hospital in central London

[innka]

Hello,
I am trying to choose which hospital to register with and am lost
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!!

Hi, the reasons Queen Charlotte's was my first choice (but I didn't get in, and this was in 2006):

• I went on several hospital tours (St Thomas, lovely, UCH, okayish and Queen Charlotte's - really really nice, clean, friendly chatty staff) - don't ask me why I bothered because only afterwards I heard that both Queen Charlotte and St Thomas were fully booked and I could only get a place in UCH)
• I regularly checked a website which compares performances of hospitals and Queen charlotte always ranked really well (sorry forgotten name of website, if remember will post it later)
• my private consultant recommended Queen Charlotte's as one of the best NHS ones (He works in Portland) (too expensive for me)

Hope this helps, please realise that this was in 2006.

innaka my comment about the RF was based on conversations with other mothers who had been there,and also with my doula who had attended births there.But my youngest baby is three so it may have changed since then.There was a thread on here last year about the hospitals you are weighing up and a consultant from the RF was on the thread (mumsnet name "sympatheticconsultant"I think.

dikkertjedap, when did you try to register so it was too late? I am still only 5 weeks, am planning the next week for visits and registration in my 7th week. should be early enough, no?

TheDevilWearsPrimark, it's my 2nd, but 1st was long time ago and in a different country, so I am not experienced here and a bit lost.

hellymelly, thank you very much for your comments! very helpful

I gave birth to DD1 in St Mary's 11 years ago and really did not enjoy the experience. The MW were very "dry" and the ward/bathrooms were actually filthy. Hopefully it has changed now.

gorionine, I will visit it tomorrow, they very the nicest on the phone.

btw, after checking stats, reading chats and talking to a friend I added st. thomas to my list... if there are any comments about it, would be very much appreciated.

I was 10 weeks and that was way too late apparently. But this was in 2005/6

I agree that the RF used to have a dreadful reputation - I think it also came out worst in London in all sorts of official stats. But I believe it has improved greatly and a friend who gave birth there recently couldn't praise it enough.

I had DC1 at the Royal London - very grim looking and extremely busy but I never felt the staff were anything other than extremely experienced and that it was a good place to be in an emergency.

DC3 was stillborn at st Thomas (congenital problem, not due to a birthing issue) and the staff, Drs and midwives alike gave me the best care I could have hoped for. they were absolutely wonderful and the care both emotional and medical was exceptional.

Ive had one in the old building and one in the new building of EGA/UCH was overall quite happy with both times

Has anyone been in for tours at these? I'm trying to decide too, and had a totally frustrating experience trying to talk to someone at QC about a tour - no one seemed to know what I was talking about and I got routed from department to department and then ultimately hung up on. What to do?!

i had my little one at chelwest and it was great. highly recommended!

Had DS at chelsea and westminster 3 years ago, pre- natal care great, birth very good, postnatally absolutely bloody awful but then I think all London hospitals have shocking aftercare.

I gave birth recently at uch and had a v. good experience. I would rcomend paying for a private room post nataly if you can afford it although the ward was ok.
i was induced and they gave me epidural before putting me on the drip so experience was calm and pain free.

Hi MrToad - Some have recommended having a doula or IM around for the postnatal care and as an advocate during the birth. Do you think that would have helped? Thanks!

TBH I don't think having a doula at the birth would have been right for me personally. I'm a very very private person and like to cope with pain and childbirth on my own. I wasn't even keen for DH to take much of a supporting role TBH. He was there and encouraging me to push which was just what I wanted.

I had a fab midwife and student DR throughtout the birth so I feel a doula wouldn't have added much IYSWIM? Also I'd had so many bloody hospital appointments (was being checked every 2 weeks) I felt I knew the hospital and most of the staff! Perhaps if I'd had poor antenatal care, a non supportive midwife or I was feeling underconfident about the birth I'd try a doula next time.

Maybe you could chat to a few doulas and see if you would be comfortable with their support?

NOw a postnatal doula would have been great!Postnatally at the hospital was hard because I had to be in for 3 nights, I couldn't sleep (crying babies all night, including my own!) and very little support for breastfeeding which was important to me. I'd advise you to try and get out of hospital ASAP and perhaps ger a postnatal doula at home as you will probably get v little support (nappies, baths, feeding etc) at any London hospital.