Private C-Section - Lindo, C&W, Lansdell or other London or SE option?!

[obedie]

Hi. Am researching private wings/wards in London and SE for my third c-section in March. Getting confused!! Any top tips on which unit to choose.... just want a competent, clean, restful and safe experience this time. Lindo seems to be doing well as far as info goes..... can anyone vouch for any specifically.... or other options have not considered? Thanks in advance!

And, just FWIW, I didn't slag off the NHS. I said that I didn't expect the NHS to pay for my elective CS.

PLease explain how that is slagging off the NHS??????????????????????????????????

Chips are firmly off shoulders love, no need to fret.

I believe I said diagnose, love. Nothing about routine tests.

Wave the victory flag? What ARE you talking about?

I much prefer to get my elective sections on the NHS. I wouldn't spend £12k on a holiday. And I wouldn't spend it on medical care that I've already paid for. So, NHS, open your doors and give me what I pay for every month in my my NI contributions.

Frankly, people who go private are doing more for those who can't afford private than I am. (and for the record I am also in the group who can't afford private)

BTW, if the OP is still reading, Queen Charlotte is fab. I can't speak for private, but I am no fan of the NHS and even I commend Queen Charlotte for an elective. The ward is a bit crowded and noisey and the midwives act like prison guards so I'd recommend a private room if you can get your hands on one. But, I have only good things to say about the team in theatre. They were fab.

Hi,

I know this post is about private CS, but could I also ask about private VB for the same area.

Thanks,

BSL x

bluestar - there are quite a lot of posts about the London private wings - if you mumsnet search for Lindo, Lansdell, etc, it should find them for you - there was one on the C&W Kensington a few threads down. Some of them don't even end in a big scrap either.

Can highly recommend Mr. Teoh at St. Mary's Lindo Wing! Top, top consultant, books out really early (6 weeks).

I was looking at POrtland, QC and others but after speaking to my lovely GP in Belgravia I decided to go with his wealth of experience. The big advantage of the Lindo Wing is, that St. Mary's has a very good NHS emergency ward, is always fully staffed and holds the latest instruments. Should something go wrong you'll be in the best of hands. St. Mary's is also a training hospital, so likes to showcase all the latest technology. Don't worry, if you're with the Lindo consultants, no trainee will come anywhere near you. The NHS usually sucks but their emergency care is still the best to be had.

If you deliver at a private hospital only, then the staff and instruments may not be so vast/available. C&W has a crap rep, wouldn't go anywhere near it. They didn't even recognize a simple fracture on the ankle of my friend. Portland has a bad rep with quite a few prestigious doctors. Where there's smoke there's fire. I've been warned to stear clear of the Portland due to lack of care/staff/facilities. Didn't they have 2 recent cases of failed deliveries?

With regards to the Lindo:
Mr. Teoh also cuts very nicely and has never questioned my motivation for an EL CS. He's always willing to go the extra mile to slot you in time wise for appointments and explains all the tests, etc. very well.

Thanks Slinkiemalinki, I've only been on MN a couple of months, but unfortunately, I've seen quite a bit of this! I think it's sad that people jump on threads and attack other people for just giving advice. I'm off to search as you advise.

OOh sorry Alexa - thanks too! I think I'm going to look in to the Lindo!

hi all, just had a quick glance at all the new posts! most interesting.

i just have to back up the portland hospital again and my fab consultant. when i was preg with my DS, i had a ovarian tumour which had to be taken out. i had it taken out when i was 5 months pregnant. the care i received was fantastic. and 4 months later i had my DS via csection at the same hospital.

it was a terribly scary time and my husband and I received fantastic support from my doc and all the nursing staff.

i have just read all the posts and there is quite a lot of slagging.

i think it is true that a lot of women, who for whatever (can't afford or wont pay) reason, chose to have their babies for free at the NHS, feel that they can make mums like me feel "bad" for having private care and paying for it! since my son was born, i have experienced this constant negativity whenever i say i had my baby at portland. it gets even worse when i say that i had elective section!

i am now preg with my 2nd and will be going to portland again and with the same consultant. i am no longer hiding that fact because why should I? is this not a free country where we are free to make choices?

people just judge without asking why i had elective section - not that it is any of their business

i agree that it is expensive going private. i did it because i wanted a best start and just know that a crowded NHS hospital can only give the basic minimum. that is just a fact. we cannot expect and should not expect more than that.

we are lucky to have a public system in this country. it is for emergencies only and other procedures that the private sector cannot perform/accomodate.

when my son was 3 months old, he was very ill and i took him to the paed A&E. they were very efficient. after he was stabilised, i had him transferred to a private hospital. Why? because i wanted a cleaner room and more attentive service.
The A&E did a fantastic job but i did not want my son in a busy, noisy ward while he is recovering.

by going private, i have made room for other mothers who cannot afford private care.

i know that we are fortunate to be able to choose between private and public care. i also know that my husband pays a lot of NI and tax!

Any comments?

dear me - there was no need for any of this?

as i read this, there were no anti-private people slagging us off on here - it was all positive and supportive with people sharing experiences (just as mn should be) until ycbs shared her views about people risking theit health (and their baby's) by 'chucking themselves' on the nhs rather than forgoing a holiday.

wtf???

ycbs - are you related to roy keens at all as you seem able to start a fight in an empty room - create tension when there was none.

what an arrogant comment - no wonder mn dislike people who go private....

FWIW i had an elective section at Tommy's and my experience of the Lansdell was purely postnatal. My nhs clinical experience was absolutely fine, but the luxury of 3 quiet days afterwards (£1800 total - roughly 1.5 holidays for us) was definitey worth it.

am under no illusions though - realise that this is beyone most people's reach and am extremely lucky.

That's nonsense Alexa that "C&W has a crap rep". Certainly not amongst the people I know who have delivered babies there. I could not fault my maternity care last time or this time so far, and what has an ankle fracture got to do with private maternity care? The private wing of the C&W has all the advantages you list for the Lindo; it's also brand new and just opened!

You're welcome Bluestar - would just say, keep an open mind, think about where's close and convenient for appointments, whether you want MW led or OB led, and go and look around all. Eg John & Lizzies people rave about here, but I didn't like it much when I went round so opted for Chelsea which I just liked much more (and I can park there easily!). Everyone has different views/preferences and there is something for all if you are happy to dig deep!!

slinkie - think you're right - name any hospital in the uk and some will rave about it and others slag it off?

it depends on who your birth experience/doc/midwife/room mates are? think some of the variability goes away if you can afford to pay?

gladders, slagging or not, there is always some kind of suspicion coupled with envy at people who go private.

Wow! I can't believe some of the posts on here. For some people, seven thousand pounds really is life changing - it's hugely naive (or deluded) not to realise this. Whether you go private/NHS is not a measure of how much you want and love your child. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Some people are lucky enough to be able to afford to go private and it's up to them to weigh up the pros and cons. Some people have no choice, others choose the NHS for moral or medical reasons. Nobody should be made to feel bad for their birth choices. (Incidentally, people who go private are reducing the burden on the NHS by doing so).

I also hate the hypocritical 'private hospitals are so dangerous because they don't have emergency facilities' type comments from people who wouldn't think twice about a home birth where the same comment could apply. This smacks of reverse snobbery.

But equally, it's really unacceptable to suggest that going private means you in some way place more value on your child's well being. What a ridiculous and judgmental comment.

OP; for what it's worth, I gave birth at john and lizzies and loved it. I chose it because;

• I knew I was going to need help with breastfeeding due to previous problems and at J&L they had a lactation consultant who worked with me for every feed.
• I liked the fact that DP was expected to stay overnight with me and DS.
• and it was close to home.

hi Whyisitraining, i agree with everything you have said

Third WhyIsItRaining.

I was lucky that I could afford to go private (just!) but saying that people who go with the NHS place less importance on their child's safety is out of line.

And £7000 is a lot of money by 99% of peoples' standards!!!

isitraining - yup - agree.

FWIW, my suspicions about the portland were not to do with envy, i had just heard that its emergency back up was not great (from 2 doctor friends and a portland ptient) - i stand corrected if that was not right.

heron - agree that slagging occurs for all sorts of reasons, but do not think ycbs's input has helped her corner at all. she is just reinforcing the negativce sterotype and will provide more ammunition for the politically anti-private brigade...