Kingston Hospital?

[JMM2006]

Has anyone had a baby at Kingston Hospital in London? And if so, what was your experience?

No personal experience I'm afraid but I've heard very good reports from 2 people about it.

I had dd there in 2005 - worrying pregnancy and dd had IUGR so I was induced at 37 weeks which failed and I ended up having emergency c-s.

Saw quite a lot of the hospital, consultants and registrars and spent a fair bit of time there. I couldn't really fault them at all - I may have been lucky but they were very diligent in picking up dd's problems and dealt with it brilliantly. I found everyone had a lot of time to go over what was happening.

On a practical note, the postnatal ward is almost entirely private rooms and I hear they have now introduced a lot of pools.

All being well I will back there in March !

I haven't had a baby there myself but know a number of people who have. Where I live you can go to West Mid or Kingston. Everyone I know has had positive experiences. Hope that helps.

bit out of date but had dd1 there in 2000 and wasn't overly impressed. friend also had bit of a rough time in about 2002, but know plenty of people who have found it ok. I think so much is down to the mid-wives on duty and how assertive you are.

I was there with dd in 2003 and it all went fine for me. My only one gripe was it was really full when we first arrived so we were put in a room where women were recovering from cs, and I was having contractions, was only just about able to keep reasonably quiet(it was 3am)
But we soon got to a room of our own and I had more than enough attention as there was only me and one other woman in the whole labour area then.
Aftercare was great I thought, I had a room on my own with ensuite bathroom and lots of nurses popping in to see how I was and even bringing me cups of tea in the night.
I nurses/midwives I met were also really helpful with breastfeeding tips, so I can't fault them from my experience.

going back this December if we haven't moved by then.

Had DS there in 2005 and was impressed overall, and really valued having a single room afterwards. There were niggles, but I guess you'd have those anywhere. A friend who's had 3 children there also thinks it's great but that the community midwives afterwards are terrible (I cleverly live outside their "technical" catchment area so got my aftercare from the St George's midwives instead).

Kingston is where bubble99's DS died during labour also in 2005, though, just a few weeks after I had DS there. It's shocking how different care can be (not just at Kingston, but at many hospitals) under different circumstances even within a fairly short timeframe. I'd still have #2 there but I won't necessarily be so ready to assume that the medical staff are automatically right (and I wasn't particularly ready to assume that before).

Had DS there in 2003. My experience was great - brilliant midwife and liked having own room afterwards. I know others who had different midwives but didn't have such positive experiences, but I think that would happen where ever you went. I THINK that since they did up the Malden suite (now with birthing pools), you don't get your own room after the birth (but you might still get your own room if you use the non mid-wife led unit).

I had my first child at Kingston and hated it! Was like a conveyor belt and an inefficient one at that. Booked into Kingston again for my second and the experience was even worse (was bleeding and they misdiagnosed) - so switched to West Mid during last week and they were fabulous. West Mid is midwife led (Kingston is consultant led) so mums are more empowered to have the birth they want. Kingston has a reputation for being over interventionist (lots of ceasarian sections etc). One friend is suing as she is convinced her twin baby died due to negligence. Sorry to be negative, but wouldn't recommend. Am using Queen Charlotte's for third, as we now can't get booked at West Mid where I live and St Georges is too far.