Queen Charlottes, Central Middlesex or Ealing hospital?

[Poppy66]

I am 39 (nearly 40!) and a few weeks pregnant with my first. My doctor is pressing me to make a decision on which hospital I would like to have the baby at, I cannot get onto any of the tours before I have to make the decision and would be really grateful if anyone has any personal experiences to share? Ealing is the closest and easiest to get to!

Sorry, but I really wouldn't recommend Ealing. Had both my girls there and wished I'd travelled the extra distance to Queen Charlotte's!

Always hear good reports about Queen Charlottes and bad ones from Ealing, so I would go Queen Charlottes if I could chose again. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Is West middlesex too far?
I hear very good things about it being very midwife led.
Queen Charlottes is very well resourced and good for high risk pregnancies (because you are.. ahem.. old (!) they will treat you with caution... ) they do have high intervention rates.. but as one midwife said to me.. "any hospital with lots of gadgets and gizmo's will want to use them."
Often the way the birth goes depends on the day/time/midwife team and how busy they are...
remember too.. you can change your hospital (they won't like you too but it can always be done)

Poppy66, I had my 2nd at 39 at Queen Charlottes on the natural birth floor and I would highly recommend it. Try to get into the one to one program, or at least to see the midwives on the natural birth floor directly. They are really wonderful.

By the way, you can always change hospitals if you change your mind. I have found that a pregnant woman who refuses to do something is a powerful persuader. Halfway through my 2nd pregnancy I refused to do shared care with my gp and the hospital (I only wanted to do hospital visits). The hospital said they couldn't accommodate me. I said fine, but then I would just do half the visits because I had no intention of ever seeing my gp again. The hospital managed to fit me in after all.

It was a long time ago so I'm not sure if my input is any use but I had a home birth in Ealing nearly 7 years ago and the Ealing hospital midwives were fantastic, as was the head of midwifery. I really was incredibly impressed. I toured the hospital before and the 2 rooms (IIRC) with big baths/pools looked lovely, very tranquil and not terribly medical. I'm sure someone with more recent experience will be along soon though. But you don't have to make a decision this quickly, don't let your doctor pressurise you like this! Go and see them all (just ring and ask them when you can go and see the maternity areas and they'll tell you their policies) and see where you feel most comfortable. Or if you'd like to consider home look into that too. If you're only just a few weeks pregnant there's plenty of time, there's absolutely NO need to make your mind up yet and of course you've got time to tour them all IMO.

Just tried to find out more and Ealing's site is here if you wanted to visit to see what you think.

I was curious so I just googled to see if the midwifery manager was the same woman and it is. Her name is Mary McLoughlin and her no is 020 8967 5586. I thought she was great.

Wow! Thanks everyone for your prompt responses, was feeling pressurised as told hospitals would get 'booked up' if I didn't decide this week! Have tour of Ealing booked in couple of weeks but will also plan to see QC and West Middlesex (tho think it may be too far, facilities do sound good on their website)Thanks again!

Hi
I too had a wonderful experience at the birth centre at Queen Charlotte's - I don't know what the labour ward would have been like but luckily I did not have to go there (smile).

Woops, smiley face did not work...