Private Lansdell Suite or St Thomas' NHS?

[farfallarocks]

Hello!
I have just found out I am pregnant, 5 weeksish and very excited. Local hospital would be St Thomas's which I know has a great reputation. Am unsure what do to though as a couple of my friends have had dire experiences there (one left in triage until she was 10cm, the other ventouse and epi with NO PAIN RELIEF).
My DH is incredibly squemish about hositals althoguh very supportive.

I am not bothered about private rooms and food etc but am worried about all these cuts and what it will do to labour provision. I am a bit terrified of giving birth and considering going private to the Lansdell to get some control back BUT

1. Am concerned that having OB lead birth will lead to more intervention but equally concerned about being denied an epidural on the NHS if they are too busy
2. Have just read that if you have problems before the birth and are admitted its £450 a night! I am worried costs could spiral out of control
3. If there is a problem with the baby does he/she go into special care normally ir is that also private?

Does anyone have experience of the Lansdell and was it worth the money? I have asked them for a brochure as I know you have to book early.

The other option I was consdeirng was an indie midwife to come to hospital with me (I can't have a home birth due to a blood clotting disorder) but DH thinks it will really annoy the hospital staff to do that.

Thanks in advance for all your help :)

Have you considered a private midwife, who could provide all your antenatal care at home, then come in with you to hospital and advocate for/support you? Plus provide postnatal care and support with breastfeeding? Vastly cheaper than a private OB, and IMO well worth the money for the peace of mind it gives you. She would be able to deliver your baby in hospital (well, my IM did, but that was just luck really)

Yarrgh - didn't read whole OP.

Don't worry about hospital staff's attitude - they're generally HUGELY grateful for a spare pair of hands!

Meant to add, my IM midwife and the NHS midwife worked in tandem to help me have a good birth. I don't think this is unusual.

Thanks Spud, that is what I am veering towards.

I suppose I would not want to get their backs up and equally I would need to find an IM that is happy to come to hospital (and for me potentially to have an epidural, I am a wuss!)

Where abouts in the country are you if you don;t mind me asking?

How does it work in terms of scans etc? Are you still entitled to NHS care for that if you are using an IM?

Hiya, I was in a similar dilemma to you when I first found out I was preggers. I'm 40+1 now, and decided not to go private, however I have hired a doula to support / advocate me, and I may fork out the £690 per night for a private room in the Landsdell Suite if an overnight stay is required afterward. (You can still stay in their rooms even if you don't go totally private, provided they are not full up.... )

Main reason is that I understand the consultants are the same whether you go private or NHS, and you still end up giving birth in the same rooms as the NHS patients.

It seems like the main difference between private and NHS is your antenatal care, and the private rooms afterwards. The ratio of midwives to patients is also better in the Landsdell Suite compared to post-natal ward.

I lucked out and got an NHS community midwife who has done all of my antenatal care. She is super sweet, available by text or phone whenever I need her, and when I got a bit anxious about staying in hospital, she took myself and DH on a private tour (since the standard tour only takes you to home from home birthing unit and epidurals are not available there!)

A girl in my NCT class just gave birth privately at St. Thomas' and she said the care was fantastic.

I'll be able to give you my own point of view in about 2-3 weeks time if the NHS was the right decision. Feel free to nudge me - I remember when I was 5 wks and was so agonizing over that decision so completely understand where you are coming from!! :)

PS - We've done a few extra scans privately on top of what we get on the NHS so totally possible.

I had a hugely positive private experience at the Lansdell Suite. For me it was worth it as I needed the extra back-up that the continuity of care by a very experienced OB - who I saw, without fail, at every appointment - gave me (I was not high-risk but had LOTS of niggles - continuous bleeding throughout the pregnancy for one!). My OB was probably less inclined to intervene than anyone I saw on the NHS for my first pregnancy... And post-natally it's a dream. Lots of staff. Your husband can stay. Peace and quiet in your own room.

However, with a straightforward pregnancy, where you could be out within 6 hours I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Depends how easily the money to pay for it would come to you really!

Message me if you want any further details.

I think you can have a midwife-led birth on the Lansdell Suite, that might be a good compromise if you're worried about a consultant-led birth being over 'medicalised'?

The baby would be an NHS patient for purposes of special care if needed. Unless you go somewhere like the Portland which is a fully private hospital!

Ephiny unfortunately they don't do midwife led care at Landsdell anymore.. :(

Really? That's a shame. There seems to have been a lot of changes there recently.

Yep... I had the same idea as you when I was considering going private... seemed like a good half-way solution. Even though their brochure mentioned it as a possibility they said they had changed it but didn't say why. (I enquired back in Nov/Dec)

Thank you all for your suggestions, it is such a mine field isn't it?

Private midwifery care would have be ideal, what a shame they no longer offer it.

If I could guarantee a bit of continuity of care (like your community midwife Transatlantic) that would put my mind at rest. As it is my first appointment with the nurse to get me in the system at the GP did not fill me confidence.

ZakuroFujiwara - thank you, I will message you!

Good luck Transatlantic, let me know how you get on!

We were literally discussing this topic this morning. We are 18 weeks and unfortunately St Thomas wont take us via referral (wrong post code). So our only option was to choose them as private. Looking at the package they showed £2500 for normal delivery including first night. It did state it doesn't include £5000 for OB but given it did include midwife care, we were hoping we could opt not to have OB. The above would explain the word CARE instead of delivery in what was in the material answering the question i emailed them. We don't want to pay £7500 for one night and the delivery.

Sadly I completely jumped the gun as had an early miscarriage.
Absolutely gutted but hope to back on here soon.

Oh no, really really sorry to hear that farfallarocks :(

Hope you are ok, and fingers crossed we see you on here again soon!!!!

xx

Thanks Transatlantic, and best of luck with your birth.
For what its worth I think I would defo go NHS when it happens again (positive thinking see) as the care at St Thomas' both in a and e and the EPU was incredible.