West middx or Kingston hospitals? (hoping for homebirth)

[purcellfan]

Hi, I had my first child in Kingston (home birth transfer) and am planning a homebirth for my second next Feb if all goes ok. I've heard West Mid are more supportive of home birth than Kingston - anyone have experience of this or of West Mid in general recently?

You have to live within the catchment area of a hospital to be offered a homebirth by them. So if you live for example, in Thames Ditton, you can have your baby at Kingston or West Middx hospitals, but only Kingston will support a homebirth for you. If your last homebirth was supported by Kingston midwives then you live in the Kingston area and West Mid will not be able to facilitate a homebirth for you (if you have moved then you may be within the West Mid area now).

Thanks, we have moved, though not very far. West mid is definitely our nearest hospital though. Am going to try to phone them tomorrow to check.

Catchment areas are weird, especially in this area. Whereabouts do you live? The only area that is funny is Teddington, which the two hospitals share, but otherwise it is quite clear cut. I work as a community midwife at one of the hospitals mentioned so know the areas (however you should still ring as should't rely on internet stranger advice!)

Hi again,we're in North Richmond. Woke up with some bleeding this morning though so not sure what's going on and whether I'm still going to be pregnant...

Bleeding stopped again, that's a relief. It seems we're in the catchment for Kingston though - you're right it's weird as west mid is much nearer.