St Thomas's or C&W

[bozzy]

I am being urged to make a decision on St Thomas's but don't know anyone who has had a baby there recently - any recommendations (since they now have a modern maternity unit..)

I don't know St Thomas's at all so can't really help but love C&W. We drive across town if we need to take ds to A&E as we find them far better than our local one. Our friend recently broke her leg, by pure coincidence right out the front of the hospital and their service was fantastic. We called it Hotel Chelsea whenever we went to visit her.

I had a terrible post-natal experience at C&W. The delivery was fine but no staff about for post-natal/breastfeeding support, very hot, dirty, noisy & had stuff nicked. Very sad experience.
otoh bound to be plenty of peopel who had good time there, but I sadly wasn't one of them.

That's sad Monkey. I wonder if post natal is bad in all hospitals as it was in the one I was in and every other one any woman I know had their baby in.

C&W great for accident and emergency - they have a seperate childrens section and I love the way its all shiny and new.

However, in C&W for 4 days after emergency c-section and hated it. Food was shit, I rejected one meal and then literally had to beg someone to get me a sandwich later. I didn't feel that I was being looked after at all or given any assistance in looking after DS1.

Saying that I felt like shit and retrospectively I realise that I was a bit hysterical - birth had been quite traumatic and I was probably in shock.

Am going back as closest hospital and well it can't be as bad this time!!

Kaz33 - a girl at work gave me great advice which was to demand, demand, demand when you are in the hospital. Sorry to all those NHS workers on mumsnet. She said she wished she had been more assertive in her requests. I decided when I went in for ds that I would be assertive. I was and it worked. I wasn't rude or aggressive just adamanet about what I wanted and when I wanted it. It worked a treat. Mind you the aftercare was really poor but then I was bored out of my brain and left as soon as I could. I was lucky not to have any issues from ds's birth mind you.

I know the public section of C&W is pretty much like others but the private was great (for broken legs anyway). Don't know if you can get that or not but if not then remember you and babe deserve the best and make sure you get it.

Ditto C&W postnatal care - fxxxxxx sxxxe.

I went to C&W & despite nearly killing me they were pretty good, gave me my own room etc. Very understaffed but I think that goes for all maternity units.

On the other hand it is really nice to be somewhere where you can get good food etc. I was in for a couple of weeks before with slightly high blood pressure and I could go out each evening with dh to the cinema, restaurant etc. There are 2 or 3 really good delis and a juice bar right outside so you don't have to eat the hospital muck.

Kaz33 I also had emergency section at C & W - I admire you for lasting 4 days, I couldn't stand more than 2. Honestly, couldn't even find my SHOES when it was time for me to escape. I was in so much pain too, and if I was sleeping they didn't even bother to give me the pain killers, or even leave them on the side, and when I woke up I was in absolute agony, but could I get hold of any member of staff to actually get medication??

Also, had baby at 7.30 pm. Strapped to wires, catheter (sp?) etc all night, plus tired from medication. Mum & dh come next day around 10.30, and no one had changed ds's nappy - not in 15 hours poor little babe was caked in black sticky poo which took ages to wash off, and I felt so guilty & miserable. Plus that night there was only 2 of us in hdu, so imo there was no excuse.

I absolutely would not recommend it.

And while on a C&W rant, can't say my a&e experience was that great either. Went with bleeding in pregnancy, was left to wait 4 hours, then just told, well, you might be having a miscarrige, 25% end that way anyway, you'll just have to wait & see. Great.

Mind you, I did see Nick Cave coming out of the newsagents opposite, after one antenatal visit, so it was sort of worth it! Oh, and I did get a choice of CD while they were doing the section.

Just found out someone I went out with (once!) is now a Consultant Obstetrician at C&W. Surname begins with D!

When I had my DD at C&W 4 years ago, she came out looking very yellow. The midwife told me that was perfectly normal for babies who were part oriental (as I am half). The doctor agreed!

Three weeks later I took her to the GP as she wasn't feeding and losing weight. GP called an Ambulance. Turns out she had quite severe jaundice when she was born and as a consequence slept too much, didn't feed enough, then was too weak to even suck. At three weeks she weighed 2 pounds less than at birth.

She was admitted into the childrens dept at C&W and feed by a tube for a week. Have to say that the childrens department was lovely and only then did a breastfeeding councillor come round so she could check that DD was finally feeding properly.

Had the midwife at C&W not had some ridiculous preconceptions of asian babies and I had actually seen a breastfeeding councillor then my DD could have been spared the whole later ordeal.

This time I'm booked into Queen Charlottes, I don't know anything about St Thomas, but I sure as hell am not having this baby at C&W.

I had a good experience at C&W although agree that the post-natal services are appalling - but isn't that true about all NHS hospitals? I was lucky to be in a good enough state to leave within 8 hours of the birth of my ds.
Anyone else have a GOOD experience of C&W?!!!
I have heard some horror stories about Charlottes and Kingston. You always hear the bad ones and they happen everywhere. Most important thing is that the staff are good....the facilities eg food etc are secondary.

I'd have to argue that the food might not be important if you are out the same day- but if you are stuck in there for nine days after the birth it is important I had to be put on a low residue diet after ds' birth because of complications - which sounded fine in practice, but didn't actually translate to "different meals". All it meant was that I was severely restricted in what I could eat but still had to select from the usual menu - so for nine days I existed on white bread and mashed potato as I wasn't allowed to eat anything else that was on the menu. Not the greatest diet for someone who has just given birth and is having a nightmare establishing breastfeeding. Thankfully, dh was able to bring in food when he came to visit - but what if he hadn't been able to visit every day?

Many thanks for the updates. After all this info, I now have decided that I would like to opt for a home birth, which means that I have to re-register at St Georges as only their midwives will visit me at home! So I guess that narrows the options down. I am also having a doula who is very experienced and she really likes St Georges although I am hoping I won't need to go there. Thanks again!

Gulp....I'm going to C&W.......

Look at my post, NQWWW. I had a good experience of C&W and I know lots of other people who have been well-looked after there too. Its a good hospital, there are some really good staff and the only draw-back I could see was the post-natal ward and the food.
Best of luck.

NQWWW - I'm going back as well - despite the horrendous post natal care they were very good with everything else. Hopefully, we will both be in and out like a flash..