Mayday, Lewisham or PRU?

[Goodluckbear]

Hi,

I've just moved to Beckenham area and I'm near to three hospitals - Mayday in Croydon, Lewisham (in Lewisham ), and Princess Royal in Orpington. I guess I'll need to book into one of them (currently 19 weeks) for maternity care as my old hospital is a bit too far away now - any votes as to which one is best? Their ratings all seem to be the same, and travel distance is pretty much the same for each.

(And I don't know anyone in the area to ask!!)

Cheers.

Lewisham has a brand new birthing unit, only opened earlier this year. It might be worth checking it out.

I had DD1 at the PRU, 5 and a half years ago.

Parking is a bit of a nightmare (expensive) and the after care was a bit shoddy, but the midwife team, antenatal group and my consultant were very good.

I had both my DDs at Mayday. The first experience was hellish, the second less so. If you can get into the birth unit, it's apparently lovely (I didn't with either). The consultants are all very good, as are the staff, but it is very very busy all the time (with DD2 earlier this year I had to wait to transfer from antenatal ward to labour ward, then from labour ward to postnatal). Parking is not too difficult and not too expensive, and the food is terrible.

Hope that helps! They do regular tours on Saturday mornings if you want to go and have a look.

don't know about the others but my experience at PRUH in 2007 was awful.

I didn't realise how crap it was until I gave birth again last year in a different area and had a great experience.

I think I'd rather give birth on a bus at Croydon station than in the Mayday itself.

Thanks guys. Think I'll rule out Mayday - sorry your experience there was so shit Ski, thanks for warning me though.

Think I might have a look at Lewisham.

Cheers,
GLB

I had dc1 in mayday in 2005, it was pretty awful but the staff in the SCBU are fantastic.I had dc2 elsewhere, in a hospital where if she'd had the same problems as dc1 we'd have had a 1 hour transfer by ambulance.They do have all the facilities, just very very busy.

GLB- I didn't have my baby there (lucky me!) - but I know the hospital...