Opinions of Kingston Hospital

[Charlie242424]

Hi - felt slightly pressured by my GP into selecting a hospital on the spot without having had the opportunity to do any research.

Plumped for Kingston because GP said private rooms were available after delivery - however having done some reading it seems there are in fact wards? My first scan appointment is not until I'll be 16 weeks which is far later than I'd like.

I'd be so grateful for people's experiences of Kingston and whether the 16 week first scan appointment is normal?

Don't know about the scan, sorry, mine was at 13 weeks but that was nearly 5 years ago.

However, re the hospital: the little I saw of the maternity ward was a double room where I was for about 2 hours and then a single room where I stayed for 2 nights. So your Dr was right about that - how many of each type I'm afraid I don't know.

My experience in Kingston (again, out of date) was mixed - rubbish post natal, no useful breastfeeding support, forced to give formula on night 1 - but also v good care in labour and delivery. They also messed up when I left so I didn't have the midwife visit on my first day - I think this was because I was not in the Kingston catchment (we lived in Putney). But that was no big deal, just a bit irritating at the time and left me feeling a bit unloved (!)Hope this helps a bit!

I was under Kingston last year. I only really used them for scans as had a home birth and was under a community midwife who I barely saw at my GP.

My first scan seemed quite late dispite the letter going from my GP at 6 weeks and I was 12+5 wks for my first scan. They do the extra Downs tests (both scan and bloods).

I had another scan at nearly 22 wks.

However, there were a couple of things that made the difference. I won't go into the poor MW anti-natal care as that was from the community team and I think was just a crap MW who was not managed properly, but there was a difference between them and West Middlesex when it came to a couple of things.

My waters broke early. If you are under Kingston you've got 24 hrs to then deliver your baby before they want you on an anti-biotic drip on the ward.

If you're under West Mid they'll give you a whopping bag of anti-biotics and you have 48hrs.

I also had a friend who had a terrible time after delivery at Kingston with her tests and notes going missing and lots of general incompetance which meant she wasn't discharged for 5 days! And no-one could tell her why she had to be kept there and what was wrong with her baby!

I can't praise the home birth and post natal care from the Kingston community team highly enough though - they were excellent.

I had 3 babies at Kingston and without fail received fab care. I had private room each time.

Thank you all - fingers crossed the private rooms are still there and that I can deliver within 24 hours!

I had one baby at Kingston in the midwife led bit three years ago so not very current experience but hope it is helpful. I can't fault my care at all. MWs were responsive and helpful and took proper notice of my birth plan. Afterwards, I didn't have a totally private room but it was shared with only one other mother and we had one bathroom between us which was clean and large enough to take the baby in with me in her fishtank.

I had my first scan at about 14 weeks and was practically climbing the walls by then!

Until we moved when I was 35 weeks pregnant, I was booked to go to Kingston and was receiving my ante-natal care at Roehampton. There they told me that they only gave the first scan during a very narrow window (something like 12+3 until 13+5) as that was the most effective time to do the nuchal fold measurement. They would only give you the date of your scan about a week before it took place - apparently something to do with knowing sonographers shift patterns. It sounds as though you may want to check the EDD that they have down for you, especially if you want the nuchal fold test done. I had problems getting a scan date as my GP had mucked up my EDD on the form that was sent to the hospital and found that you had to ring the ante-natal team repeatedly to get anything sorted out as they were often too busy to deal with phone enquiries (eg wouldn't answer the phone; would put you on hold for minutes (over 20 once at which stage I hung up); would be trying to deal with you as well as someone in front of them at the same time) but when I eventually spoke to someone who actually had the time to listen to me, she was really helpful, called me back when she said she would etc.

Good luck with getting it resolved. Be persistent!

Hi had both my dds at kingston.

Dd1 is now 2 and I had all my midwife apts there due to moving house mid preg. They were ok but v long waits.

Birth was great excellent midwife all the way through moved straight to room where I delivered.

When I had her I was moved to a room with 4 beds but had it to myself.

Dd2 is now 1 bit different with her. Was left contracting in Reception for about half an hour then put at the end of a corridor in the ante natal bit not given pain relief or examined.

Eventually given an exam after I made DH go and tell them the baby was coming. Was 5cm and moved to MLU.

Wasn't meant to be on MLU as i have M.S. and was meant to be on main ward but it was full.

Had been losing blood for a long while with a retained placenta and was then transferred into surgery after signing a hysterectomy consent form (couldn't write midwife had to hhold pen in my hand) Dh or my sister were not allowed to come.

Stayed 5 days blood transfusion.

Would still have any more dcs there though as every hospital has overcrowded maternity units it seems.

My sister has had 3 dcs there who are 8,4 and 21 mo. My DN was 9 weeks prem and the SCBU there was great.

Hope I haven't put you off too much any hospital you ask about would have someone with a bad story x

Igave birth at Kingston Hospital. Like Sophiaverloren I found satff at the birth fantastic but the post-natal care (mostly the breastfeeding support) not so good

I had a private room after the birth but I did stay in 5 days because ds has some complications and needed 6 hourly intravenous antbiotics all that time so maybe I was given priority I'm not sure.

Sounds like some alternative post-natal care provisions will be a good idea. Poor you girlsyearapart - but good to hear it hasn't completely turned turned you off. I'll go in prepared for the worst.

Murtette - I've had exactly the same experience with trying [and failing] to get through by phone to chase my first scan date. My husband and I both spent most of last Friday trying. I may resort to an in person visit.

No hasn't put me off! We're nearer to kingston than West Mid anyway.
Not 100% onthis one but have a feeling that babies born at West Mid have to have BCG but not KIngston babies.

Don't go in fearing the worst you'll just stress yourself out! x

Charlie - I ended up timing my calls for less popular times of day (say 3pm on a Tuesday) rather than first thing in the morning or lunchtime when everyone else is trying to speak to them. I also ended up permanently re-dialling thinking that they would get so annoyed with the phone that they would eventually answer. Also, if you are put on "hold" it tends to be that they just put the phone on the table rather than press a button and play recorded music so, if you keep saying "hello, hello" they will hear you!
Writing that makes me sound really aggressive which I'm not but it was something which I felt was important so I was very persistent.

Hi - I had 2 babies at West Mid and had a 100% positive experience 1st time / horrible, traumatic experience 2nd time, so am going to Kingston this time (due 3rd Nov). Many of my friends have given birth there and I haven't heard of any probs. So far the sonographers, hospital midwives and community midwife (seen same one for 3 appts running) I have seen have been lovely, and I saw a registrar yesterday to discuss VBAC on MLU and she (Cara Williams) was very supportive, even agreeing for me to try for a waterbirth, which I hadn't dared hope for after previous CS!
Will second comments about it being impossible to get through by phone though - just hope labour hotline is not as busy!!
Also, re. previous post, things may have changed but when I had my DCs (2004 and 200^) West Mid did insist on BCG, so both are scarred for life - in my view unnecessarily...
Anyway, good luck with it all!

Thanks for all the advice - it sounds like the normal mix of good and bad experiences with a terrible phone service thrown in on top.

Agree no point panicking or stressing at this stage.

I've been thinking about this since I posted and my poor experience with the anti-natal care really did all revolve around the bloomin' telephone! (Unable to book appointments with MW, MW not returning phone calls, missed check-ups due to not being able to make a flippin' appointment and a missed case of severe anaemia due to her not phoning me about my blood test)

I got so fed up I asked for the details of the head of the community team to write to complain. I haven't done this yet (DS now 6mo) but I will do it. If only because when I have the next one I'll be under Kingston again unless we've moved because the birth and after care were superb.

No complaints at all about post-natal. There was some changing of appointments at short notice due to home births but honestly it's not like you do anything other than eat, sleep, feed in the first 10 days any way and I would rather someone got their homebirth and the midwife had a look at my stitches the next day than insist on them keeping the appointment. The midwifery assistants were just lovely and so, so helpful when we had bfing probs.

There is loads of local breast feeding support out there with the cafe at Kew Hamlet and the NCT breast counsellors.

Health visitor on the other hand... but that's for another thread, another day.

Charlie you will be fine. Just make sure your DH is fully briefed on what you want so he can get you what you want when you're not in a position to do it. And join the local NCT they are very good.

Hope you get Angela as your midwife from the community team, she is just so sensible. Ronel also lovely, lovely lady.

I had a baby at Kingston 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic compared to my first birth at ST George's. We arrived and everyone was friendly, had two midwives (one senior, one student) both of whom were great and followed my wishes and birthplan (which involved mainly leaving us alone and no pain relief or intervention).

They kept us informed but were not intrusive, and when I wanted to give birth kneeling on the floor, they got a yoga mat for me and created a kind of 'nest' for me to deliver on.

The room was en suite, so even though I wasn't able to use a birthing pool (the Malden Suite was closed) they encouraged me to use the bath if I wanted, plus a private loo was great (at St George's I had to walk down the hall while dressed in a sheet and having major contractions).

Afterwards we were left with our baby for an hour and I had a shower, before being taken to a private en suite room for 2 nights.

The care was great and I'd definitely go there again over St George's.