C-section at the Portland?

[StrangeGlitter]

Hi,

I'm considering having a c-section done privately at the Portland in London.

My last birth was a devastating experience, an emergency c-section at 27+4 at UCLH followed by an immediate transfer to the Whittington because there were no free incubators; our twins died in infancy after a series of medical errors.

I am now 29 weeks pregnant and hoping to go full term(ish) and I am desperate to know that there will be people available who I know and can rely on when I go into labour, which was not the case last time.

I'm really keen to hear from anyone who has had a caesarean at the Portland in the last year or two - what was your experience like and who was your obstetrician and were they good or one to avoid?

Many thanks.

I had ELCS at Portland for DS1 - lovely, calm, positive experience. All staff lovely.

DD1 was a little early at 36+5, EMCS at Portland, and covered by medical insurance. Had some breathing difficulties and spent a week in SCUBU there. Again midwives and doctors lovely, helped us breastfeed etc. Never gave her difficult beginning a second thought as everyone kind and supportive.

DS2 booked in for ELCS at Portland but arrived too early for their SCUBU at 30+5. Gave birth at NHS hospital and it was the worst experience of my life. Not only was DS2 very ill with complications but staff were not kind, not supportive and lacked compassion.

After what happened with your twins, if you can do anything to make your birth calm, controlled and supported, I would do it.

Sorry to hear about what happened with your twins.

One other thought - if you want to go to the private wing of one of the NHS London hospitals you should try and book in soon. They seem to get full up early.

Really sorry to hear about what happened to your twins. It must have been devastating for you. I can highly recommend the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. I have had both my dc's by ELCS there. You get the private experience with the reassurance of the NHS NICU facilities just across the road. Both Princes William and Harry were born at the Lindo Wing!

A bit of feedback on Jonathan Brooks in case anyone else reads this thread - I would not recommend using him if you have anything other than a straightforward pregnancy.

I wanted an appointment to get a fetal fibronectin test, a cervix length measurement, a letter to my insurance company and a full scan with report. I phoned in advance to check this was okay, explaining at length that I have a high risk pregnancy and didn't want the stress and expense of going in for an appointment unless I could achieve these objectives, as fetal fibronectin and cervix length are a bit specialist.

What I got was a £600 bill and none of the things I was after - he had obviously never done a fetal fibronectin, had to phone several labs to see if they could run it (they couldn't), and wrongly measured my cervix (the results were far different to those I have been getting from specialists at UCH and he did not know about the techniques you are supposed to use). He also ignored my repeated request for a letter for my insurer and instead dictated a vague and unsuitable letter to my GP, which he said I could use but which my insurance company rejected.

I subsequently got some advice from a very senior London medical professional who recommended using this team, in particular Patrick O'Brien, so that's what I intend to do:

www.hscfw.co.uk/our-team.php

So thanks for the feedback and no offence to the ladies who recommended Jonathan Brooks, but I thought I better post this info for anyone else doing research.

Strange, so sorry to hear about your experiences, my hear goes out to you.

I am a private patient at Kensington Wing. I live very close to both UCH and the Portland, but opted to be in an NHS hospital, just in case. But I am sure it does not make a huge difference.

And I am not really telling anyone! As you say, people judge. I don't even know why, but like someone says, I think it's jealousy.

City, I am also with Keith Duncan, what do you think of him?

Just had DS at Portland 5 days ago by ELCS.

Used Donald Gibb at Birth Company. Excellent!!! Had fantastic ante natal care from him and a wonderful delivery and after care.

My first DD was at UCH. A complete car crash of a birth. Days of established labour and a dodgy EMCS. Whilst we got out alive we were lucky to do so.

I did my research and chose my consultant on the basis of what I felt I needed for good ante natal care and a good birth. I had hopes of VBAC but another large baby meant ELCS was safer. However I had the option to wait as long as poss before going for the ELCS. At 4 days before ELCS Dr Gibb informed me that DS would be over 9 lbs and ELCS would be safer. So went for the ELCS.

It was all done very calmly. Surgery went well. Saw DS being lifted out head then body. Had skin to skin in theatre. BF now well established and milk came on day 3.

No hesitation recommending Dr Gibb or Portland. Care was exceptional. Dr Gibb is very experienced thoroughly professional as well as kind and understanding.

Portland does have NICU and SCBU but only if you have circa £5k per day or insurance.

Cost is the only downside of private. We were self funding and despite being insured we will only get £600 towards the ELCS and the cost of one night in hospital. And I think the final bill will be close to £18k.

Good luck finding care which suits you.

sk congrats on the birth of your ds! Do you mind me asking how much he ended up weighing?

He was 9lbs 8oz and 58cm long. His weight was within 1oz of consultants ultra sound prediction So bigger than DD who was 9lbs 4oz.

My ELCS was done at 39 + 3. Safety issue on size was the extra pressure a 9lbs + baby can put on previous scar from EMCS which was less than 2 years ago.

It was a very good experience and very healing given my first birth although very expensive.

I think it's worth booking a one off appointment with a consultant to see if you like them. It would be a shame to book and find you have a personality clash. And everyone is likely to want and expect something slightly different from their consultant.

Hi! Congrats on the pregnancy, hope all goes smoothly.

I had an elective CS at the Portland a few weeks ago and found it absolutely faultless. My baby had to be delivered four weeks early due to growth issues.

My Obstetrician is William Dennes and he provides an excellent level of care throughtout - antenatally and postnatally and during the section itself of course.

He practices at Kings College London in the NHS also and he did mention if we needed special care this is charged at around £1000 per day at the Portland whereas at Kings this would be free of charge under the NHS, if required and he could deliver there for private patients.

You can find his profile under '92 Harley Street' . He has a special interest in multiple pregnancies and high-risk obstetric cases. I felt 100% confident in his ability and judgement to deliver my baby four weeks early.

Good luck!

Sorry to hear about your loss

I will be blunt- stay in the NHS- best doctors, best SCBU, best staff and best resoucres- especially in an emergency

Throwing money at it won't help- you might get better food & nice curtains but so what..safety is what matters

I don't tink dayinthesu it is just about money - certainly for myself it was about having certainty of 1 to 1 care (did you see Panorama). Too many of my friends had experienced pretty bad experiences on the NHS - one really badly. That is what I paid for. It was adding a degree of control for me into the situation.

sorry should have said "think"

Sorry Day totally dsagree with you saying the NHS have the best doctors. You have to be extremely lucky to see a consultant. Seeing that ignorant pig of a doctor on panorama who could not even remember whether a baby he had just delivered was a boy made me very glad I have never gone NHS to have my babies.

I agree with ajmama. Whether it is right or not, you get what you pay for with maternity care as with every other service.

Curleyems, do you really give a stuff what anyone else thinks?! Good luck!

Skandi1 huge congratulations!

BagofHolly,

Thank you!! And thanks for your recommendation on Portland. It was such a lovely place to give birth. What a difference from my first experience.

It was expensive but well worth every penny and helped me come to terms with my first birth.

And now 3 weeks after my C section, I am fully mobile and looking after my new DS and my 2 year old DD without any problems or help. I feel well and have no pain or issues. Looks like I have healed well.

I'm so pleased it went well! Again, huge congratulations!

Unfortunately like most of the responses in this conversation many are making the assumption that the NHS made a mistake and that paying will prevent this...

Unless you are medically qualified to comment and have the facts of this particular case I don't think it is helpful to start suggesting paying will be of any benefit- it is like you are discussing a hairdresser

the puropse of these notice boards is to give your opinion and useful advice to others, not just echo what others have said to justify your own decisions-uncomfortable as that may be for some. My advice is to stay in the NHS

I won't add my own experiences to this- as it will retract from my point- but be clear i have not had any stratightforward births- I am a mother of four

Good luck

"Unfortunately like most of the responses in this conversation many are making the assumption that the NHS made a mistake and that paying will prevent this..."

It's not an assumption. It's in the OP.

"Unless you are medically qualified to comment and have the facts of this particular case I don't think it is helpful to start suggesting paying will be of any benefit- it is like you are discussing a hairdresser"

No, with your patronising and rude comments, it's like YOU are discussing a hairdresser. The comments made have been in relation to the services provided private healthcare, not in relation to medical need.

It's not a "notice board", it's a discussion forum and no one is attempting to justify their own positions - why should they? And those of us who chose to deliver privately are perhaps better qualified to make a comment about the experience than those who haven't.

Feel free to share your birth experiences if you feel someone in the same position as the OP might benefit. Repeating "stay with the NHS" doesn't really tell anyone anything.

To add to this - I chose to go private because of some bad experiences of friends when they used the NHS for delivery. Unfortunately - I felt as if I had to pay to guarantee 1 to 1 care and a consultant available if things started to go wrong. That is not to say it is not available on the NHS - rather it is more of a lottery as to whether it is available. I really wish this were not the case.