgot me and dd in the process ...

Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:13

dikkertjedapd, why is Queen Charlotte's your first choice? How quick one has to be to register there? 8 weeks?

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Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:15

dear tethersend & susiey, thank you very much for sharing your experience?

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Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:17

hellymelly, your comment about "worst reputation" is it based on friends comments or did you read it somewhere? I am still trying to find a reliable source with ratings

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TheDevilWearsPrimark · 01/10/2010 01:17

You don't really get much choice. I was assigned to St Thomas and had a real battle to get into Queen Charlottes. And then after all that I had an awful birth and care there.

Tommys is much better these days though, they have a lovely midwife led unit.

Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:21

TheDevilWearsPrimark, why did you battle to get into Queen Charlottes, what were the reasons for? The negative comments are very usefull! St Thomas is a bit far for me. I am not far from Queen Charlottes...

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TheDevilWearsPrimark · 01/10/2010 01:27

I had heard lots of praise, and mky midwife encouraged me to go there too. However I had a truly awful birth there, and so had a home birth for DD (kinda thankful for the horror tbh)

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 01/10/2010 01:28

Where in London are you? The Albany midwives have an excellent reputation.

Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:35

W8. Thank you for sharing. Do I have a choice for midwives? I didn't even think about it!

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TheDevilWearsPrimark · 01/10/2010 01:40

Albany are semi independent midwives that run a birth centre In SE. I'm not sure you'd be able to use them.

Original poster
innka · 01/10/2010 01:44

thank you, TheDevilWearsPrimark
I need to check out more what's around me
sofar I only started thinking about large hospital

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TheDevilWearsPrimark · 01/10/2010 01:51

I assume it is your first baby?

If you can afford it I would recommend a Doula. Honestly, my birth with DD was miles away from my experience with DS thanks to her.

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