Chelsea & Westminster v Queen Charlotte

[Herewego18]

Hello, I have to choose between Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and Queen Charlotte's. I would really love to hear your feedback on either of these. I've seen a similar thread from 2007 but would love to hear about your recent experiences. This is my first pregnancy so have just signed up to mumsnet and am just finding my way! Thank you!

I didn't love my community midwife I saw through Queen Charlotte's, but everyone else I saw there was great and I had superb care for my "high risk" induction. I booked a room on the private ward postnatally and I won't lie, that was eeeeexpensive, but amazing. The head of fetal medicine at Queen Charlotte's, Dr Christoph Lees, is also very knowledgeable and compassionate if you have a complex issue.

To be fair, I have heard women who had straightforward pregnancies and vaginal births be a bit less complimentary about Queen Charlotte's but if you have a complex or risky pregnancy I think they're superb.

I've had my three at Chelsea and Westminster, I had the community midwife team near to where I live who have been fantastic, two of mine were born in the birth centre there which was fantastic - double beds, pools for water births and provided there's no rush of admissions you can keep your room indefinitely. My third was born on labour ward (last week!) and again fantastic care. Only complaint is that I haven't ever been given a meal there, so bring food! (Each time was in around 24 hours due to time of day they were born.) Any questions feel free to PM me.

I had my baby at C&W 5 weeks ago. I was there for a week, the midwives were lovely but I found the hospital policies to be very overly cautious (and outdated - I was diabetic and they admitted they were using old advice which meant we were kept in hospital longer).

They have however been fantastically quick at getting me placed for the aftercare I have needed for complications arising after my labour.