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?