Chelsea and Westminster

[Kingsroadie]

Hi, new to Mumsnet. Feel a bit silly as not even pregnant yet but thinking about trying soon. Just wondered if anyone has any recent experience of C&W NHS maternity unit.

We thought about going private but my GP said that it was probably not worth it if we didn't just have a load of cash sitting around as the ante-natal and labour care is pretty good. I have heard the post-natal care isn't great but unless there are complications I assume one can leave fairly promptly after the birth (perhaps staying a night).

Have read quite a few threads on this but would appreciate recent experiences as I believe there was a review done in Jan 08 and a concerted effort to improve it. We live near Glos Rd so C&W is literally 5 mins away so it would seem to be the most sensible place to go.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all - thanks for the comments - v useful to hear other people's opinions about it all. Thanks sherizad am feeling much better now!

I hope it will all be fine - sure it will be, as with most London hospitals I have heard that antenatal and care during delivery are fine/very good and it's the post-natal which isn't great , esp breastfeeding as some of you have said.

Am expecting it though and will be prepared with flip flops, dettol wipes etc! I also lived abroad growing up and so am used to levels of hygiene and facilites not being great...sure I will be fine. And will get husband to make sure he stands up for me if need be.

Glad you're feeling better Kingsroadie! Just had to add a further update - have been back in to C&W a couple of times with scares over bleeding - was nothing serious at all apparently, but staff were very reassuring and couldn't have given better care in checking me out - this last time even saw the doctor I posted about originally who had upset me a bit and he was great and didn't make me feel silly for rushing in to be checked out and told me he would be on duty all weekend if I needed to come in again. Needless to say after two false alarms I have a better idea now of when I need to panic or not (!)- but it's good to know I have the option of going up if anything more serious-seeming crops up!
Good luck with the breastfeeding when you get there!

Hi there. Just updating this thread for future reference. I went to QCs for DS1 but changed to C&W for the baby I am now 39 weeks with as it is so much closer which is a big consideration. I did a refresher class there today and we all spoke quite openly about previous experiences. Lots of people had changed to C&W - all preferred their antenatal care there. I have certainly found it way more efficient. No hanging around in queues using a stupid ticket system !

The course leader Mariella said in the past C&W had had a bad rep for being understaffed on the post natal ward - any complaints had arisen there but they got a huge injection of funds earlier this year and now the post natal was much much improved. I found this interesting and reassuring

I know this isn't my thread by as I'm expecting dc2 in Feb that's really nice to hear Toppy.

Had both of mine at the private maternity unit at C&W, same consultant for both but it is pricey unless you have any insurance that covers it. Can't fault the care, they even take the baby away at night and just bring them in for feeds so that you can sleep!

Some midwives are nicer than others, think that's the same anywhere. I think if you are just very firm about what you want and don't be afraid to speak up you should be fine. That's where the independant midwives can be a lifesaver for first time mums!

I had both my DS's at C&W NHS & as previous posts say found all care exceptional apart from post natal ward, that was pretty dire. But labour ward brilliant & really that's the most important stage I think. Also DS1 was in neo-natal for first few days & they were fab too.
I do find it a bit disappointing seeing a different midwife each visit for the pre-preg care too.
We'll be having DC3 there next spring, so overall def recommend it! Toppy, I remember Mariella from when I took the first time parents course in early '06, nice to hear she's still there. Having started the hospital visits again I have recognised quite a few midwifes from my previous pregnancies.

Thanks Toppy for updating about the "huge injection of funds" that they say has been directed at improving the post natal ward.

Would love to see if people have more positive things to say now. Maybe Kingroadie you'd be kind enough to update after you give birth, as my baby will be along a couple of months after yours...?

Great - thanks everyone! YEs I think they had a bit of a kick up the backside a few years ago and with the injection of funds let's hope they're even better now. I actually spoke to someone the other day who saidthe antenatal care was good which surprised me...! I am prepared for it to not be great but at least I am prepared with dettol, flip flops etc and I have heard almost all positive stories about births there. I have found antenatal appointments to be good (apart from the fact I have never seen the same midwife but that's not massively worrying).

I will of course report back after the little one makes her appearance especially after everyone has been so kind as to post their comments for me here.

hi!
would like to add that i had my DS there in Oct 2008.
the ante-natal care was ok but i never saw the same midwife twice.the birth was good and as others have mentioned before the care afterwards on the ward wasn't great. there were some great midwifes but many were bank staff who weren't that bothered. if you don't have to stay long then it will be ok but i was in for a week and saw how busy/disorganised it can be.
generally it was ok and i would give birth there again. however, given my time again i wouldn't let those few grumpy members of staff get me down- although very difficult post birth!
its funny because my GP said exactly the same thing as yours-i'm sure we share the same GP!
i did look into private options but decided that C+W provided the best facilities should anything go wrong, NHS/Private.
hope all goes well for you.

ilovemysleep - it's not Dr Boreham by any chance? Funny if so! Thanks for info too...

An update to my last post below...Having been sent home by the original doctor (the one who wouldn't discuss cerclage etc. early on)and been told the watery bleeding and cramping was not a problem, I was in a LOT of pain that night - called labour ward at 1 am who told me to take gaviscon and lactulose and go to A&E if continued - pain unbearable by 4 am and went in to labour ward NOT A&E - admitted and given codeine - was going to be discharged 48 hours later, but after 3 days had a scan which revealed waters had broken...blood test showed I had serious infection - stitch removed and labour induced. Lost baby at 23 weeks.
I saw a LOT of different doctors and midwives (some excellent, some dreadful)and had to explain my situation right from the start every time - which became quite upsetting towards the end.

I did have some WONDERFUL midwives ? and a couple of terrible ones with zero communication skills and seemingly little understanding of my condition. (Also witnessed actual shouting arguments between different patients and midwives on 2 occasions which was quite stressful.)

The main thing I take from this though is that I knew something was wrong from the start ? I hadn?t felt well on and off prior to this, I had pink watery bleeding on Friday afternoon, the pain through the night was unbelievable (contractions coming 3 mins apart by the end) ? I told a midwife I was unbearably hot one afternoon (agency midwife? Her English didn?t seem great.) ? she told me it was a hot day and opened the window. I was in fact running a fever and succumbing to the infection - etc etc. My point is, although I don?t really blame anyone for this, at various stages I had awareness of my own body/condition which was not taken seriously by medical staff. Also I think it?s a big problem that there?s no continuity of care and you have to see so many different practitioners ? don?t know if the system would be any different in any other NHS hospital, tho.

No amount of complaint will bring my baby back, but I would advise others not to be afraid to really assert themselves when they know something is wrong.

Having said that below, the two excellent consultants I would recommend for a high risk pregnancy at C&W are Zoe Penn and Nick Wales.