Whipps Cross Hospital

[KaybeeandZak]

I am about to have my 2nd baby there (first one born elsewhere) and just wondered how others have found the overall experience. Anyone had a waterbirth there?
Thanks

I've had 2 babies there. The staff are wonderful but the resources are very stretched and they are blaming a local (or possibly national) baby boom. The hospital is a bit shabby but I found it to be clean. I had a vaginal delivery first time, which was fine and an emergency cs second time. The second time, I had an experienced midwife who basically saved my baby's life (I had a placenta abruption) and for that i will be eternally grateful. Amongst my local 'mum' friends, the overall review is good. Best of luck.

I had dd there and wasn't v impressed. Individual midwives good, overall ethos, surroundings not good.

BUT that was 2.5 years ago and they were in the middle of a huge restructure, with a new (male?) chief midwife, and a new unit coming. So things may well have changed dramatically.

DS was born at UCL (we lived in Camden) and we had a community midwife team of 4 who did antenatal checkups and classes, one of whom was (almost) guaranteed to be at my delivery.

Whipps was v different from this - and I'd say make sure you shout for what you want. I was induced and the Midwife in charge of the dept was about to start the induction, knowing there was no epidural available for hours and hours. It was only because I had been induced before that I knew that there was no way I'd get through induction without epidural.

But the midwife who actually looked after me was brilliant.

And lots of my friends have given birth at Whipps and had completely fine experiences.

Join Waltham Forest NCT and ask the co-ordinator to put you in touch with 2nd timers?