Kings or Lewisham birth centre?

[BPrincess]

Just reading the post further down about the Lewisham Birth Centre, which for some reason I'd never heard about. I'm 28 weeks and booked in at Kings, but now starting to wonder. What does everyone think - here are the facts!

I'm 41 and expecting my first
My partner works at Kings
Kings prob a tad nearer than Lewisham but not much in it
Love the sound of peace and quiet, low lighting, music, water birth etc etc
However, like the security of Kings reputation and having the drugs available if needed!

What would you do?

Thanks for any opinions

ps. Considered 'low risk' on paper, and no complications so far, though am a little on the padded side!

Hi. I had my 1st baby at lewisham and my 2nd baby at King's!
The labour ward at Lewisham was fine but the post natal ward was awful.
I had a much better experience at Kings.also DS was in Special Care for a week and I was pleased we were there as they were excellent.(not that lewisham wouldn't be).
To be honest you'll hear scare stories about both.

Also,I had two emergency c sections. If I was guaranteed a straightforward natural delivery I'd go for the Lewisham birth centre as it's very close to me and it is like a 5 star hotel!

I think when you're in the thick of labour you don't really care where you are,it's more the aftercare that seems to cause problems for new mums,and unfortunately most hospitals are understaffed.

Just to add that the lewisham birth centre is in the hospital so if you did need some more pain relief or there were complications you just go up in the lift to the labour ward.

I've written on a few other threads about Lewisham but just to say if you do end up going to the labour ward, I had my son there in November (also first baby at 41) and was pleasantly surprised by the care that I received after reading not such great reviews. I was induced, had an epidural which ended in forceps delivery and my son going to neonatal for 5 days. So I had the "full works" as they say and a total stay of 10 nights in hospital. The staff in ante natal, labour and neonatal were all fantastic. The postnatal ward was busy and not really enough staff at night time but even then my only complaint would be that I had to keep asking for painkillers. Even the food wasn't too bad!

Also just to add that Lewisham post natal ward has some private/individual rooms which I don't believe Kings does.

Hopefully you won't need to know any of that and the Birth Centre will work out for you (I had gestational diabetes and was not allowed in there). Good luck!

Thanks for the responses. If only you could guarantee a straightforward birth...!

I might have a chat with my midwife about it later this week, see what she thinks. Out of interest, does anyone know how much more likely complications are with 'older' first mums? There must be some stats out there.

No idea about higher risks for older mums I'm afraid but someone wiser than me will come along soon.
I have many 'older' friends who've given birth no problems,and I was low risk (opted for home birth)and 30 and ended up with c section.It's true every birth is different. Crystal balls would be useful!

Does your partner get free parking at King's?the parking is a nightmare there isn't it.It was a pain to get to for me but worth it for the care.

Not sure about the stats but no one mentioned my age until 3 days before I gave birth, and then only because I had to see a consultant to discuss my Gestational diabetes/induction. Apart from the GD which was very borderline I had no other problems while pregnant. I think I ended up with the forceps because induction took nearly 3 days and I was exhausted, nothing to do with my age....

To be honest if you have had no problems up until now I would not make yourself anxious by reading up on stats/risks. If we believed all we read about infertility etc etc then we would not be lucky enough to be having babies at 41....

Tell me about it! If you were in labour for a few days and forgot about the car in the car park, you'd probably have to remortgage the house!

No, I don't think he has free parking - think that's only for the very very big cheeses there, sadly.

Been trying unsuccessfully to look up some stats about birth at 40, but you're right - it seems there's very little way of telling how things will go.

Might just have to have a look around both places and see how I feel.

I do fancy a water birth though...

We had two pregnancy emergencies at Kings and ended up with £20+ parking bills both times after I got admitted. Still.. at least you have that option. At my local Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich, you have to somehow predict how long you will be in as it's Pay and Display and you face the joy of clamping/huge fines on top of fretting over your baby. Very clever of them.

My opinion of Kings (delivered DD2 there):

Fetal Medicine - World class, if not THE best in the world. Would not go anywhere else, except the FMC (same doctors, only private!) of course!

Delivery - Pretty good, although a lot depends on the midwife who are a true mixed bunch between utterly amazing and "why are they in this career if they hate mothers so much?"

General antenatal care - average (unless you're high risk then it's often very good)

Postnatal ward - Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, never again. Don't get me started. Admittedly not helped by the type of midwife in the wrong career mentioned above.

Not tried out the Lewisham Birth Centre but like others I've heard good things about it.

If you think your birth will go well with no need to stay in past at most a night (who can predict that with certainty, heh) then Kings would be fine as you'd be mostly avoiding the dire postnatal ward. Except you might as well go to Lewisham then as well and have the birth centre experience!