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Childbirth

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

Maternity Hospital Advice (near Welling)

3 replies

JoanneDeAbreu · 26/06/2020 22:04

Hi everyone

I am 31 weeks pregnant with my first child and am moving to the Welling area next week. So far I have received maternity services in North London and the care has been really good. I need to switch hospitals now as it would be too far to commute to my currently registered hospital.

Queen Elizabeth Woolwich Hospital is closest to me. Does anyone one have any recent experiences or recommendations of Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital? In particular the midwife services and the birthing center (which looks really nice). As well as the delivery suite in case anything goes wrong? I found some previous reviews, but most of them are old and before the birthing center opened (in 2015).

The other alternative is Lewisham University Hospital. It has a very similar birthing center (also looks really nice, the QE one is modeled on this one). I have heard good things about Lewisham, but it is a bit further away and it seems silly to go the extra way if QE is just as good.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Additionally anything related to Covid 19 restrictions would also be really helpful.

Kind regards
Joanne

OP posts:
Cherubienne · 30/06/2020 21:42

I'm currently registered with QEH to use the birthing center though I originally wanted to go Lewisham. I'm 18 weeks and so far have been to the hospital once for dating scan and bloods - very quiet when I went, social distancing and masks etc. Actually reassuring strangely enough.

The Marshes midwives have all been really responsive on the phones and in person so I've been happy with my care so far.

I'm about a 5 min drive from Welling - on a regular day to get to Woolwich QEH is about 15-20 mins depending on traffic. To get to Lewisham can be 22 -40 mins depending on traffic. So that's one thing to factor in.

I'm also hoping for more recent experiences from others... hopefully a few more will come along.

livelovelaugh30 · 30/06/2020 23:57

I had a little boy last June (2019) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I live in Greenwich so it was a no brainer for me as it's so close. Like you, I had the choice of QE or lewisham hospital and I had a really similar approach and thought they both seemed pretty equal in their approach!

I have friends who delivered at the same time as me in both St Thomas', Lewisham and QE and all experiences were roughly the same. One friend had a terrible experience at st Thomas', which is surprising really because I expected that they would have the best care. Typically they do, but she was just unlucky.

I gave birth in the birthing centre at QE and it was great! My midwife was so lovely and I can honestly say it was a really positive experience. They were so diligent in their care towards me in the run up to labour. I really liked how close the birthing centre was to the labour ward should an emergency happen.

In my case I had a complication free labour, but I did have a medical emergency post labour with a severe post partum haemorrhage and had to go to theatre and then stay for a couple more days. Not saying this to scare you, I'm sure that won't be your experience - but more to reassure you about their care. The emergency took place in the birthing suit after my son was born and honestly the way they dealt with it was incredible. The buzzer was pushed, in a matter of seconds doctors, midwives and the consultant were in the room (so reassuring given it was a birthing suite- the point is that because the labour ward is down the corridor, if they need to intervene, they can quickly- so you're in very safe hands).

I did have a couple of more scares over the next 24 hours but the care was incredible and I felt perfectly safe in their hands. I was regularly monitored- each time a buzzer was pushed they intervened quickly and the day time midwives were so supportive and lovely. The anaesthetist in theatre was amazingly reassuring and so lovely and funny, the doctors were incredible - the midwives were amazing.

I'm sure that won't be your experience but if you do need some form of intervention, even if it's just wanting to have an epidural- you can easily get moved from the birthing suite to the labour ward- it's not far at all.

As a heads up they have private rooms available post birth that you can pay for if you would like your partner to be able to be with you that night in privacy. They aren't always available, but if you do go with QE, let them know you'd love to do this if it's something you'd like to go for once the little one is born.

I honestly think QE and lewisham are very similar from all I've heard- I'm sure you'll be in great hands whatever hospital you choose.

:-) hope this helps!

livelovelaugh30 · 30/06/2020 23:59

Sorry, that should have said *birthing suite.

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