St Mary’s Lindo Wing Beware

[AnEarthmom]

This message is for those who are considering to give birth at St Mary’s Lindo Wing I urge you to reconsider. Yes the institution has a reputation however because of its name reputation the basic care has been minimised to create maximum profit. I had my first child at the Lindo Wing and found the experience invasive and clinical. In addition there are not enough nurses per patient. Sadly the nurses are overworked and have become cynical in their approach. And doctors prefer patients to fit into their to schedule so c sections are highly recommended. They can get more patients done more quickly because it is not about the patients it is about numbers. When giving birth women need to have a caring support system not one that is stretched to its limit for profit. What is most scary is the head nurse is not a hospital nurse but a social services nurse who has not had field experience. She does not know in detail or how to give the medical care needed for post natal or after major surgery like a c section. My doctor Dr Teoh is considered the best. He is the great as a surgeon but not as a doctor. As many people warned me and I can confirm he has absolutely no bedside manner. You are treated more like a thing to be sorted out rather than a person giving birth. The doctor was very eager to cut the baby out and did a sweep of my vagia without telling me first. This technique causes the water to break and one to go into labour quicker but not necessarily safer. I felt I had no choice but to have a c section. It was only after the whole process and after speaking with midwives snd other doctors that I realised I could have given birth naturally if I had the right support and given adequate time. But time is something the Lindo Wing does not have. It is a revolving door of patients who spend an average of 17,000£. They do not mention this in the beginning. Their offices casually say the process is about 10-11000£ however after speaking with several mums the about turned out to be more likely around 17000£. I was prepared for this thinking ok I believe I will get the best care however it was not the experience that in any way reflected the Lindo Wing reputation. It was more a chop shop. And you are looking for a natural birth this is not the place.

I had DS2 at the Lindo wing in 2013. It wasn’t an entirely satisfactory experience. I had a more caring and attentive experience from the midwives at the Portland for DS1 the previous year. The Portland was just less rushed, the midwives were so caring and happy (several told me they came to the Portland for a holiday from the NHS so they could do their job justice) and more individualised whereas the Lindo seemed more NHS+ right down to the wing manager coming to see me on day 2 and demanding to know ‘why are you still here? What do I say to your insurance company?’. I told her to speak to my consultant about my discharge date and complained about her when I got home. Sadly it doesn’t sound like things have changed much.

You can get independent midwives for a fraction of the price of a hospital birth. Best money I ever spent. I paid in 9 instalments and had two midwives. All care in my own home at times that suited - only went to hospital for scans and was attended by women I knew and trusted. Third baby was 2 weeks late and there was none of the induction pressure there would have been otherwise.

The NHS is not fit for purpose, partners being allowed in wards when other women are struggling. Has no one seen Stafford Hospital enquiry which I believe is still ongoing.

I had one NHS birth and one private birth (Portland). There was literally no comparsion. For those who say they want to have specialist care available at their fingertips. Have you expereinced the NHS recently. If the NHS are caring for another women, have people off sick etc they wont be ready to burst in on you if something goes wrong. They might but they only have so many staff.

I do hear very good things about independent MW's though.

We need a massive review of the NHS before I would trust them with a birth.

People go privately because

They get the same consultant with all their years of experience
You dont need a birth plan. They know you already
They see you privately at a time to suit you
Yes, the private room is very nice and having seen some of the threads about post natal wards its worth every penny!

I second @Musmerian recommendation to think about a private midwife if you want extra care and a less medicalised birth. Had them for both my DC same team of 2 who did all my appointments at home and came to scans with me and then there to advocate on my birth plans - without them I wouldn't have DC as they made it clear to the NHS unit that if I said there was a decrease in fetal movements I meant it and wasn't just imagining it.

Unfortunately I have spoken to many people who had horrific experiences with the NHS. My friend nearly lost her baby because there was not enough nurses or midwives on staff that night. It’s not about money. It is about time and care. But if this conversation is about the price I would still pay what ever price if I knew I would get better care. If the NHS could do this I would go with NHS but it has time and time again failed my family and friends. The system is broken and the government still refuses to fix it.

@lovelybittasquirrel

Actually, it was worth every penny for me to meet my consultant at 6 weeks pregnant, have him see me through every single antenatal appointment, monthly then fortnightly, review every scan and blood test, and then deliver my baby. To me that relationship really mattered.

My NHS section was safe but highly anxiety provoking as the antenatal care was really patchy in comparison and I only met the obstetrician minutes before surgery! Perhaps for most that is fine, but I had no other family support at all (other than dh) and for me it was worth every penny.

I am definitely going to research this option more.

Happy to hear about more experiences with private midwives.

@lovelybittasquirrel similar to a PP - I have met my fantastic consultant 3 weekly, where she scans me and has plenty of time for me. I have been able to have tests for toxoplasmosis and group b strep (amongst other things) which are treatable but potentially dangerous to a baby if left (and it turns out I do have group b strep). The NHS does not test for these things.

My antenatal care has been second to none, even during covid. In my area midwives have not been able to undertake any face to face assessments, and GTT testing has not even been available.

I haven't had my baby yet, so can't comment, but given my experience so far I am assuming it will be an improvement on my birth with DD.

I have the money, so why wouldn't I?

I'm so sorry OP about your experience. I'm 11 weeks pregnant and was choosing between the lindo wing and the Kensington wing at chelsea and Westminster - opted for the kensington wing because it's super close. The lindo has such a good reputation I'm really shocked by your experience. You should definitely complain to them.

I think they can all be a bit less than transparent on fees - on the website it will say £10k but that doesn't include consultants fees which are another £10k on top.

For those being snarky about private maternity - I've seen my consultant at 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks, will see him again at 12. After having 3 miscarriages I'm really grateful to have regular scans and the same consultant every time. I've heard some awful stories from my friends about giving birth on the NHS, simply because there aren't enough doctors/midwives for the number of patients, and I have insurance so why would I take the risk?

But it is not about profit

Its private healthcare. Of course it's about profit.

I'm sorry you are not happy with your birth experience. That you are still recovering more than a year later is concerning. That needs picking up with an appropriate professional.

Complaints about a hospital should be directed at that hospital.

I am more than ok with the hospital or any institution to make profit if and only if the level and attention of care is maintained. The Lindo did not maintain a level of care. This is my point. Making a profit is not an evil or bad thing. Those profits can be reinvested to help improve current structures and or research new ideas and methods of practice.

I had my DD on the Lindo Wing and my experience was faultless! It made a stressful time (complications) so much more relaxing. Was worth every penny and more! I would return there in a heartbeat!

Making profit is certainly not an evil thing. It would be naive however to think that profit is reinvested in healthcare.

If you feel they did not maintain a given level of care, you need to take it up with the hospital.

As far as you are concerned OP, you should voice your concerns with the team who delivered you for your sake and the sake of their future patients; I feel for you. As far as the topic of private maternity os concerned there can be positives ; more scans, more doctors intervening, a private room for postnatal care( this would be a huge plus for me) but don't get seduced into thinking that private maternity care is safer for you or your child because it isn't. You will find that doctors and midwives don't favour private maternity care because it isn't better in an emergency and in a more routine delivery the benefits are to do with comfort and reassurance. There is nothing wrong with that imo, if I were made of money I would be tempted to pay for a private room and good post natal support but I always feel on thes threads that rads could be left feeling that nhs care is less safe for mother or child and that is

That isn't really true.. apologies for clumsy thumbs

Maybe try the NHS next time? I'm sure they'll be honoured to have you

Why are people naming individual doctors/consultants? Is that inapropiate? Sounds like you had a shit time. You cant buy a good birth unfortunately and as they are led by making as much profit as possible they may do things like hurrying you into a C section when its not necessary. Hear the foods better if you go private though.

So very different from my experience at The London with Tariq Miskry. I had an amazing experience and wouldn’t hesitate to go back there with Me Miskry. All the midwives were lovely and I have nothing but praise for them.

Your comments here are verging on libellous. I had both my babies delivered by Mr Teoh at The Lindo Wing and he is a superb obstetrician. I also know of someone else who credits him completely with her babies' lives. You are entitled to an opinion about your personal experience but the tone of your post is quite beyond that and is inappropriate and poorly informed. I am going to report it.

Really sorry to hear of your bad experience. If anyone is considering options for private care, I had one DC with the private midwifery team at the Stanley Clayton ward at Queen Charlotte’s and am currently under their care for my third pregnancy. I cannot recommend them highly enough, they are a team of four midwives all of whom you get to know by the end of your pregnancy and the care is exceptional.
For those unable to understand why anyone would pay for a private birth, a look at the Mumsnet campaign for better postnatal wards might be helpful (I say this as someone who had my first DC on the NHS).
Good luck with any future pregnancies!