help! hospital choice west London

[edmg]

I imagine that there are threads already but just can't find any here and limited info elsewhere....any help is welcome even if just links.

due 1st July and applied to queen charlotte, but just received a rejection. I need to call gp tomorrow to try somewhere else. the choices that we were given are Ealing, West Middlesex, Queen Mary's, chelsea and Westminster.

we are more worried about facilities of hospital than anything else, even though this is our first time and are both very lost as to what to do and feel lost in the system...

can anyone help?

Try walking in to the Natural Birth Centre at Queen Charlottes and bursting into tears. Worked for me 10 years ago! The head midwife at the time, Debby Gould, took me on and personally delivered my dd as a VBAC.

I've given birth in Ealing, the maternity birth bit is actually okay, although you do get left alone a lot until your literally ready to push. Ealing hospital wards are actually dispicable, absoulutely filthy and not worth telling anyone about it because they just stomp off like. Child. It was a really uncomfortable experience and I was only there for 12 hours.

I refused to be referred to Queen Charlotte's due to all friends I know who've given birth there having had very poor care pre-, during and post-labour, so am booked in at Chelsea & Westminster which has been very good so far. It was a close call for us between C&W and UCH.

It should be personal choice so push for what you want....

If you were willing to go a bit further west, Wexham Park has a good birthing centre and you can also pay for a private suite for after. It's not cheap, but for a decent night's sleep on my own with only my baby, I thought it was worth it!