The Birth Centre - tooting

[badkitty]

Hi, has anyone had any recent experience with the birth centre in Tooting? I have found a couple of comments on it by searching by in quite old threads. Not due till Nov/Dec but am already terrified of hospital birth from all the unremittingly negative accounts I have heard - am currently booked in at St George's and live very close to there so Birth Centre looks like a good option (if I can convince DH that it is worth paying for!!!). Also anyone any experience of St Georges (good or bad!) - I gather their labour wards have been refurbed in the last couple of years. Thanks

I gave birth at St Georges in April 2006.

Good: very experienced, competent staff, delivery room was great, I felt very confident that my baby was in safe hands. Outreach MWs were just fantastic (i'm in SW15), cannot praise them highly enough - really nice, friendly, reassuring, professional etc.

Bad: the MW attending the birth didn't listen to me at all re. pain relief and fobbed me off, was v reluctant for me to even have G&A. The Maternity ward was filthy: dirty floors, disgusting loo (one between 14 women), no aftercare, (which didn't matter for me as it was my second baby but I felt v sorry for first timers trying to bf), four women in a ward.

However, there have been changes recently and it does have an excellent reputation. I'm actually going to Kingston next time but only because it is a lot closer to me know. Didn't know about the birth centre - is it new?

I looked into it recently but it is too far from where I live. If I had been in london I would definitely have considered it though. Seemed fab

Thank you. The dirtyness is really offputting! I am nervous about infections etc. I know St Georges is an excellent place to be if any problems. I have only heard about the Birth Centre on here but it is a private midwife centre with birthing pools etc - but right in the grounds of St Georges so you have access to the facilities there if anything goes wrong. Just sounds much more pleasant to give birth in that sort of environment - it is my first so not sure if me/DH would be quite brave enough for a homebirth yet although like the idea.

Someone on my AN thread gave birth at the birth centre in March... Not sure what the actual birth was like but she wasn't impressed with AN care if I recall as she had x2 MW appt cancelled when she was in late preg because they were busy.

turtle23 knows the poster well so may know more about it... will see if she is about.

I would also add, it's better by reputation than Kings, which is your other choice? Or St. Thomas's? My SIL has had good care there but it's not so close. I would go to St. george's again TBH as I did think it was a competent professional place but if it was my first time I would be a bit disappointed by the Victorian squalor. Saying that, it's two years since I've been and I know for a fact they have a new maternity services manager there and it's mean to have improved. Birth centre soudns ideal - does it cost?

I used the birth centre almost 2 years ago. I was terrified of giving birth in hospital as you are.

The birth centre set-up itself can't be faulted, in my opinion. Unfortunately, my ds' birth didn't go exactly to plan, and I ended up being transferred into St George's to have an epidural.

The midwives at the birth centre were absolutely lovely. Maybe I could have done with midwives with slightly more experience, who would stand up to me a bit more when I was being completely unreasonable during a long and very difficult labour.

I also cannot fault the care I received in St George's. My DS went into distress, and I ended up with a ventouse delivery, but they were fantastic.

I have since moved away from south west London, but I would recommend the birth centre. I would say that if you are not happy with your allocated midwives, then speak up and get them changed. Also, the post natal care is not great, but again, that may have been because of the midwives I had.

Good luck with your choice!

I had DD (my first child) at St George's in Jan. I had a very good experience and would definitely go back.

I had a wonderful midwife for the birth. She read my birth plan and was extremely supportive - helped me get DD out when the consultant was threatening a ventouse delivery. The post natal ward is noisy with 4 to a ward but I was so tired by then I really didn't care. I went home the next day, which I would do even if it was like a 5 star hotel - I just wanted my own bed and my own mug of tea! I didn't find it dirty, just a typical old NHS building.

The antenatal care was also good. I saw a different midwife each time which I was fine with - but I know the ideal is to have the same person.

The new midwife led unit (the Carmen Suite) opened 2 days after DD was born. I believe that has a birthing pool (or pools?) and each room is en suite. Some women from my antenatal class had their babies there and said it was lovely. Another plus is that if you start in the midwife led unit but find you would like an epidural you can move to the consultant led unit - this isn't always an option.

St George's offer tours of the delivery suite and I'd suggest you go on one to see what the facilities are like - might help you make your mind up either way.
Good luck whatever you decide, hope everything goes well for you when you have your baby!

I know a lovely indep. midwife who is about to start work at the Tooting birth centre. She's moving from the Holistic Birth Centre in Northwich (Cheshire) and although I don't know the Tooting birth centre at all I wouldn't hesitate to go somewhere where this woman works.

My 3 children born with the wonderful midwives at the birth centre although none in the birth centre itself; at home and in hospital. Caroline Flint herself attended my last birth. Can't praise them enough. If you can find the money invest in a wonderful start to motherhood.

cannot praise them highly enough. they are fabulous. really amazing investment.

Is there a bit of confusion going on here? Caroline Flint's Birth Centre is right next door to St Georges and it is, admittedly fab. Private though.

However - a new NHS midwife led birth centre has recently been opened IN St Georges...... I haven't heard any feedback yet though.....

Thank you for the responses - sorry have been on hols so haven't looked for a while! VERY interested to here that about the new NHS midwife centre in St Georges - have first appointment with community midwife this weekend so will ask about that and about tours of the delivery suite.

two babies at St george's - found it excellent for the birth, bit rubbish afterwards

Hi, I'm planning to give birth at George's in September. I know the place pretty well from previous work and lots of medical problems!

Apart from having the architectural charm of a multi-storey car park, I think it's pretty good in general, and a friend gave birth there 3 years ago and had a good experience.

I went on the tour of the facilities a couple weeks ago, which was really reassuring as the NCT newsletter had scared me about lack of privacy etc in hospitals in general.

The main delivery suite has been recently refurbished and was very clean - also practically empty, 11 labouring rooms, only 1 in use, and a bunch of 4-bed recovery rooms, only one bed occupied. Gas and air on tap in all rooms, loos en suite or just outside.

Upstairs is the shiny new midwife centre. It was lovely! Imagine a hotel health spa only with a slightly limited budget for the decor and a slight antiseptic smell mixed with the aromatherapy scent. Four labouring rooms, two with pools, two with birthing chairs, all with en suite shower/loo and a bed, bean bags, mats, etc.

About 4600 women give birth at Georges a year, so assuming more than average in September say 20 a day, so your own room shouldn't be a problem. The tour guide claimed everyone who'd wanted to use a pool had been able to, if not immediately they arrived, but that may change as more people find out about it. Georges also have some award for getting mothers to breastfeed, which is good.

The midwife I saw was fantastic, as was one I talked to a few weeks earlier. However a very rude woman took my height+weight and urine sample - turned out she didn't have enough English to understand 'I am deaf and need to lipread/you to write things down', so I was very relieved when she made me sit and said "Wait. Midwife come."

A local friend recommended sticking to the NHS and using money for a breastfeeding consultant if you need it and a nappy service, which sounds sane to me. I thought about a home birth but I'd prefer to make a mess of someone else's sheets! I'm also very used to being around hospitals and being arsy at medic-types when needed, so I think I'd be more relaxed there.

not me but a friend used the private Birth Centre and said it was extremely good and worth it even though she had to transfer into hospital for C section in the end. She particularly liked the midwives.

I bumped into one of the midwives from the birth centre (the one IN St Georges - not Caroline Flints birth centre). She told me the birth centre was shut for 12 shifts last month because the midwives who work there were needed on the labour ward.......

I think that's really cruddy. They've only just opened the place!

I gave birth in Caroline Flint's birth centre in Dec '05. Absolutely cannot fault the care I received. I had the same midwives throughout my pregnancy, labour and postnatal care and they were all superb. I was in labour for 15 hours and only ever used the TENS machine, the pool and a bit of gas & air for pain relief as I was so relaxed and felt so nurtured. All my antenatal visits were at home and they came in the evenings so my husband could be there too - which was great. Bloody expensive though!

I am using the birth centre. I would go along for a free appointment and then make your mind up. I had a terrbile experience first time around and i am so excited that this time i will get the birth that i so want. good luck

i used the Birth Centre for DS1 back in 2004. Can't fault the service, especially antenatal care as they did all the appointments in the evening so DH could be there, and sometimes they were there for HOURS listening to me whitter on about my 9 page birthplan!!! Unfortunately didn't get to stay at the Birth Centre for the whole birth as needed to transfer to hospital for drugs!!!.....St George's was full, so ended up being driven across town to kingston which in retropect was a good thing as it was empty and i had my midwife and about 3 others all clamouring to help.......for DS2, i wanted to use the same midwives and was keen for another hospital birth (as i knew i would probably need an epidural again), and luckily for me, the ones I had used had left the birth centre and set up on their own (the Midwifery Practice) in south west london/surrey.....so I got the same service at half the price. I would definitely recommend them. When I was fed up, overdue and experiencing latent labour for over a week, they came with me to the consultants appointment and helped me get what I wanted (i.e. mobile epidural followed by induction via broken waters).....They were then there with me at the hospital for the most civilised of births EVER, making sure that the NHS midwives didn't give me induction drugs i didn't need, ensuring that I was allowed to be mobile during the pushing phase (when NHS midwife was trying to say that I needed to be on my back and that baby was in distress and i needed another instrumental delivery).....I got on my knees and DS2 practically slid out!!! Anyway - you can tell by my overlong post that I was pretty impressed with the service, and can highly recommend it as i really did have the most amazing (and pain free) births EVER with no tearing. If money is an issue, do try the Midwifery Practice.....its much less than the Birth Centre and the service is the same, apart from you don't get to use the facilities of the birth centre.....but to tell the truth, you can recreate the setting of the birth centre at home anyway, so why pay the extra. Ask for Marsha, Becky or Rachel. I am quite upset that for DC3 I can't go with them due to other medical complications and needing to be under obstetric care....its not nearly as nice!