private birth London

[Anna0221]

Hi Everyone,

I've just found out I'm pregnant and currently considering my birth options. Ideally I would like to opt for a c-section and a private hospital/private wing attached to NHS. So far I've emailed the Portland and the Kensington Wing. I pretty much ruled out the Portland as the basic fee is £11,500 (versus £8,150 for Kensington Wing). I also had a look at Lindo Wing and Queen Charlotte & Chelsea Hospital (I think they operate under the same company group?). The fees at QC&C seem low in comparison to the others (in the region of £6k for a c-section) but I wonder if there are some additional hidden costs that are included in the other packages. I'm aware of the additional cost per night's stay etc. Which one out of the two (Kensington and QC&C) would you recommend and why? In terms of consultants I was thinking Mr Guy Thorpe-Beeston in Kensigton or Bryony Jones at QC&C. I'm so confused, any advice would be much appreciated!

Hello,
I thought I would post an update. I went in the end with the Portland Hospital for my second section and the way the surgery went and the next 48h I was very impressed- they really keep an eye on you and you have your one-to-one midwife for her shift, there’s a recovery nurse too in the recovery and they monitor you closely for ca 30 min and then in your room - connected to the blood pressure machine n each measurement taken every 15 min. I was also impressed that they want to get you on your feet 6-8 h post surgery for a couple of steps and you can still keep your cathather when needed no one tells you Ok you managed to walk now you are fully mobile. As a result I was up 7 h post and had my catheter removed 2 hrs later. I’m led to believe mobilisation is key for fast recovery. Also i was not in pain even though the baseline pain killers are paracetamol and ibuprofen and they give you the first one in the IV bag for the first 24h. I recommend staying 2 nights after the c section we stayed 3 but the last day was not the same level of care perhaps because we were low risk at that point. Room service and food are amazing and very wide selection for the standard menu. There was a refurbishment going on during our stay and the drilling was loud,the Portland forgot to let us know in advance- we noticed that fact once there for preassesment appointment 2 days prior, We would definitely go back.

@Anna0221 I'm torn between Guy TB and Bryony Jones - whats your experience been?

Hi, replying under a new username. I went with Mr Kelleher at St Thomas’ in the end(3 times now!), and can’t recommend him enough. Just an amazing doctor and surgeon.