Giving birth at Chelsea and Westminster- any positive things to say?!

[jem1969]

Am only just over 8 weeks pregnant but booked into C&W for August.
It's my nearest hospital and I know it well and a few friends have had OK births there. Their midwifes also have a centre round the corner from where I live.
I keep searching on mumsnet for threads on it and all seem to be pretty negative but then lots of my friends have had bad experiences all over the country. (My expectations of the whole experience are generally pretty low...)
Just wondering if there were any positive experiences out there or not?! Am hoping that people tend to write more when it's bad rather than good!

no sorry
they were very poor when i was there

Almost everyone I know who went there had a c-section
Although one friend is headed back there so it can't be too bad

thought the care before birth (during pregnancy) was brilliant (and better than another hospital in London where I had my second)

if you've searched, you've probably seen what I said about the care after birth so I won't repeat it

Jem..i gave birth in the north west,,but would be happy to give you some pointers to get a more positive expectation of birth going on....you say your expectations of the whole experience are pretty low...so if you want a 'chat', let me know...

previous thread

another

another

Sorry, had a horrendous experience there. My main advice would be, regardless of where you choose to deliver, arm yourself with as much info as possible and don't let medical professionals fob you off because they should know best. Very often they don't. Best of luck to you.

oh yes I agree they were great beforehand

Thanks for you comments (I think!)
I've just been reading my local area's community website and there are lots of positive stories on there so will just concentrate on those I think!
There are also lots of bad things about the other hospital i could go to which is generally seen as 'better'.
I guess it partly depends on how many others are having their babies that day and you can't really plan that!

Which hospital is your other option?

Please do read the other posts carefully. You will read what happened to my sister's little boy - the midwife is still working at C&W! My advice is to run a mile - why not go to Queen Charlotte's?

If QC is an option, go there, but try to go to the Active Birth Centre. They are a bit too interventionist in the delivery unit IMO.

BTW, I was booked to go to C&W originally, but changed. The one positive thing I can say is that they seemed more thorough at the one ante-natal check I went to (than QC) and their system of ante-natal appointments was very good - not much waiting around. At QC I had to wait for hours for everything.

Can't speak about C and W, but can say that QC was good compared to my first birth (at another hospital). Agree that there are long waits for everything ante-natal at QC but the care during labour and deliver was good, and the post natal wards were fantastic compared to my previous experience.
I wasn't allowed to use the birth centre at QC due to a previous section, but the normal labour ward staff were great and supported me to have a normal birth rather than another section (even when I had given in and asked for a section " ).

Other choice is Kingston

QC is miles away

I only have one ds so no comparison to make. He was born at C&W and I am sure he would not have survived without the exceptional care I received during his birth on a very busy night. However, the week we had to stay in afterwards was hell. If you can, give birth, grab your things (and your baby) and head for home.
On a positive note, the midwives afterwards were brilliant, excellent support for breast-feeding. It was just the ward conditions, noise and food etc. that were unbearable. In the grand scheme of things, the important bits were good.

I had a awful experience there..not during the labour (the midwives were fantastic) but after...I stayed at C&W for 5 days..and some of the midwives were horrible...one of them told me "what do you expect to be a mother" when I was crying of exaustion...

I have heard the aftercare is patchy at best, dangerous at worst.
like others arm yourself with as much ante natal care advice as you can (maybe NCT classes or similar) or even hire a doula to make sure you have the help and support you need at all times.

Have spent the last day or so emailing pretty much everyone who went to C&W or knows someone who did! (almost everyone I know and all the frinds so it seems!)
Lots of OK experiences so sticking with my choice and not going to think about it any more.
Will just arm myself with lots of info and prepare for the lack of after-care!
Thanks for the info.