Anyone had a home birth with Lewisham Hospital?

[philbee]

Hi. I'm 5 weeks pregnant with my second LO. We live very near Lewisham Hospital, but I think I'm also in the catchment area for King's. I'm just undecided about which to go for - I'm interested in a home birth and know the Brierley team at King's is meant to be good. Just wondering if anyone's had a home birth with Lewisham Hospital. I'm concerned about the awful awful things I've heard about the postnatal ward if I do need to go in, but King's is a lot further away. Sorry, garbled. Any advice much appreciated.

Hi. I attempted a hb with my first baby but ended up transferring to lewisham. The labour ward was good but the post natal was crap.
For my 2nd baby I decided to go to King's and they were great,DS was in SCBU for a week and I stayed on post natal for the whole time and they were fantastic. However hade heard people on mumsnet who didn't have a good experience.

How was your first birth?If I were you I'd stick with lewisham and go for a hb as they are very supportive or go for their shiny new birth centre.if all straight forward you would just go home and never see the post natal ward.

I also think as it's your 2nd dc you're much more confident and clued up so you would be fine even if you end upon post natal.

I'm a doula and I supported someone having a homebirth with Lewisham. She had a bi of a fight to get them to promise to send someone out as they were short staffed, but eventually got the Supervisor's mobile number and agreement that she'd come out personally if there were problems.

The midwife who came out was a bit shout-y but she calmed down and it was a lovely hands-off water birth. In fact the birth story is here on my site: hackneydoula.co.uk/?page_id=260

TBH post-natal is a bit rubbish most places and you are statistically not very likely to need to transfer with your second baby.