Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

Views on SW London hospitals?

13 replies

SWfourteen · 08/04/2020 12:43

Hi everyone - new here, first post...

I'm trying to choose a hospital or maternity unit to register with. I live in East Sheen and am choosing between Kingston, Queen Charlotte, and West Middlesex.

Does anyone have any experiences or advice they could share?

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:

salt525 · 20/05/2020 16:56

What a shame that nobody has replied to this! I am in the same position as you (also my first post!) so would be super grateful for any info you've managed to get re these options :)

HauntedGoatFart · 20/05/2020 17:06

I gave birth at QCC - high risk induction on labour ward. I had excellent care and good midwives. My antenatal care was fine if unremarkable. I paid for the private postnatal ward and that was fabulous, but I can't speak for NHS postnatal. I chose QCC as a teaching and research hospital and this ended up paying off as my pregnancy went a bit wonky at the end. The head of foetal medicine there is excellent.

Have many friends who gave birth at West Mids and people are generally very pleased with their care also, although none had a complicated pregnancy. I'd probably choose West Mids next time if I expected an uncomplicated pregnancy.

salt525 · 20/05/2020 17:13

Thank you so much! Do you know anything about Kingston maternity?

Atomsaway · 20/05/2020 17:14

I had my two at Kingston, albeit 11 years ago. I can’t fault them. I think Kingston is a great hospital.

HauntedGoatFart · 20/05/2020 17:15

Nothing at all, I'm afraid. I live too far north for Kingston.

BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup · 20/05/2020 19:02

East Sheen isn't exactly a big place so while some people would have one or two of the hospital's they aren't going to have the same ones.

Just choose the one you can get to easily if it is rush hour.

Jadefeather7 · 21/05/2020 08:26

I was at West Middlesex for my first and would not recommend.

Chose Kingston this time around and so far so good. Haven’t given birth yet but overall much happier this time.

salt525 · 21/05/2020 13:10

@Jadefeather7 can I ask why you wouldn't recommend West Mid? Also, how have you found the parking at Kingston? I've heard it can be a nightmare!

Jadefeather7 · 21/05/2020 14:25

Antenatal care- no consistency & unfriendly midwives at West Middlesex, it also seemed quite disorganised to me (I’ve seen the same midwife throughout at Kingston, all the staff midwife, nurses, ultrasound technicians have been lovely so far and it seems more organised to me).

I didn’t change because of antenatal care though, I had a bad experience with postnatal care and I’m hoping it’s better at Kingston because everyone I personally know who gave birth there was happy with it. Kingston has more private rooms and partners can stay overnight which is really important to me.

I was really worried about parking but so far have found a space at every appointment, would just allow 15 mins before each appointment for finding a space.

HauntedGoatFart · 21/05/2020 14:59

Yeah, having had two DC, my principal hospital criteria now are:

Proximity
provision of private rooms on postnatal ward
if I were having a 3rd, a track record of supporting homebirth, but that's my thing (although not unconnected to point 2).

Cardboard33 · 22/05/2020 09:51

I had my baby at Kingston last year. Friends had theirs at West Mids, St George's and Chelsea & Westminster.

The whole experience at Kingston was great. I'd go there again for sure and friends who originally went to West Mids who then did Kingston for their second said they prefer Kingston. I was a default high risk pregnancy due to prior medical conditions (epilepsy) so had lots of extra scans and appointments. I had a private en suite in the post natal area (I think this is standard unless you have a c section/complications meaning they need to keep more of an eye on you) and the breast feeding support was extensive. Partners were allowed to stay 24/7.

Kingston is quite a way from East Sheen though... I wouldn't fancy doing that drive at peak times!! I had a v quick spontaneous labour at 36 weeks so we were only at the hospital for less than 3 hours before I had a baby. We live just across the river from Kingston and it was 5am... The car journey took forever and a day at what turned out to be 7cm dilated!

salt525 · 24/05/2020 08:25

Thanks so much everyone. First baby so I'm anxious and trying to get as much info as poss!

I think I've ruled out QCC as it's the furthest away of the 3. I would probably prefer Kingston from what I've read but I am concerned about traffic coming from SW14 (including over the level crossing!).

If anyone else reading this can offer any recent info on Kingston or West Middlesex I'd be super grateful :)

@Cardboard33, was there a particular reason why your friends didn't go back to West Midds?

Cardboard33 · 24/05/2020 14:41

@salt525 it was mainly around birth partners. At Kingston they can stay 24/7 whereas at West Mids they've got set "visiting times" meaning if your baby is born outside of those times, the birth partner can stay for a short while (about an hour) then is asked to leave until visiting time which they all found unsettling as first time parents. However, depending on when you give birth, you might not get your birth partner with you anyway so this might not be a concern! They also said they felt the care was more consistent and attentive at Kingston but obviously that is more the luck of the drawer. I also don't think there are the same extent of private rooms at West Mids so you're more likely to end up on a post natal ward.

Flip