Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Choosing hospitals: Whipps Cross v King George

11 replies

pttt · 21/11/2006 19:54

Does anyone have any wisdom on the pros and cons of Whipps Cross and King George Hospital in East London?
I'm having trouble choosing between them. Apparently King George is more modern and they offer a nuchal scan (plus fewer horror stories!) and Whipps doesn't....but Whipps has a lower intervention rate.......any advice/experiences very welcome!! thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PeppaPigsMum · 21/11/2006 23:14

hi there. just a quickly reply to say i had my dd at Whipps in 2004 and i had a very good birth experience there. the midwife listened to what i wanted and was a great help the whole way through. saying this, i had a very quick birth - just 4 hours from first pain to having my daughter in my arms - with no problems. i have no idea what would have happened if things hadn't gone to plan.

Whipp's didn't do a 12 week scan at all when i was under their care, so we paid for a private one. i don't know if this has changed now.

i know at least 3 other people who gave birth at Whipp's and no horror stories from any of them - think you'll find people have had bad experiences as well as good at most hospitals though. and people always love to tell you things that have gone wrong when you're pregnant .

Whipps was a bit rough round the edges - put me off a bit when i was looking around - but the care was great for me, and that was the most important thing. i think they've modernised the maternity unit since i was there, so it might look slightly more up to date now? oh, they didn't have birthing pools either, so water birth wasn't on the cards - again i don't know if this is still the case.

the only downside is the nurses on the post-natal ward were obviously overworked, so i was pretty much left to my own devices after the birth. there was no real help with breastfeeding correctly, even though i was told to call a nurse if i needed advice. and i had real trouble getting discharged - no-one had time to do the paperwork to let me home. whilst dd was checked over and given the OK at about 12pm it took a further 7 hours and lost of hasselling to get me discharged. we almost walked out before it was done, and this did spoil my stay a little bit.

personally i'd be happy to have more children at Whipps, but no idea what King George is like, so can't compare the two. hopefully someone else will be able to help you there!

good luck with your choice - am sure it will work out wherever you decide to give birth .

PeppaPigsMum · 21/11/2006 23:15

not really a quick reply was it?

pttt · 22/11/2006 09:29

Thnks so much for your experience Peppapig

OP posts:
Babbit · 22/11/2006 10:14

I have been lurking for a while but saw this and thought I should answer.

I had my dd at Whipps in 2005. I had a very good experience; the staff were wonderful, the hospital is shabby but I found it to be clean. I have heard they have water birth facilities now (and offer a 12 week scan).

I don't have any experience of St. George's.

On the whole I believe if you ahve a positive attitude your experience (medical complications permitting!) will probably be good wherever you decide to go.

Best of luck.

Elizabeth19 · 22/11/2006 15:01

Hi - I haven't had my baby yet (am 39 weeks!) but have had several ante natal appointments at Whipps Cross and know other people who have given birth there. It's true the hospital is a bit shabby round the edges but I've always found it to be clean which is the important thing. The staff are absolutely lovely and really seem to know what they are talking about. I experienced some severe stomach/back pain a couple of weeks ago and was invited to the day assessment unit and given a very thorough checking over. I found the staff's attitude very reassuring and was told not to hesitate to go back if I was worried about anything.

Whipps definitely do a 12 week scan now (we were given the picture for free as we had to wait 15 mins!) There is also a new midwife led unit for low risk births which has birthing pools.

Hope this information helps!

Taffindra · 22/11/2006 15:48

Again, sorry - no info. on King Georges. I've chosed to go to Whipps as its closest and seems to have a quite good reputation, and new-ish maternity facilities. I had my 12 week scan last week which was v.v.quick and they didn't do a nucal check which I think is pretty bad. But otherwise they were helpful and seem pretty efficient.
The website www.drfoster.co.uk is pretty good with hospital stats and info - might help.

kdinas · 22/11/2006 16:28

Hi,
I had my son at King George's on 17th November and was out by the 18th.
I had a vaginal birth after 2 c-sections, and found the midwives and nurses very suppportive.
I didn't have to have continual monitoring and they didn't seem too busy to see to me.
I went in at 4.15, and my son was born at 7.35am after 15 minutes of pushing, and he came out with hand by his head and elbow sticking out.
I spoke to the registrar once at the begginning for around 5 minutes, and chatted to the midwife for about 10 minutes. She was hapy to leave when I told her to, and also shut up when I asked her to.
She was fantastic!
I had ds2 at Whipps, and my experience there was awful!
I found King George's much better.
HTH
Kay.

pttt · 22/11/2006 20:51

thanks so much guys this is soooo helpful x

OP posts:
Kaybee7777 · 27/11/2006 12:18

hi don't know if you are still deciding, but King George doesn't offer water birth apparently, and Whipps Cross has a new birthing centre with two birthing pools....

kdinas · 27/11/2006 15:16

AAh, but midwives at King George more radical than Whipps.
It makes all the difference, especially with vbac.
The midwivesat King George much better at keeping doctors away, if you get the right one.
Also if you show you trust the midwife, and are willing to take their opinion over the doctor. KG is better in my opinion.

Kaybee7777 · 27/11/2006 18:10

it's great to hear someone with a positive experience at KG as I am booked in there, being induced in two days, so thanks kdinas! I have found them ok to deal with, it's just the birthing pool thing that I feeling disappointed about.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page