Where in London to have twins? C&W or St Mary's Paddington?

[shuz]

Hello there,

I am due to give birth in 4 weeks time to Iddentical twins!!! I live in Canary Wharf and have decided that I cannot bear the thought of having my babies at the Royal London Hopsital so am looking to change! I know I don't have much time now but would love to hear from you with your views on the Chelsea and Westminster and St Mary's . Will pay for a private birth if we have too!

Can't speak about twins but I've had 4 at C & W and their labour ward care is exceptionally good IMHO. Their antenatal care has always been brilliant as well, although you've missed most of that! Postnatal ward used to be pretty hopeless but they've attempted to invest in extra midwives and make it a more pleasant environment, I'm told. Strong possibility of a side room with twins although you may prefer to be on a ward with lots of help/activity with 2 to look after? Their special unit for any issues with newborns is a real strength just in case your littlies need some extra help at the beginning. I think C& W is one of the highlights of the NHS.

Similar experience to TRL of C&W with twins. Antenatal care and delivery excellent, post-natal support dismal beyond caricature. May be better now, as this was in 2007.

I had my daughter at C&W and would agree with the previous posters.

OH ditto to what everyone else says about C and W! I delivered twins there 3 months ago via c section. The delivery care was absolutely brilliant. I felt completely safe and well looked after. Also, one twin was taken off to special care and her treatment in the nicu was also exceptional. They were really good with her. As far as the care for me went, it was absolutely abysmal. I was expected to hobble up to deliver the sick twin colustrum every 3 hours despite being post c section, I spent 6 nights on the post labour wards which were vile. HOrrible bullying midwives, (with some exceptions of course) filthy toilets..it was really unpleasant. Then I was moved up to the nicu with the other twin but couldn't leave the ward to get food as noone could look after the second twin whilst I went to the canteen as their insurance didn't cover it or something. So I was starving and had to rely on visitors to bring me food. I'd say care for the babies is brilliant, I can't fault it whilst care for the mother is shocking.

I've heard Queen Charlotte's is very very good and it is near to the others. Have you considered that?

I'm registered with UCH - I chose it because it's close to my house, and they have a specialist twins unit there. But to be honest, I didn't do much research. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience about UCH?

If you're in Canary Wharf don't rule out Homerton, not so far to travel when you go into labour or when you bring them home (that first journey - every bump in the road feels like a pothole!. Because it's in a deprived area, the incidence of prem births is much higher at Homerton, so it has a 1st class neo-natal and prem unit, should you need it. I had my twins there by C-section (8 years ago) and it was brilliant. No pain at all, ever, which really helped me to cope physically. And they gave me a private room without asking.

Also heard great things of Queen Charlotte's.

RLH - definitely not. That was our nearest but er, no.

I'm at st mary's. Don't know what it's like for twins yet as still on antenatal but it was good when I had ds. Antenatal and labour very good, post natal not wonderful. I tried UCH in betweeen but it ended in a miscarriage which they handled really badly and I had no desire to put myself under their incompetence again. Other people really like it though.