Princess Alexandra or Whipps Cross?

[LMSJ]

Hello!

I'm currently 5 weeks pregnant and contacted my GP who told me to choose the hospital. I live in Loughton, Essex so I could choose between Whipps Cross in Leytonstone or Princess Alexandra in Harlow. I've only ever been once in Whipps Cross A&E and then I wasn't too impressed. I've read loads of reviews and they highlight good and bad for both hospitals, but many reviews are now old.

I would really appreciate any feedback or recent experiences, good or bad, from either to help me to make the decision.

Thank you in advance! :)

No experience with either hospital but think about the distance to each, their location and what kind of roads you will have to travel to get there. For example, if it's rush hour, are you more likely to get stuck in traffic on the way to one? Is one easier to park at? If you head in whilst in labour you really don't want to be in the car any longer than necessary. I was in the car less than 20 mins but it felt like an eternity

I also wouldn't base it on your experience of A&E. I don't rate the A&E at the hospital I gave birth in but I can't fault the care I received from their maternity team. It was amazing.

I booked in with Whipps Cross and it has not been a good experience so far. In fact, so bad, that I am transferring to a different hospital. At my booking appt, my midwife left me retching (I have HG) for 45 mins after my appt time to go and have a gossip with her mates (she had already seen me in the waiting room and confirmed my name and seen how sick I was) - it was so bad one of her colleagues saw and actually reported her. Then was sent to general outpatients for bloods when she was supposed to do my bloods because I was so sick I couldn't get to outpatients myself let alone wait in a two hour queue. The receptionist kindly intervened, sneaked me into maternity and found a midwife friend there who took them for me. She didn't bother to properly check my urine sample, if she had she would have seen high ketones (was admitted two days later for dehydration).
I have been admitted for HG a few times since then and each time it has been a fiasco. I have never been made to feel so belittled. Go literally anywhere else if you can!!!

@MyBabyBoyBlue sorry you had such a bad experience.
I have been there recently and it was all pretty straightforward. Booking appt was done on the phone but all very efficient and she got GP to prescribe meds I needed and emailed me my exemption certificate. 2 weeks later we went in for 12 week scan done, then saw HCA for BP/BMI check, then had bloods done in the antenatal clinic, then saw midwife. In and out within an hour even though it was busy

@LMSJ please dont go whipps. I had my baby there 5 weeks ago. I had the worst experience from start to end (apart from the midwife I had during my labour) everything else was traumatic. The maternity unit is honestly horrible. I had reduced movements 3 times and was made to feel like sht every time by a few of the nurses in there each time I had to argue my point as to why I was there. I cried twice, and saw various woman walking out about the way they are getting treated coming in with worries. Its horrid the way the staff speak to eachother also. They speak to you like utter sht. I know this is just one opinion, but if I can say anything I would say change hospital. I really wouldnt want any other woman feeling the way I did whilst with them. It is so manic even on the ward after giving birth I just felt so uncomfortable the whole time. I know this sounds over the top, I have had to go back to the hospital 5 times into a different neonatal unit since birth for my babys jaundice checks and I honestly feel sick and nervous every time we drive past the maternity building even though I wont be going back in there it gives me a horrid feeling just looking at it. I wish I done the tight thing and changed before giving birth because I feel like it ruined my experience of my first child being at that place. The staff in neonatal are absolutely amazing nothing like maternity and midwives I must say can not fault them at all x

I’m under PAH for second baby - had first baby elsewhere so don’t have the full experience yet. So far so good - they’ve still a fair few COVID restrictions in place, one that particularly concerns me is no partners for induction but hoping that might change by the time I’m due in Feb - and could be even less of a concern for you if you’re due next summer. But overall my care has been good, I’m consultant led and have some worries but feel they are keeping a close eye. I have a few friends who’ve delivered their babies there and haven’t heard anything terrible. So often it depends on your pregnancy and so many factors, so I would echo what others have said in terms of thinking about logistics etc. Also have a few friends who went to Whipps and weren’t that impressed - especially post natal care.

Princess Alexandra. I would move to the other side of the country if Whipps was my only option (I do have experience of both)

PAH. I had my baby there and they're great.

Whipps is a warzone.

Am very out of date but had a fantastic first birth at PAH 13 years ago. Lovely birthing suite, water birth and midwife with me throughout. Two shift changes in the middle but handled really well and they were all lovely.

Hopefully someone can give some more recent experience but it was all really positive. Whipps didn't have the best reputation back then and that doesn't seem to have changed from PP.

I had my baby girl at PAH 16 months ago and I had such a positive experience throughout my pregnancy and birth that I thoroughly recommend it to you! The midwives and doctors were amazing and if I have another baby I'd have it there again, and wouldn't consider going anywhere else. I first went to the birthing unit, it was fantastic with a pool, in the end I had to go over to the labour ward and ended up in theatre. They took care of me and my baby so well, honestly I only have good things to say about the place and midwives.

I gave birth a few weeks ago at whipps (lilac centre which was the midwife led unit as I was low risk, not the labour ward)
I had an amazing experience. All the facilities have been renovated and I had a water birth in a brand new room. I stayed in two nights and had my own private room, the midwives couldn’t do enough for me. Highly recommend it.

I had my little boy at PAH 5 weeks ago and I honestly cannot rate the midwives and the care they give enough. Actually it wasn't just the midwives - it was the doctors, the MCAs and the domestics too. Everyone was so lovely and caring.

I was induced but ended up having a C-section in the end so was there for about 6 days in total. Everyone was divine. Would have another baby there without a second thought.

I tried to register at Whipps as I’m only 5 mins away. After sending the referral form twice, two follow up emails and ringing 4 times on separate days (no one ever even picked up am the phone) I gave up. Now at Homerton which is 20 mins away and busy so not ideal but experiencing brilliant antenatal care

I'm at Whipps cross - the community midwives have been chaotic and useless, however I'm now under the care if the foetal medicine unit who have been amazing so far and I feel very confident in their care. Not given birth though so will have to see how it goes. I live five minutes walk away so I just thought it made no sense to go elsewhere and have to travel for ages for each appointment

I had bad experiences at Whipps X. Some incredibly amazing individuals but the system itself seemed overworked and not quite on the ball.

I'm 32 weeks and booked in at Whipps Cross. Can't comment on the birth experience yet, and some of the comments above are a bit worrying, but everything to date I've been happy with.

Until 28 weeks, midwife appointments were by phone, which I didn't love but that's down to Covid more than anything else, and I was dealing with different people each time, some of whom were a bit short with me. Since 28 weeks, when my in-person appointments started, things have been a lot better. I'm seeing the same nice midwife for each appointment, the sonographers have been really nice as have the obstetricians (I've seen three so far). It's also nice to go to a brand new unit for all appointments (I think it opened around September or so).

I had been a bit worried about past reviews of Whipps Cross, but if you look at the CQC report from Dec 2019 they scored 'Good' across every factor. Still have to admit I feel a nervous reading people who have given birth since then and haven't had a good experience, but I'm hoping my positive experience to date continues.

I'm at PAH and so far so good, sis and cousin in law both had babies there recently and had good experiences!

Also, if you wanted to see a bit of what it's like I recommend watching the show Emma Willis Delivering Babies as that's where she did her training

I’m in Bishops Stortford & 16 weeks and under PAH, so far, so good. Still COVID restrictions in place but everyone has been really nice, this is my first baby and lots of friends have had their babies there and had a great experience!

Side note, and sorry to jump on the thread but if yourself or anyone else local under PAH on this thread wants to stay in touch then I’d love to connect with some local mummies to be! x

I'm with PAH. Not had much experience with them so far as it's early days but I know some of the midwives who are lovely and all of my friends with babies had them there and no one has had any problems.