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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Advice about SW London Hospitals - all opions sought!

26 replies

Bouj · 28/05/2004 16:43

A friend of mine is newly pregnant with her second. We both had our sons at Chelsea & Westminster and found the after care to be appalling, and would avoid going back at all costs. She had an emergency c-section, and would like to avoid another section, but feels due to her previous one she will be talked into it. She is also homesick (from NZ) and is keen to make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable than the first birth. So, what I am after from you all is - any thoughts, opinions, rumours etc on SW London hospitals than I can pass on to my friend to help her choose. Thank you all kindly!

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willow2 · 28/05/2004 16:45

I thought C&W was shite too.

CountessDracula · 28/05/2004 16:46

Yep me too. Not sure any others are much better by the sounds of things.

alicatsg · 28/05/2004 16:48

I was Kingston (a bit further out) which was fine for the actual birth but the antenatal care was god-awful. However, I've heard it depends on which mat ward you get.

St Georges in Tooting isn't luxurious at all but the staff there are really good - and its a paeds centre of excellence.

CountessDracula · 28/05/2004 16:49

Queen Charlotte's is supposed to be good though have heard horror stories too.... And is virtually Wormwood Scrubs which is not great!

sooz31 · 28/05/2004 16:57

Can ditto what alicatsg posts about St. George's. I had DS there and in the main, they were very good, but the place is a bit tired and run down; I had to have an EC like your friend, so can't offer much comfort in the 'normal delivery' department.

We've moved house since and I'm PG again - now using Kingston - hope I am lucky with the ward and that I wont need another EC!

pamina3 · 28/05/2004 17:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ks · 28/05/2004 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

noddy5 · 28/05/2004 17:05

I had ds at St Helier it is hold but care was good

foxinsocks · 28/05/2004 17:26

well, I had my first at C&W. Found the after care appalling, I won't go into it in detail.

Had my second at Queen Charlottes. After care fantastic - complete difference to C&W. HOWEVER, the ante-care is another story. I had to wait a long time for each antenatal appointment and it was all a bit of a hassle but I can't highly enough recommend the birth experience (nice new hospital as well!). So if you go for QC, make sure you book your appointments for first thing in the morning, then you don't have to wait as long as you do in the afternoon.

serenequeen · 28/05/2004 17:31

the labour ward at St Thomas's has had a complete revamp in the last 2/3 years and is supposed to be fantastic but one thing about all central london hospitals is that they are short of midwives and it is the availability, skill, knowledge, motivation of the midwives which will probably contribute most to making it a good experience.

i would advise your friend to do some research into vbacs to avoid "getting talked into" another c-section against her better judgement and if she decides to pursue this option a homebirth could be an option for her.

Decmum · 28/05/2004 17:36

I had my baby at St Georges and had a mixed experience on the night of the birth...ended up with a great midwife. After the birth (it was 8pm) no one wanted to know....night staff very rude and almost angry with all the mothers, patronising and even in my incapacitated state I found the strength to complain when all the cheerful daytime staff came in. Even in the daytime we all had to queue in the heat for our lunch and the girl in front of me was told off for taking a piece of fruit and desert! Victorian is all I can say.
My other parentclass friends all chose Kingston and everyone said it was great.

Think in general the actual midwives are great and the emergency care unit at St Georges is meant to be fantastic...best expertise in London and staff really supportive but most babies in SW London needing special care end up there anyway.

If all is straightforward I'd plump for Kingston if I did it again.

Sorry...bit of a long reply.

Original poster

Bouj · 28/05/2004 20:02

thanks for all your replies (don't apologise DecMum!!) I will let her know what you all think. I am so pleased you've all responded (may get all gushy about MN!) When my friend first voiced her concerns I knew exactly who I'd ask!! Ok, enough soppy-ness - Pamina that sounds great. Did you get my message?

OP posts:

twiglett · 28/05/2004 20:08

message withdrawn

SofiaAmes · 29/05/2004 02:27

I had the birth from hell ending in emergency cs first time around at St.Mary's in paddington. I had a wonderful VBAC on the active birth floor at Queen Charlotte's with my second. Care during pregnancy was terrible with lots of insisting on another cs, until I marched up to the active birth floor and insisted on seeing a midwife. I was put in touch with the head midwife, Debi Gould who oversaw my pregnancy and birth personally. I had all the rest of my appointments before and after with her or her staff. She even came in from her house which is several hours away to deliver my dd. She was wonderful and is a bit of a VBAC guru. I highly recommend going directly to her.

Aero · 31/05/2004 20:06

Had ds1 at St Thomas's. Had a fantastic midwife for delivery. Also had epidural and the anaesthetist was also lovely and got it just right. Having said that, the aftercare was rubbish - I'd go as far to say as nearly non-existent, so I left as soon afterwards as I could. Midwives were thin on the ground for aftercare then (6 yrs ago). Might be better now though.

fisil · 31/05/2004 20:30

Had ds at Kingston - and as pamina said, had to put name down before 6 weeks pg as I am out of area! But it was worth it - wonderful birth (well, you know what I mean, in the circumstances). Felt a bit neglected once we'd left the delivery suite - but then we had no real needs for support. And they certainly took notice of us when we got bored after a few hours so got ds in his car seat and attempted to walk out - suddenly the midwives found the time to do the paperwork and discharge us!

Will definitely have my next there too.

dinny · 31/05/2004 21:02

Had dd at St George's. Antenatal care good. Straightforward delivery - but I encountered very uncaring midwives at the hospital (not the community ones). Postnatal wards awful - night and weekend staff not great. Think it's a great hospital in terms of paediatric care though. And they are currently refurbushing the labour/postnatal wards.
Good luck.

hatter · 04/06/2004 23:57

I think it's very difficult to make any judgements as people have very different experiences. Everyone else seems to think Kingston's great but afraid I have to differ. I had an awful time there and so did a friend of mine. I was left alone for hours in early labour (and I really do mean alone: they sent dh home). I was allowed to fall asleep in a bath (on tamazepam) with the taps running which was pretty scarey and no-one even asked me if a had a birth plan. Everything escalted and it was horrid. Post-natal care was fab - largely down to one wonderful midwife though. My friend was left on an open ward and ignored for several hours and when someone finally examined her they realised she was 8 or 9 cm and should have been in a delivery room...

pupuce · 07/06/2004 18:23

Bouj.... with the new NICE guidleines they should not encourage her AT ALL to have another section but should help her to have a VBAC.

BlossomHill · 07/06/2004 18:32

I had both of mine at St Helier. The Hospital itself isn't very nice to look at but I thought the care was pretty good. Although I must admit the care I received second time round was better than the first.

monkeygirl · 07/06/2004 18:53

Agree that Queen Charlotte's are generally great (so far!). Nice new clean looking and feeling hospital (doesn't have that depressing 'hospital' smell like others either), lovely birth centre and general confidence in level of expertise available. However agree that ante-natal care is somewhat slow. Don't know if you are in the right area but you can try and get on the 1-2-1 scheme so that mws come to your house for nearly all appointments. But beware - first time round my mws were lovely but this time there is a, shall we say, personality clash...

Original poster

Bouj · 07/06/2004 19:19

Thanks all, just wanted to say that unfortunately my friend miscarried last weekend. But thank you all so much for your replies - it will definitely help her in the future, and I am sure many others who face this choice! Thanks all again.

OP posts:

fisil · 07/06/2004 19:22

Oh Bouj, I'm sorry.

Original poster

Bouj · 07/06/2004 20:45

Thanks Fisil, she's doing ok I think.. She's quite a private person, but had a good sob about it on the phone the other day. I hope this information helps others though, and stops people having the experience both her and I had!

OP posts:

VTora · 10/06/2007 16:40

Natural birth at St Helier Hospital - without c section or forceps etc? Anyone got any stories of their experiences positive or negative? Many thanks in advance. VTora

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