St George, Kingston or St Helier

[DonnaSW]

Hi everyone, I'm having my first and pretty nervous.

Any recommendations relating to st helier, Kingston or st georges hospitals?

I’m leaning toward a labour ward as considering an epidural.

Any advice welcome 😊

Many thanks!

Do not go to St Helier's!!! Having my baby there put me off having any more

I gave birth at Kingston. I was happy with my care. I ended up giving birth on the labour ward (which is right next to the MLU so a short walk away).

Where about do you live? Kingston were being a bit fussy about accepting me as 'you should be at St George's' (I was moving further into Surrey so Kingston made more sense). Also, you can self-refer to Kingston which is recommended as it's popular.

St Helier doesn't have the best reputation although has meant to have improved since it merged with Epsom.

St Heliers mmm... Haven't heard great things.
Kingston or St Georges both OK, although postnatal experience on ward can be hit and miss, like everywhere else.

Congratulations! I’ve heard good things about Kingston too.
Avoid St H if you can. I had my only negative birth experience there and I’ve heard lots of other stories about the staff being terribly rushed and unsupported.

I did feel very sorry for the nurses on the ward when I was there.

Definitely Kingston!

Georges were fab.

I had my DS in the MLU at St George’s 3.5 years ago, they were fab. I had my daughter in another hospital, smaller and supposedly better, up north and I much preferred St. George’s. I got to keep the room I gave birth in until I was ready to go home 12 hours later as it was so quiet. Which you wouldn’t expect from an inner London hospital. The wait for antenatal checks were really long though, usually 2 hours after you got there, but I think that has got better now. I didn’t care, I meant more time off work!

I had DD1 at St. George's - I would not have chosen to go there again if we'd still been in the same area. The only decent part of it was the radiology bit for my scans.

Whichever is closer out of St George’s or Kingston. Had both DDs at St George’s and 100% rate it

I had DS at St George's and it was ok. I was there for a week before my elective section so I saw a lot of staff come and go. They didn't stick to my birth plan though (trying to have a "natural" csec with immediate skin to skin and breastfeeding) and wouldn't let me feed in theatre at all... And some amount of "computer says no" in terms of insisting he was weighed before we were "allowed" to leave the operating theatre. I felt quite vulnerable and exposed, especially as the anaesthetist had previously agreed with my plan. We paid for a private room post section but I naively opted for their "rapid discharge" programme following section and left less than 24 hours after abdominal surgery with only paracetamol . When I'd had an emcs previously at St Thomas's they gave diclofenac on discharge and I had a 3 day recovery in hospital.