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Childbirth

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Original poster

Hospital choice- Kingston, Queen Charlottes, W. Middlesex?

34 replies

oremstango · 02/08/2006 13:09

Hello-

Having my first baby and also American so fairly new to NHS system and dealing with its highs and lows. I would LOVE any feedback on the hospital options I have- Kingston, Queen Charlottes, West Middlesex, or Chelsea & Westminster. I'll be living in Kew when the baby comes.

Thank you sooo much for your input!

Jennie

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suejonez · 02/08/2006 13:12

Sorry Jennie can'y advise you on that - but come to our meet-up in Kew on 31 August! Look for thread under meet-ups, or I'll link it later - we even have some tame amercians coming!

rabbitrabbit · 02/08/2006 13:12

Hello, the only input I can give you is that I had my ds in West Middlesex and they'd have to drug me to get me back there!

I've heard very good things about Kingston (also though that it's very very busy) and Queen Charlotte's-which is where we were going to go but as it was our first child we panicked about the distance from where we live in Teddington.

Good luck, hope someone comes on with better feedback for you!

Tutter · 02/08/2006 13:14

hi i'm in kew too and had ds (14mo) in the midwife led unit at kingston. they
were fabulous. can't rate it highly enough.

have alos heard great things about queen charlottes.

Tutter · 02/08/2006 13:14

ps yes you do have to get booked into kingston early (i did at 3.5 weeks )

magnolia1 · 02/08/2006 13:15

I haven't had a baby in any of those but going on friends experiences etc... I would opt for Queen Charlottes and avoid Kingston.

Tutter · 02/08/2006 13:16

ps all my nct group and friends had positive experiences of kingston so i know i'm not alone!

MrsJohnCusack · 02/08/2006 13:20

ah - the same choice as I had! (except for Chelsea & West)

Originally I wanted to go to Queen Charlotte's as I have had a lot of gynae things done there, but they rejected me as being out of the area (am in Whitton/Twickenham) - could have appealed but then decided it was too far anyway. I ended up having DD at West Mid and it was OK, antenatal treatment good, birth - well not brilliant in that I was induced and they forgot about me as they assumed I couldn't possibly be as far on as I was a few hours later - but good midwives for the actual birth. Postnatal ward - a living hell! (however I believe that this is quite common). They do have private amenity rooms that you can pay for but it was jampacked with c-sections when I was in and there were none to be had. Nice new buildings and maternity wing (opened half way through my first pregnancy) as well, plus breastfeeding support group that you can go back to.

Some of my NCT group friends went to Kingston and it sounded as though the postnatal ward was a little better there. I'm sure someone can tell you more about the whole experience there though (and am sure there is stuff in the archives if you search).

Queen Cs is much bigger and also a referral hospital for women with 'difficult' pregnancies, it is renowned as a major centre for childbirth and also for having more medical intervention/C-sections than average - I think a lot of this is due to the fact it's a referral hospital though. When I go there for my appointments I sometimes have to go through the antenatal/scanning bits and it's always crammed - it's v.popular.

erm - if there's anything else specific you want to know, ask and I might know. when is the baby due? And by the way there are quite a few mnetters from Kew/Richmond etc who meet up if you're in need of meeting some people (including some other Americans I think)

MrsJohnCusack · 02/08/2006 13:20

oh look I spent so long typing everyone else got there!

Tutter · 02/08/2006 13:26

mrsjc

oh, about postnatal care - if you have your baby in the midwife-led unit at kingston you get your own room. not guaranteed, but i did, as did all my friends.

MrsJohnCusack · 02/08/2006 13:30

oh bummer!
wish I was going there this time. Goodness knows where this baby is going to born - still to work out what happens in New Zealand....however from what a read having your own room afterwards seems the norm - HUGE sigh of relief!

MrsJohnCusack · 02/08/2006 13:30

what I've read
one day I will learn to either type sense or preview

lazycow · 02/08/2006 14:06

I had ds in Kingston hospital and was in 5 days post labour. The post-labour ward was very good - own room with bathroom, own phone, T~V etc - all on the NHS. You may not actually get one of these rooms though if you aren't in for long or they are very busy.

They are incredibly busy but I felt they di d a good job though I have noting to compare. My doula however who has done many labours (mostly at St Georges) said she much preferred Kingston and found the midwives much better (kinder/listened more etc) there. I did find all the midwives very nice.

saadia · 02/08/2006 14:15

Friend had twins at Queen Charlottes and said it was brilliant and was v impressed with the staff.

Carameli · 02/08/2006 15:02

oremstango, I had my dd in Kingston(Oct 2003) and thought they were great. Although they were very busy and we had a little wait for a delivery room. But the after care was wonderful from my experience, the nurses and midwives really looked after me and gave me tips and help with bf dd.
Due to go back there in Dec, but also due to move so might be somewhere else, but would have no hestitation going there.

wheelybug · 02/08/2006 15:15

Had dd at kingston 18 months ago. Can't praise it highly enough - I had a high risk labour and difficult pregnancy so saw a lot of the antenatal department and numerous scans. Throughout everyone had so much time for us and once I had dd we had visits (in the ward) from all sorts who had been instrumental in my pregnancy and labour. I was induced for 3 days and finally ended with an emergency c-s and then 4 nights on the postnatal ward. DD even had a brief stint on SCBU so I think we tried just about every part of the maternity ward . I think you are ALMOST guaranteed a private postnatal room although I think there are 1 or 2 2 bedded rooms.

I lost an early pregnancy last week so experienced EPU at Kingston and again, I have nothing but praise for them.

We are hoping to move shortly and I have stated hospital catchment area as my main criteria - assuming I am fortunate enough to get pg again its where I'd want to be.

Gosh - did that beat MrsJC's post ?

Uwila · 02/08/2006 15:27

Oh, hello! I'm American too. The NHs will be a shock... although they do do childbirth pretty well. I had DS (my secnd child) at Queen Charlotte May 2005. They are lovely. C & W are meant to be good too. West Mid and Kingston are not bad -- but they don't get the same praises. This is going to be a minefield, but do you have an idea of what kind of birth you want (all natural? In a pool? Homebirth? Or a planned section?). If you know what you want you might seek out the hospital that is most likely to accommodate your wishes. For example, if you really want a natural birth find someone with a high midwife to patient ratio and birthcentre. QC does have a birth centre but I personally chose it in the reputation of the doctors as I knew I wanted a planned section. My first child was an emergency section.

Are you in the UK now? There is a meet-up in Kew on 31st August. You are more than welcome to come along if you like.

Uwila · 02/08/2006 15:32

Oh, right. I see I am the third attempt to recruit you to the meet-up. Don't you feel loved?

Tutter · 02/08/2006 16:52

wheelybug - so sorry for your loss. i posted on your thread i think - didn't realise we were near each other. kingston saw me through 3 losses - 2 mcs and 1 ep and they were great then too.

wheelybug · 02/08/2006 16:57

Thanks Tutter (for this and help on my other thread !). Funnily enough MrsJC posted on that thread too ....

I am in New Malden so the other side of Kingston but not far at all (esp. when the park is open !).

MrsJohnCusack · 02/08/2006 17:00

wheelybug I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you , but glad that Kingston were good to you.

suejonez · 02/08/2006 17:04

Wheelybug (HIJACK ALERT), do you go to any meet ups in thearea? I have a friend who will be adopting in Sept/Oct who lives in the Worcester Park side of New Malden, I was wondering whether to suggest to her that she meets some other mums through here. She (like me) will be an older mum in her early 40's.

wheelybug · 02/08/2006 17:06

thanks MrsJC.... if only I'd known you were all local you could have come and looked after me

Sorry Oremstango - didn't mean to hijack your thread with my tales of woe ..... hijack over

wheelybug · 02/08/2006 17:10

apologies again oremstango but I didn't start this one this time

Suejonez - I haven't been to any of the meet ups, I was due to then they kept getting cancelled, then I bowed out of mumsnet for a while but got sucked back in when I found out I was pg,then found it invaluable when it all went wrong. I think the meet ups haven't worked out too well (as in being cancelled rather than people not liking each other !!). She should give a shout when she is ready to meet up or if she wants info on local things to do -I am early 30's but not age-ist

suejonez · 02/08/2006 17:13

Thanks Wheely

Original poster
oremstango · 02/08/2006 21:48

WOW!! You ladies are fabulous and yes I do feel like I have a great support network already. Tremendous thanks to you all. I'd love to join the Aug 31 meet up if timing allows and not sure how to get more details as I'm new to the site and can't find anything quite yet. Thank you!!!

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