Chelsea and Westminster hospital

[TailFeathers]

I'm due to give birth in C&W in a few months, and I've read some really awful things about their care- but it all seems to be a few years old. Is anyone else going here, or have they gone here, in the last couple of years, and is it really that much worse than anywhere else? We could switch to St George's, I think, but I'm reluctant to do it on the basis of old reviews. The antenatal care is slapdash, but that's not a huge problem compared to during or post natal care...

I had my baby in this hospital in 2011, I was fully induced and the care I received was very good. Not sure about after care as due to a very long traumatic labour we decided to splash out for a private room. We have since moved out of London but if I was still in the area I would def have my second there. Good luck x

I had DC1 there in Sept 2012 and they managed the last 8 hrs of my long labour, and my traumatic delivery absolutely brilliantly. DD went to NICU for a day & they were also fantastic - great communication at all levels.
I was an inpatient with DD for 4 nights on postnatal ward. I know people often find experience of postnatal care negative compared to the one-to-one of birth. Care here was fine - it was busy with fast turnover of admissions/discharges so felt a bit hectic at times. Noisy of course - 4 women and newborns in a bay, I expected that. It helped to be pro-active about asking for what I needed (including pain relief) before I felt desperate. I was pretty anaemic and knackered but felt the support was there if I needed. Loads of breastfeeding support. I work in healthcare so am pretty judgey about quality of care but felt it was fine. Not stellar, but they were stretched as much of the NHS is. I felt safe and felt I could ask for what I needed. I guess that working in healthcare perhaps made me more confident in that respect so perhaps someone naturally more anxious might struggle with that. Having next baby there in June and have no concerns. Have had some consultant input with this pregnancy and he has been tremendous.

I gave birth at C&W in 2012. You need to be vocal with the staff and you'll be fine. Just say what you're feeling or what you want and ask, ask ask if you're not sure. My baby was early and the care they got was wonderful, the communication with me wasn't always but I'd rather they looked after the baby.

I had dd there 9 months ago and I couldn't fault the care

There is information and stats available online, this is how we picked the hospital. There was little between it and St George's, C&W slightly better

"There was little between it and St George's, C&W slightly better"

Not quite sure which stats you're looking at, but at C&W fewer than half of all women give birth without either surgery or instruments (forceps or ventouse). C-sections are 35% of all births. Forceps and ventouse are another 19%. That means (according to my maths) that means about 30% of all vaginal births involve instruments. Given that the rate of assisted delivery for first time mums is about six times that of mothers having their second or subsequent baby, I suspect that makes for an assisted delivery of at least half of all first time mums. And an emergency c/section rate of probably about 1 in 4. What that means for you is that if you book at C&W you are overwhelmingly likely to have a birth involving instruments or emergency surgery.

Would you like to have the best chance of a normal birth? If that's your priority then C&W doesn't offer very good odds.

St Georges has a higher normal birth rate despite the fact that they are catering for the same demographic.

Gave birth in 2012. Fab birth. And post natal wasn't all that hideous. Went back last week for a booking in appointment for DC2. Fab again, you never have to wait for appointments and lovely staff. Sadly at the 12 week scan a MMC was detected and I have since had to deal with the EPAU for an ERPC. But once again fab care and lovely staff. If/when I get pregnant again I will be heading straight back to C&W.

Had ds there in June 2013. I saw in the birthing unit and had a water birth. They've since opened their new mwl unit which looks great.

Care during labour and birth was great. I was at the end of the Olympic baby boom so it was really busy. They moved the antenatal women elsewhere and used that ward as postnatal overflow! The care was very good but it took a while to get their attention sometimes and dh had to be quite proactive on my behalf. I would happily go back there if I were having another.

I'm not sure the demographics between them are the same. C&W covers a predominantly wealthy area, and has a high proportion of older mothers, for whom you would expect a higher rate of assistance. St George's catchment will likely cover a younger population. I know C&W justify their rates of assistance by pointing to their extremely good safety stats, which are among the highest in the country. I guess it depends on the OP's personal priorities.
C&W may well be very open to a hands off approach, for those who want it.

OP, would it be possible to have a tour of both, and see how you feel afterwards?

My DNs were all born at C&W recently and the care was brilliant, even tho my poor SIL had something of a battle in labour with all 3. Another mate was desperately ill there - haemorrhaged so badly she was still bright green 3 days later - they saved her life with zero fuss, and set her up in her own suite with a breastfeeding nurse on hand to help for a week. C&W were pretty faultless.

As for trouble-free deliveries, C&W is fast, efficient and they let you do your own thing. My mate with 4 very young DCs rates C&W way higher than Queen Charlotte's.

Both hospitals have a high caseload of women with complex pregnancies.

I have delivered at both C&W and St George's. Both instrumental births. Care during labour was excellent at both. Postnatal care at both, pretty horrendous.

Very slight preference for c&w as better food outlets outside for dh to buy instead of suffering hospital food!

No experience of being patient at C & W, but worked at KCC college for a while - the Access to HE Midwifery and Nursing students who were on placement at C & W were committed, well-trained, mature and hard-working individuals who really cared about supporting their patients & their future career (certainly in my experience anyway). They often spoke highly of their experiences on placement and the commitment of the staff there. I think of those students often & am proud I worked with them as a fellow professional.