Lindo or Portland? Anyone have and opinion?

[p555nat]

I recently went for a tour at the Lindo Wing of St Marys and was a little dissapointed for £3500!! I am now thinking of changing to The Portland, has anyone else looked into both? Any other opinions? Also is the Portland more expensive?

MizZan, that is a horrendous story, so frightening. What a relief that your baby got over the MRSA and is now healthy.

Mozhe, out of interest, as you have 5 children and your last birth was to twins, can I ask you how many weeks gestation you were when you had your CS and also, did you have a CVS for that pregnancy and if so, where. TIA

ooh yes

exsanguinate

Will use that in future when describing dd's birth

Agree with CD about the probs with private.

That said I went to Portland for my first; Lindo for my second. I was naive, and i didn't quite understand about the lack of back-up at Portland. I'm American, so a hospital is a hospital. . .we don't really have "maternity hospitals" there, so I assumed there would be back-up. Luckily I had a simple birth, and found the accommodations comfortable, if a bit luxurious for my personality.

I was a bit wiser the second time, and opted for the Lindo from the point of view of back-up. Again, I'd a straightforward birth except for a little postpartum hemorrhage. So, given the hemorrhage, I was glad to be in Lindo wingclose to the NHS sectionthough I never needed any serious intervention.

As for John & Lizzie's. . .My friend exsanguinated thereliterally almost diedand THEN had a botched operation to correct adhesions (almost died of infection that didn't respond to antibiotics). So in short she almost died twice at John & Lizzie's. But that case wasn't publicized because she didn't die. So I dislike any hospital without back-up, even John & Lizzie's

And frankly that's also the reaoni.e. no back-upthat I wouldn't want to give birth at home.

So it's true that Lindo is a little less impressive, but the care is very good, and there's the back-up afforded by St Mary's. . .so if I gave birth again and decided to go private, I'd opt for the Lindo wing. Good luck.

chickpea, I was 35 weeks with twins.....no I didn't have CVS, my choice.
Spockster I take all those points,but mostly things go well, and even when not so well they can be managed at the Portland. Let's not put the wind up the non-med mums...

actually I did bleed very heavily, (umbilical chord went back in - which I think now, was the fault of one of the midwifes according to my GP

I bled enough to need another night in the portland and hourly checks - BUT the RMO was in the room when it happened within 30 seconds, sorting it out, avoiding my needing a transfusion and then sewing up all the loose ends, as it were(very neatly I might add).

Things DO go wrong occasionally and for that reason I wouldn't go to any hospital that couldn't deal with life threatening emergency for either mum or baby - or for a home birth if you live far from a hospital.

An old school friend of mine worked at a small cottage hospital and was allowed to have 2nd baby there as her 1st had been normal delivery without complications.

Following the birth of her 2nd she bled drastically. She was given drugs to clot the blood which led to a clot on her brain. She was rushed by ambulance to intensive care - at 100mph with roads closed.

Sadly she died. I have often wondered whether things would have been different if she had been at the larger hospital in the first place.

Maternal death is rare - VERY rare when it's a 2nd apparently uncomplicated birth, but why take chances?

Mozhe, since birth of dd2, it's not getting the wind UP that's my problem... Ha ha ha...is there a thread on "vaginal flatus" (as my GP so eloquently put it)?... I/m just off to check...

I couldn't agree more; just because the pregnancy has been straighforward, it does NOT mean the birth necessarily will be. Have medical back up at all times!

There isn't.

I am a mum of four, a doctor and qualified in law. I had all mine in the imperfect NHS, the ward wasnt that clean but the care from the mws and drs was excellent.
to me the most important decisions were was I under a consultant who believed in being on labour ward and not leaving problems to his junior staff, was there a good ITU if I needed it and was there good neonatal intensive care facilities, not SCBU which can mean very little if your baby is critically ill. The problem with childbirth is things do go wrong unpredictically and when they do its often life and death and you and baby need the best possible medical care immeadiately.
I found this thread difficult as it seemed to me that the mnetter who started it didnt actually want opnions, rather validation of choices she has already made. Personally if I was going ot spend a lot of money I would spend it on help after the birth which would have made a much bigger difference for me than nicer surroundings when I was in hospital.

RozyL, I love you, the voice of common sense. (Sadly, by now, most of those who have gone before have probably moved on to other things, such as searching the web for articles on vaginal flatus. Hey ho).
Now we've solved that one, shall we move on to world peace and third world debt?

dual hospital consultant couple with five children - possibly planning a 6th! and able to afford private maternity care! do you think they really exist spockster?
dont think a third world debt debate on mn would get so heated though.....
after all it dosnt offer the same opportunities to complain about all the NHS midwives and obstetricians as of course none of us ever do our utmost best to provide high standards of care despite funding /staffing issues etc

Don't be too envious rosylizzie.....it was expensive,( but worth it ), and we do have other income apart from our nhs salaries. We are lucky, but my point was that, although things can and do go wrong,at the Prtland as elsewhere, there is excellent care going on too....And hey, what's wrong with a bit of pampering too ?

Following my friend's death you wouldn't have got me anywhere other than my excellent local birthing unit - sadly now closed as a result of financial incompetence by the local nhs trust.

Something i did feel the need to complain about when i was there, though...

My bed was at the end of the ward, next to the bin. People were using it for, amongst other things, soiled maternity pads. The lid was a 'flip top' type and was regularly smeared with blood. No particular problem so far...

...When the cleaner came round she wiped the bin lin clean and then used the same cloth to wipe the tables. YUK!

Rosylizzie, or anyone similarly qualified, can you give any tips to NHS expectant Mums how to work the system?

I'm feeling very much alone in the the public system. When asked what consultant I wanted to choose, having no idea, I just said a woman. I was therefore a bit surprised when the doctor I saw in place of the consultant turned out to be a man (and not a particularly good example of one)... I don't have a named midwife and, after dissolving in tears at my GP ante-natal appointment, she telephoned the hosp. midwives (a number I've never managed to get through to), and they said they would telephone me. (No phone call yet - what a surprise?)

I had a wonderful obstetrician for my last birth in NZ - but I paid for him so he was guaranteed there for the birth. Having someone there who was very experienced, working for me and had authority in the hospital system made me feel very safe. Is there any way you can pay to have an obstetrician attend your birth in a NHS hospital. Or, more generally, avoid being left in a room with no one to check on you or have juniors practice on you without supervision?

Poppynic, this is really where the Lindo Wing stands out. You get consultant obstetrician care throughout your pregnancy and during the birth, and you are on the site of a NHS hospital, although in a different wing. I highly recommend it.

sorry have not read all the posts, have you though about having an independent midwife to be with you, rather than the actual hospital you are in. I would be more focused on having a good midwife (expert in natural birth) than a consultant obstetrician (expert in birth with problems).

The Lindo wing sounds lovely but, although not poor neither are we rich, and, still translating my kiwi $ into pounds at 3 to 1, it just seems prohibitively expensive to me.

Message to spudballoo

In case you are still watching this thread - I have also been left with a temporary colostomy after a difficult birth - thought I was on my own until I read your story - would love to speak more and share experiences. I have left a few messages on various threads hoping you would pick them up. I am not a bunny boiling stalker or anything - honest!! If anyone else reading this thread is on any current threads with spud - could you pass the message on. Ta.

Poppynic, it is expensive. We thought long and hard about it too. I think Toady's suggestion might be a good one for you - an independent midwife can advise and fight your corner if need be. That's certainly what I'd do.

If

If I had the money I would go to Portland and ask for Donald Gib as consultant but I don't have the money so I won't have a second one as my first one and myself nearly died due to carelessness, neglicence, dirtyness, miscommunication, shortstaffing in major nhs hospital

I had DS at the Lindo Wing - because the consultant I chose delivers there - I think the OP needs to decide what sort of birth she wants - ie consultant-led, midwife, natural, epidural and therefore possible high risk of intervention etc - once that decision is made, then find a dr with whom you are completely happy and feel completely safe with and then go where he/she goes. Forget curtains etc ( did anybody really want to drink champagne after giving birth?)
IT was crucial for me to have a dr in whom I had absolute faith as I have never felt so vulnerable as when I was giving birth.

Indi28...I'm here!! I'm sorry I've missed all your posts for me, please do email me - I sort of jump in and out of MN but can't seem to stay away from this thread.

Very very happy to chat. You're not alone, alas xxx

Ah, I've CATed you, realised you couldn't CAT me...sorry to derail thread. x

Dear all,

We are new to (central) London and will have our first baby here. We are lucky that we can choose a privite hospital but don't know which one.
We heard 3 good hospitals:

-1- Portland
-2- St. John & St. Elizabeth and
-3- Guy's and ST Thomas

Could somebody please advise.

Many thanks.
R&M