Private birth in London - worth it?

[babybugmum]

Would love to hear your experience if you've given birth at a private hospital in London - how did you find it? Would especially love to hear if you've also had a birth at an NHS hospital and how it compared?

For context, I'm currently expecting DC2 and gave birth to DC1 just over a year ago at an NHS hospital. It was quite a traumatic birth but the NHS were amazing... that is, until immediately after the birth. I was really distressed by my experience in the recovery room and postnatal ward, and the thought of that part scares me more than the birth.

DC1 will be 20 months when DC2 is due - we will have no family in the country and noone who knows DC1 well enough to look after him for long periods (goes to nursery but has never been looked after by anyone else other than DH and me).

I'm fully prepared that I might have DH with me only for the labour (we could get an emergency nanny) but then DH will need to go home to be with DC1 when I'm in postnatal. Can't have home birth due to previous PPH.

The thought of being alone in postnatal is really worrying me - last time, it was really chaotic and stressful, I wasn't mobile enough after labour to manage by myself and I felt I wasn't able to get help or support from nurses/MWs. The ward was packed like sardines and sweltering in winter. It was so unbearable that I fought to get discharged after the first night.

For that reason, I'm exploring the option of going private this time - funds aren't endless but we could afford it... although wondering whether it's worth it? Is the recovery/postnatal care any better than NHS, so I could get some support if DH is not there? Are there any other real benefits of going private (our NHS antenatal care has been great)?

Alternatively, any idea if I can hire someone to stay with me in the postnatal ward to help out, assuming our hospital's Covid rules allow? We don't have any friends who could leave their own kids, not sure if there are doulas/maternity nurses who offer this sort of service?

@ScarfaceCwaw would you mind letting me know whether it was £600 per night? I’m due to give birth at Queen Charlotte’s and interested in the private room options.

It was that and change per night, @somanyquestions20. No complaints about the private postnatal, it was very quiet - plenty of free rooms - and the care was excellent, including on the NHS labour ward where I gave birth. This was a couple of years back now though.

No regrets, it was a complete contrast to my postnatal experience on an NHS ward a few years before that. It made a massive difference to spend time with my baby in a quiet, private, pleasant space, and for DH to be accommodated too.

There is another option, which is to give birth on the NHS but also employ a postnatal midwife. Mine came to visit me in hospital when DC2 was a few hours old and then popped in daily at home for the first week or so, then was on the phone after that. Bloody marvellous. Sorted me out with breastfeeding, kept an eye on stitches healing and generally very kind and supportive. Also gave me confidence to spend less time in hospital, frankly, which is always a bonus as postnatal wards are a very particular circle of hell in my small experience.

I genuinely thought about this after a horrendous first birth. I was at kings and the whole experience was just awful. I didn't sleep for a week, the worst part after the five day induction was the two night on the ward. Jesus.

Anyway. A lot of people said to me get a private room. This is not a thing in my experience. I don't know where it came from but offering the midwives a couple of hundred for a private room is not going to get you anywhere. You need to go properly private. By the time I had my second I had moved to Kent where I had a c section due to the shit show of my first and EVERYONE gets a private room! I was astounded!

So in a nutshell my advice is to move.

But going private would probably be cheaper so do that

A lot of people said to me get a private room. This is not a thing in my experience. I don't know where it came from but offering the midwives a couple of hundred for a private room is not going to get you anywhere. You need to go properly private.

It's definitely a thing at a number of London hospitals, and you absolutely do not have to go private for the birth in many of the hospitals that have a private postnatal ward. We literally just told the labour ward midwives we wanted a private room on postnatal, they checked one was available and I was wheeled there a few hours after the birth. They billed us after discharge.

I made my hospital choice partly with the facility to book a private postnatal room in mind and had already researched it before getting pregnant.

@girlofnow

I genuinely thought about this after a horrendous first birth. I was at kings and the whole experience was just awful. I didn't sleep for a week, the worst part after the five day induction was the two night on the ward. Jesus.

Anyway. A lot of people said to me get a private room. This is not a thing in my experience. I don't know where it came from but offering the midwives a couple of hundred for a private room is not going to get you anywhere. You need to go properly private. By the time I had my second I had moved to Kent where I had a c section due to the shit show of my first and EVERYONE gets a private room! I was astounded!

So in a nutshell my advice is to move.

But going private would probably be cheaper so do that

We were at Kings and did exactly that. Paid a couple of hundred for a private room. Invoiced after.

I had my son at the private wing of a London nhs hospital. Definitely worth it 100 times over. A friend of mine gave birth nhs at chelsea westminster then recovered in the Kensington wing that saved a lot

If the birth is straightforward you can be discharged from the delivery suite and not go to the ward. It's a good option for those who cannot have a home birth and have children at home

I left after 3 hours

I don't know about everywhere but private rooms are full of covid positive patients where I am so they're not available

Well you’d avoid those awful photography care package people

The problem with paying for a private room is that they may not be available - tried this for my second birth, the rooms were full, onto the ward, with all the grimness associated.

For my third we went private at the same NHS hospital (Kings) and it was great. The birth was no different (although I was able to breastfeed while still in theatre etc because I had plenty of time to make my wishes clear), but having 1-1midwife care postnatal and your own room was amazing.

The midwife also liked it - she said she likes doing extra private shifts because she gets time to give the care she's trained for, and to spend time cuddling babies (while I was asleep). I stayed an extra night compared to my previous baby because I was actually having a chance to be cared for and recover, no waiting for painkillers etc.

Cost ~£9k all in.
We might have spent that on holidays over the past year, so I figure it's a good use of the saved money!

I'd look into a doula.

The problem with doulas at the moment is the current visiting restrictions - they can be there for the birth in many places but absolutely aren't being allowed for post natal. So you might be there for however long with short daily visits from your partner as your only support

I went private at the Lindo and it was worth every penny. I’d second the previous comments about being linked to an NHS hospital though.

The antenatal support from my consultant was great, with wonderful continuity of care right the way through.

In labour I was monitored round the clock, with extremely frequent checks by allocated midwives and my consultant. I got an epidural immediately on request.

When the labour went wrong (unforeseeable, no pre-existing conditions, classed as a low risk pregnancy) my consultant and allocated midwives were literally right there, assessed me, called a Category 1 (immediate threat to life) and wheeled me into one of the operating theatres. I was put under general anaesthetic and my daughter was delivered by CS.

This is where I was grateful for being attached to an NHS hospital as the ‘crash team’ was called from the NHS wing and was on standby in the theatre. Fortunately it wasn’t needed.

I was kept in hospital for seven days. Private room, visitors whenever I wanted them, no awareness of any other patients or their visitors, dedicated midwives that helped with breastfeeding and baby care lessons for us as first timers, brilliant level of personal care for me, consultant paediatrician check ups for baby and good food to top it all off!

I’d observe that going private is buying continuity of consultant care and dedicated midwives that have significantly fewer patients to attend to so they can concentrate on you and your child. Plus a seemingly better environment for recovery.

Whilst it’s impossible to establish the counterfactual and I have nothing to compare it against apart from friends’ experiences and what I’ve read on here, I’d certainly go private again.

@ScarfaceCwaw and anyone else, pre-covid were your partners allowed to stay in the room with you the whole time?

@mootymoo

If the birth is straightforward you can be discharged from the delivery suite and not go to the ward. It's a good option for those who cannot have a home birth and have children at home

I was discharged from the labour ward / birth centre both times.

Not sure if it is the case now but during the first lockdown, the private catering was closed so we had to have nhs food. Had a very high risk pregnancy and opted to go private from 35 weeks (planned elcs at 36 wks), private wing of an nhs hospital. Best money we ever spent (with help from health insurance). Had two previous all nhs births.

@somanyquestions20 if you want to be certain of a private room, you have to be a private patient. Not everyone I was in recovery with was able to transfer as there wasn't room. Was very relieved to be a private patient and therefore not have that worry.

Oh and also no private nursery available during covid (and I had a multiple birth so it would have been very handy). Definitely would advise being in a private wing of an nhs hospital though just in case, Portland have a scbu I believe but no adult icu so you could have the situation of the baby being there and you being transferred elsewhere if things went wrong.

[quote Nesski]@ScarfaceCwaw and anyone else, pre-covid were your partners allowed to stay in the room with you the whole time?[/quote]
At the time, yes. DH was there throughout except where he opted to go home briefly during my long induction. He was welcome and accommodated on the private postnatal ward, and the cost includes meals for us both (chosen from the posh menu! I think he had wine!).

I obviously wouldn't be able to speak about what Covid has done to this whole situation, but the hospitals should be able to.

I gave birth on the nhs, but paid for the private ward afterwards. Could you do that? It also means if something doesn’t go to script they can treat immediately whereas some private facilities aren’t able to cope and just end up calling an ambulance.

@TakeMe2Insanity

I gave birth on the nhs, but paid for the private ward afterwards. Could you do that? It also means if something doesn’t go to script they can treat immediately whereas some private facilities aren’t able to cope and just end up calling an ambulance.

That sounds ideal but unfortunately my hospital aren't offering that at the moment, apparently because of Covid. You have to be fully private from the start of your care or fully NHS. No combination of the two.

I'm contemplating sticking with the NHS for my antenatal care and hope that in 7 months time the rules may change so I can go private for post natal!

There's a few misconceptions on this thread, or at least some things that have been shared which are not guaranteed on the NHS.

A single NHS room after birth is an "available on the day" thing - they are given, for free, to women with medical needs first, and this trumps anyone with the ability to pay. Women with medical conditions where rest may be needed, women who have experienced still births previously, women with critically ill babies, and women who have had twins / triplets.

Likewise "swapping" to private maternity after birth is not guaranteed either - if private maternity is full they are not going to turf out a private patient for a woman who has birthed on the NHS to have the room for 24 / 48 hours.

It also means if something doesn’t go to script they can treat immediately whereas some private facilities aren’t able to cope and just end up calling an ambulance.

Given that all private facilities in London are within an NHS hospital expect the Portland which has it's own NICU and Maternal Critical Care Unit, I think this is misinformation. Ambulances are regularly called to transfer critical care babies between NHS NICUs around London regardless of whether the mother was an NHS patient or a private patient - this is purely to ensure that staffing levels are met and babies receive the best care they need, particularly with regards to specific conditions that require surgery.

OP I have been thinking about this, mainly for budgeting / financial reasons, and to be honest I would pay privately throughout pregnancy at the NHS hospital where my medical issue consultants are based, or, I would go to the Portland if my medical situation improves.

I think it would be a good idea. You'd have your own room and bathroom for one thing - unless you had to have a C-section in which case you would be in a small intensive care type room opposite the nurses station for a while. However we hope that won't be necessary.

You will be well looked after and be able to call for help whenever/if you need it, which will be virtually instant. Nicer food too. Your husband can sit with you for as long as he likes and you would have privacy.

On the other side, people are not generally kept in hospital for long after having a baby. I know I went home the next day so could put up with it for that short time - and I'm someone who values privacy.