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Original poster

East/Central London - Hospital options... anyone given birth at the Royal London/ Homerton/ UCH looking for good London options

67 replies

cityangel · 03/12/2007 19:47

I live in East London and am in early first pg. I'd like to find out more about good London birth options/ experiences as we have a meeting with the local midwife next week to discuss our options. I also don't know how far outside your catchment area you can opt to give birth if at all? Is it an option to go Private in NHS hospitals if they're not in your catchment area? Do they let you give birth in a birthing centre if its your first?

Any advice for a complete newbie would be welcome. Many thanks

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mummymagic · 04/12/2007 11:36

Homerton was absolutely brilliant for the actual labour, felt like a private patient. Antenatal care was fine- some really lovely consultants and midwives. Not sure I would have wanted to stay in the postnatal ward for much longer than a night though...

Had the same lady booking me in and signing me off - which was a lovely coincidence!!!

Am hoping to use Homerton for the next one (am doing shared antenatal care with clinic this time - not entirely sure why it's different even though am at same address)

NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2007 11:45

Ok, you have a range of options here. The birth centre on the Isle of Dogs is meant to be good - a friend of mine is involved in planning, and has good things to say.

The RLH is a bit grubby, but it's a good hospital. I had both my DSes there.

If you have money to spare, and want better care, you can:

  • hire a private midwife, and then use the NHS for the rest. This is what I did, and it worked very well. I didn't get the birth I wanted, but I did have a reasonable experience and good support. Very good antenatal care, too.
  • hire a doula (e.g. Marsy!). Cheaper than a private midwife, a doula works alongside NHS care, and you get better support, particularly in labour. (I'm sure Mars can provide more info if you're tempted)
  • Caroline Flint runs a private birth centre somewhere south of the river. This is not cheap, but is private care geared towards natural birth - and from what I know, the birth centre is attached to a hospital. If something goes wrong, and you need heavy duty medical intervention, they wheel you down the hall.
NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2007 11:46

Oh, and yes, you can use a birth centre, or home birth, for your first. If you are in TH or nearby, there's a lovely home birth support group. (Mars, I don't know if they've had doulas visit, I know local private midwives promote themselves there. Oh, and there's salsa dancing next door to the hospital, on Mondays and Tuesdays. FYI.)

glammama · 04/12/2007 11:56

I'm having my baby at the Royal London in March and I have had excellent antenatal care from the wonderful midwives. Seen the same one consistently, except for the booking in appt. I live around the corner so it makes sense for me to go local. Had a terrible experience at the Homerton in 2000(long time ago, I know), filth wasn't the word. Luckily my fabulous birthing partner had the foresight to bring cleaning materials. I will be definitley be packing some antibacterial wipes in my birth bag, at least will kil some of the bugs.
I think it comes down to luck on the actual day tbh. Whatever you choose, remember what e14mum said, you will mostly be travelling to appointments throughout your preganancy. Is traffic an isssue for you? What about distance to hospital when in labour? I hope you find the hospital you'll be happy with.

Bessie123 · 04/12/2007 13:28

The royal london is my local hospital too and I was really unimpressed on the few times I went there. I think the best place to go if you still want nhs is a PFI hospital because the standards are higher and the tests for cleanliness, service etc are stricter, with penalties for the company running the hospital if it doesn't meet the standards. I know there is one of those hospitals in Romford (I think it's maybe called Queens) and I think also UCL might be one. hth.

TheChickenLady · 04/12/2007 14:08

Definitely try the Barkantine birthing centre, it's supposed to be amazing when it opens.

MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 14:55

Look on the find a doula pages Lots of info on the site if you want to go down the doula route.

did you say salsa NQC. Ooh maybe I need my client to go into labour tonight/early tomorrow to finish in time for a dance

morningglory · 04/12/2007 15:18

Avoid the Royal London. I inadvertently gave birth there (wasn't booked there, but didn't make it to my hospital of choice due to how fast DS came). I have worked in many hospitals (am a medic), and have never been in one as filthy as the Royal London. The shared bathroom on the post-natal wards is revolting (blood streaks everywhere), and I was virtually ignored by everyone...so much so that I insisted on going home the same day.

You can also go to St. Thomas', which several people I knew in Canary Wharf chose, and they all had great experiences there.

Maggieb52 · 04/12/2007 15:19

had my little boy at royal london 5 years ago. whilst it is not an attractive building, the care during labour was fine(very good but really short staffed) but after care is diabolical especially cleanliness of the toilets. At the time there were about 22 women on the post natal ward and about three working filthy toilets!! Also the emergency helicopter is very loud when you are trying to sleep!! had a section and was out the next day though!!

EffiePerine · 04/12/2007 15:21

Antenatal at Homerton excellent (never had to wait for scans). Labout care pretty good though I did have to send DH for the mw as I was ready to push and they thought I'd be a while yet (admitted 1:30am, DS born 4:30). Postnatal care patchy, but the wards were clean as were the bathrooms.

NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2007 16:15

Yes, salsa, at the pub just next to it, it's east of the hospital, and is orange and black stripey. I think it's Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 7:30. Bloke called Milo runs it.

MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 16:26

but does it have a club at the end of the classes?

chisigirl · 04/12/2007 16:29

Royal London: Had DS1 there. VERY understaffed (poor MWs running around like headless chickens). VERY dirty (I won't go into gory details). EXCELLENT medical care (if you can deal with the other stuff)

Homerton: have no personal experience but I know people who gave birth and were very happy.

NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2007 16:31

Yup, from 9:30 I think. Club is free. here.

MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 16:55

Thank you NQC

glammama · 04/12/2007 17:04

I'm starting to panic now about the Royal london now. Should I take a huge bottle of bleach with me?

MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 18:56

don't panic about it honey. Take flip flops for the shower (as I tell all my mums regardless of hospital) and if you want some antiseptic wipes. But I haven't been to RL (will have by the weekend).

I would rather tell you to take those things than to leave you panicking. All will be well

GLAMpresentsforMAMAplease · 04/12/2007 20:59

Thank you, yes flip flops and these for the shower I think!!!

hertsnessex · 04/12/2007 22:28

Im a huge fan of the Bloomsbury Birthing Centre at UCH. Also the homerton has been good, but BBC @ UCH is my favourite!

Cx

Original poster
cityangel · 04/12/2007 22:32

Thank you soo much for your very helpful messages and ideas. I read through them all and I certainly have a lot to think about.

I like the idea of a Doula which I hadn't thought of... one to chat to dh about.

Thanks again

OP posts:
MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 22:38

When you talk to you DH/P about a doula just let him know that the doula is not there to take his place. She is there as a support to you both.

Hope it works out for you.

Original poster
cityangel · 04/12/2007 23:04

Thanks Mars... he says it didn't cross his mind

I found one I like the look of online... when do people usually make contact 6 months pg? There aren't any prices on her web site so I am not sure what to expect.

OP posts:
prufrock · 04/12/2007 23:20

I had dd at the Royal London in 2002, with midwife appointments at GP's. I had serious complications, and medical care was pretty crap - but I think that was down to my less than up-to-date consultant. The MFAU, which is like ante-natal care for thsoe with complications, was brilliant, and run by an amazing midwife called Margaret. I ended up being admitted and the in-patient ante-natal was aplaing. Truly truly appalling. I would never go back there as an inpatient. I then had my labour (well 2 days of failed induction) on the labour ward, which was actually quite good, and my c-scetion was performed brilliantly when it became neccessary. But I then had to spend 5 days in the cess pit that is the post natal wards.

prufrock · 04/12/2007 23:20

With ds, in 2004, I again had my ante-natal care at RLH, with the lovely Margaret again, and under Mr Aquilina (if you get complications that mean you need a consultant pull any strings possible to get onto his list.) Again, MFAU was brilliant - I used to go in for bloods at 9am, hang around for CTG monitoring and get results back at 11ish so I could go home (or get admitted once, but Mr. A. broke me out next day) But for the birth (another c-section) I went private at St. John and Lizzies as I just couldn't face the squalor of the post natal ward again.

RLH (if combined with local midwives) can be great for a uncomplicated, discharge from labour ward type birth. It is also brilliant from a medical POV. But if you need to stay, you'll be healthy, but very unhappy.

MarsSelectionBoxLady · 04/12/2007 23:22

Yes. Doulas will talk to you and take bookings at any stage. Be sure to meet up with her (both of you) so that you know that you click.

I've been booked as early as the stick going blue to as late as the day of the delivery.

Hope it works out for you.