Hospitals in SW London?

[bozzy]

Help! I am living temporarily in the US but moving back to London in March. I am due to have my first baby in mid-August and DH and I are planning to live in the Battersea area. Can anyone tell me what my options would be for maternity hospitals? I think St Georges is one option but not so keen. Anyone had any experiences or have had a water birth at St Georges?

[clucks]

Dear Bozzy,

St Georges is not your nearest. Probably St THomas' would be best for you. They have a brand spanking new Women's health unit which took 2 yrs to build. I haven't seen it, but think it'll be clean at least. I was supposed to go to tommys but they closed for 2 yrs. I also hear that Kings is verygood. that one is in Camberwell. Being in Battersea you also have the choice of going to Chelsea & Westminster, where mrs Blair went, but some people have posted negatively about C & W. Good Luck.

[willow2]

In my experience C&W had good antenatal care - but xxxxxxx dreadful after care. I was in there for eight days - I was dreadfully ill after the birth and had to go on to a special low residue diet - the best the hospital could provide along these lines was mash and carrots. Great for when you are getting over a two day labour and are having a mare establishing breastfeeding. The unit was understaffed and the staff that did exist ranged from great to so bad that you wondered whether they were actually trained midwives or just nutters seeing how far they could get with impersonations. Both I and another girl ended up complaining about two agency midwives as they were both incredibly cruel and unhelpful. The place was filthy - I stopped using one bathroom because of the fact that someone else's blood clot remained in the plughole for the duration of my stay. Oh yes, and dh had to bring pillows in for me as there weren't any.

And that's a flagship NHS hospital for you.
I'm sure if I had been fortunate enough to be able to go home shortly after the birth all this might have passed me by - but I would rather stick needles in my eyes than spend any time there again.

[willow2]

Oh yes, and the orderleys who bring the food round need taking out and shooting. My particular favourite was the one who decided to take my breakfast away, even though I hadn't had time to eat it as I was busy trying to breastfeed. When I told her I wanted it left she complained that she needed the tray. I offered to bring the tray back - she said no. So she just plonked my bit of stale bread (did I mention the fantastic breakfasts?) on the table, took the tray and left.
I thought it must be because the trays had to go down to the bowels of the hospital to be cleaned or something. I later found out they had to go all of ten metres to the ward kitchen. I'd like to thank her for making my stay that bit more pleasurable.

[clucks]

Oh dear W2, sorry it's all come flooding back. Actually, I had forgotten you went there, it was SofiaAmes who told me it was awful. I'm surprised it was dirty, looks so new and glassy (as in glass everywhere).

Bozzy, probably best for you to try St Thomas', I really want to know what I missed out on. Also, you get the most fantastic views onto the Thames there. Though, hopefully you will be in and out in a whizz with no hassle or overnight stays

[bozzy]

Thanks Clucks - St Thomas's certainly sounds more appealing than C&W!! Sorry to hear about willow2's experiences too. Many thanks for the advice - I'm sure St Georges is OK but I visited a friend in there after she had had her baby and it was not a pleasant experience.... If anyone has been to St Thomas's, let me know!!

[ScummyMummy]

I think all these big London teaching hospitals may be much of a muchness, bozzy. I had my twins in St Mary's, Paddington and found that our care varied from absolutely brilliant to utterly dreadful. A lot depends on the right people being on shift at the right time- in other words on luck- gulp! The "new" St Thomas' does look rather lovely- it's a short walk from where I live- so just keep your fingers crossed that it'll have the staff to match on the day/night in question!

[titchy]

Although I did not have mine at George's I have heard very good things about it. They offer water birth which a lot don't, and also a separate unit which is supposed to be like your own home - i.e. there is a kitchen, living room, tv etc. Your children are welcome there while you are labouring and I think you can give birth there, but have the reassurance of the hospital next door in case of emergency. Mind you there may not be any room there when you need it.....

Basically I think they have changed quite a lot recently and become a lot more mother orientated, so probably worth a look round?

[janinlondon]

A friend was one of the first to go into the new Tommys maternity ward. The toilets are still not big enough to wheel the crib in, and in case you haven't heard about it, policy in most UK hospitals now is that you never ever leave the baby - even at your bed to go to the loo. My friend ended up pleading to be let home as she was getting constipated. Also, the new pre-natal ward (should you be unlucky enough to have to go in there) had no tv aerial fitted to the tv in the lounge. So no tv for the two weeks she spent sitting waiting for her blood pressure to go down before the baby was born. They might have fixed the aerial by now of course! A friend going to George's once showed me the list of "things to bring with you" for new mothers. It included bath cleaner and cleaning materials "in case you want to have a bath". IN CASE?????? Lovely. Doubtless there is something wrong with all the hospitals, but one word of warning. Don't be tempted to go private just because you want a clean room. You may get a minibar at "that" hospital, but they dont do so well at keeping new mothers alive as the NHS. I was at the C&W and while I know they may not have had the cleanest toilets and were not brilliant at dealing with my (probably minor)problems, I came home alive with a healthy baby. And in the long run that was the most important thing. PS: They do have water birth options at the C&W but like most of the hospitals its first come first served. Hope this helps!

[bozzy]

Hello again. Thanks for the advice - I sounds like the experience will depend on who is working at the time! I notice that St Thomas's has a choice of private rooms and midwives, so if I get landed with a bad midwife, maybe I'll trade her in...! I am having a scan this week (14th week) and then fly to London around mid march (18th week). How soon do I need to register at a hospital? Is there a waiting list at doctors in Battersea?

[janinlondon]

Bozzy, certainly a lot of Wandsworth surgeries will have closed lists - which means you may have to ring around a fair bit before you find a doctor who will take you on. I had to ring eight surgeries before I found one, and they only opened their books for a week before closing them again. Register at the hospital as soon as you can. At 12 weeks most women will have already had a booking in appointment here, so you may find that some of the hospital lists are full for your due date as well. Also be aware that even if you do get onto a hospital list for your delivery there is always a chance that the ward will be full and you will have to go elsewhere. The ward I was on was closed for three days before I arrived and for some of the following week too. It all sounds daunting but in practice it will work out - honestly!

[bozzy]

Hi Janinlondon, thanks for the advice. I am still registered with a doctor in Wimbledon so at least I can visit them when I get back and then try to transfer...Do you have to register with hospitals in person or can I call them? Also, at this stage I only know what my due date should be according to the charts in the book (ie the first day of last period etc). Should I get a doctor to verify my due date before I register?

[janinlondon]

If you are still registered with a doctor in London it might be worth seeing if they can get you booked into a hospital. They might need a letter from your US doctor to do this. Different areas/hospitals have different policies but usually its the doctor who arranges the booking in appointment at the hospital for you. You will have a bit of a problem as you won't be here for your routine first trimester antenatal care but I'm sure they've faced this sort of situation before. I'd take advice from your doctor's surgery in Wimbledon. Hope this helps? Good luck with the scan this week.

[Flick]

I gave birth at C&W. Great labour rooms and the midwives were fantastic. The post-natal ward wasn't as good but I was out pretty quickly. DS1 was born at 1am and my bags were packed by 9am - think seeing the breakfast trolley spurred me on and had a good delivery so no reason not to go home.
I hear from a mate that the new private wing at C&W is lovely - but have no idea how much it costs.....

[Flick]

I gave birth at C&W. Great labour rooms and the midwives were fantastic. The post-natal ward wasn't as good but I was out pretty quickly. DS1 was born at 1am and my bags were packed by 9am - think seeing the breakfast trolley spurred me on and had a good delivery so no reason not to go home.
I hear from a mate that the new private wing at C&W is lovely - but have no idea how much it costs.....

[NQWWW]

Yikes - just read Willow2's comments about C&W and I'm already booked in there. I canvassed opinion on UpMyStreet.com - didn't get many replies but those I did get were pretty positive. I live in Battersea but wasn't given the choice of Tommy's - it was C&W or St G's.

I chose C&W after comparing stats, which were broadly similar expect that St G's had a much shorter stay after a C-section, which I had to have last time, and if I have it again I wouldn't want to be chucked out that quickly.

I think you have to be referred by your doctor, and then sit and wait for a letter for the hospital with a booking appointment. I went to my doctor at about 7 weeks, which I though was reasonably early, and my first appointment at the hospital is when I'll be 14 weeks, which really surprised me. They couldn't do me a nuchal scan before 13 weeks and 2 days (no appointments available), which isn't acceptable to me, so I've arranged a private one before then.

Note that antenatal appointments at C&W are not at the main hospital, but at a different building which is just within the congestion charging zone!

[willow2]

Just to clarify things - cos I don't want to be the cause of your nervous breakdown - ante-natal care and the midwives during my labour were all good. It was the aftercare that was crap.

[kaz33]

Also gave birth at the C&W, the antenatal care was good. My midwife lost the plot a little during the birth and went on a half hour break leaving us with a trainee and then when she came back got me to push without checking that I was actually ready - ah well.

However, when things started to go wrong and DS refused to come out - the consultant was in like a flash, I was hooked up to my requested pain relief within 10 minutes and into the operating theatre - NO MESSING AROUND.

Again however, the aftercare was awful. After my c-section I was in the high dependency unit and despite telling me that I needed to drink loads of water didn't check that I had any. I'm sure I asked for some but feeling so bloody awful can't remember. In the end I was in for 4 days and remember literally begging to be let out home so I could get away.

Oops, just remembering how awful it was. Going back there for second water birth - so just shows you how quickly one forgets. Working on the assumption this time I'll have an idea of what is going on.

Oh yes and they have a nice coffee area downstairs where you can for a break and watch the world go by...

Kaz33

[willow2]

kaz33 - blimey, you saw a consultant? Mine didn't bother to turn up until half an hour before I was discharged, despite a two day labour with horrendous complications and an eight day stay. What an arse.

[LynneW]

I had my 2nd at C&W and they were fantastic. In my experience aftercare is dreadful wherever you go! Also go armed with earplugs & eye masks - visitors aren't monitored well and it's impossible to sleep when you need to sometimes.

Wherever you go, do go with something to disinfect the loo/bidet/bath - even if it looks clean - there's nothing worse than coming home with an infection. I was horrified at the mess some mums left in the loos - indescribable!!

I'm booked at St Georges for my 3rd due in April - not that impressed with their ante-natal care but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter - it'll be down to the midwife you get at the birth that really matters. One of the grottiest hospitals round here - St Hellier has the most brilliant midwives who also operate the domino scheme - I wish I lived closer to this, otherwise I'd definitely go there.

Have you thought about booking NCT or Active Birth classes too? They get booked up massively and are well worth doing, particularly active birth. I did this with my 2nd baby and it really made a difference.

[bozzy]

Hi there, I am now in London in Battersea and have applied to St Thomas's although I have been accepted at C&W. St Thomas's ward was fairly impressive as it is very new etc. Has anyone got any experience of St Thomas's or any comments on C&W as I can't make up my mind - keep hearing contrasting stories about C&W but no info so far on St Thomas's.