Ashford and St Peters

[mum2b1]

ANyway have any stories about Ashford and St Peters in Chertsey?

Thanks

mum2b1, I had a shite time there when I had my dd (now 8.6) and refused to go back for love or money when I had ds (now 5.11). However, am expecting No. 3 in March and have obviously got over my problems cos I am booked at St Peters.

I think a lot of it is to do with your own personal strengths, etc. For eg, with dd I was young and quite naive and hadn't researched labour beyond bog standard antenatal classes (with the St Peters midwives!). In hindsight, I feel that if I had been better informed and more confident in myself then that birth may well have turned out differently!

I also think a lot of it is "luck of the draw" on the day! Will you get a midwife that you like and can connect and bond with?

My advice would be to learn as much as you can and go in there with a positive outlook. I'm sure you will be just fine!

P.S. When are you due?

Feedmenow - I live in Sunbury so am booked in there.
Have tried to get Dr to send referral to Kingston but they are taking their time.
I am due in August.

Where did you have your 2nd baby?

I had my first there, and next three managed from there (homebirths).

I had nothing but good experiences.

We've also been regular visitors to A&E and Children's Ward with DD's asthma. I found them to be very friendly, professional, and research-based.

I will watch with interest as I am due to give birth there in May. I had my first two at West Mid but since then have moved out into the sticks.

So far they have been good though. I saw a consultant within 3 working days after being given a high screening risk result at 12 weeks.

I had an awful time there when I had ds (8 years and 3 months ago). There was no room for me when I arrived despite phoning in advance, no midwife. When they finally found me a little delivery suite it was very dirty with blood staines on the curtains. That did not really put a nervous first time mum at ease! The first midwife was lovely. She was an agency midwife. However, when her shift ended she upped and left! The second midwife was an old battleaxe, of the 'we did not have pain relief in our day' type. Indeed she refused to top up my epidural when it ran out allowing me to labour on in agony for another 3 hours with ds distressed and in the back to back position. She then stitched up 3rd degree tears with no further pain relief! Arrrrgh
The post natal care was awful, and when I struggled to breastfeed I had a midwife each side of me expressing. If I had not felt so mortified I would have laughed at being treated like a cow!

However, I went back there with dd. (nearly 5 years ago) and it was fab! The room I was in was clean and bright. The midwife was lovely (think Pam Ferris / Dawn French) and she had a trainee with her who was equally lovely. They allowed me to have a cup of tea during the early stages and kept me and dh amused with their comedy double act. By the time I wanted an epidural it was too late so they held my hand and talked me though the labour, and dd arrived without too much distress on my part.
The ward afterwards was great, plenty of midwifes/staff, all helpful and all nice.

My friend had a baby there 4 years ago and also had a positive experience.

My sister was born in the lift there...

few years ago now though.

I had DD there 2 year ago. They told me they were full when I arrived and dumped us in a clinical room for what felt like hours until they managed to find me a midwife. Then I got moved to a home-from-home room, which was much better. Labour went OK, but not as I would have liked (birth ball in large only so too big for me, told not to yell, threatened with episiotomy and ventuse at one point...) but tbh I was so out of it I can't tell if they were good or bad. But it was after the birth that it all went pear-shaped. I was taken down to the ward at 5am after not hving slept for 36 hours, totally knackered. DH was sent home, almost as knackered. At 7am, ward came alive, bells ringing, babies crying, people shouting so no chance of sleep even though I deperately needed it. No-one looked in on me, I was really hungry, no-one told me where to find breakfast..... just an occasional head around the curtain to say "are you OK, oh good" and then gone before I could say "well actually....". DH came back at lunch time and finally found someone to help with nappies, feeding etc etc. I was so tired and stressed out that we tried to go home, but couldn't get paed for check-up until 6pm. So that was a day full of toilets covered in blood, no/crap food, noise, stress...... it was hell on earth!! We're finally cleared to leave when someone says "hang on, you can't go home, membranes were ruptured over 24hrs prior to birth, we need to monitor you for 48 hours". At this point I flipped out cos no-one had even given me the time of day, let alone monitored us!! So we discharged outselves against medical advice and I finally got home and got some sleep!

This time I'm going for a homebirth, and if that doesn't work I'm going to Frimley Park. You wouldn't catch me near St Peter's again!

I have heard some people say it's ok though.... actually giving birth seems alright, just get out as fast as you can afterwards!!!

If I had been living back home then St Peters & Ashford would have been where I would have ended up. My cousin had 2 children there and she had an ok time - not brilliant but then again, I don't think labour and birth are meant to be a barrell of fun.

Mum2b1 - I would avoid Kingston at all costs. It took them 2 days to diagnose me with sceptaceamia and even then they just told me and left me. I was terrified and was given no information. I was left in my bed shaking violently as I was fitting with my high temperature and even when I was starting to get better, it took 3 nurses several attempts at stabbing me for blood - not one of them were British. I also had an African auxiliary nurse scream at me in the middle of the night because I had poohed in the comode and she called me a filthy girl - I was attached to 4 drips (2 hand and 2 feet) so couldn't get to the toilet. She upset me so much and then had the cheek to leave the dirty commode next to my bed all night. I wouldnever go back there even if my limbs were hanging off.

in the interests of balanced views, i had a great experience at kingston - ds1 was born in the malden suite (mw-led unit) there and i couldn't fault the care. all my antenatal group also had good experiences

Mum2b1, my ds was born at wexham Park. Had wanted Heatherwood in Ascot but he was slightly high risk so went to wexham where they have a SCBU.

My serious advice, go with your gut feeling about which hospital you chose and make the best of it. If you have been to both for visits which did you prefer? Like I said before, you might have lovely midwives and HCA's, or you might end up with people who rub you up the wrong way. Know your stuff, and aim for you and whoever is with you to make it as good as it can be.

I've had all 4 at St Peters (booked for homebirths for the last 3 but never went into labour!) It was awful 11 years ago, far from great 5.5 years ago much better 4.5 years ago and really great 2 years ago. The labour wards etc are fantastic, the after care on the Joan booker ward leave a bit to be desired as it is 6 bedded wards so when it's busy it's noisy and staff few & far between.

The infant feeding advisors are wonderful women though - shame they don't work full time.

Cargirl have you been back to St Peters much since then?
The 6 bedded wards bother me!

When I had DS at St Peter's, I paid for a private room.

They have private rooms there?
Do you mind me asking a ball park figure of how much you paid?

Did you have any experience of the NHS side?

My birth was on the NHS, and the bed was in a sideroom of the main ward.

Not sure how helpful this is, but it was £35 16 years ago.

My birth was on the NHS, and the bed was in a sideroom of the main ward.

Not sure how helpful this is, but it was £35 16 years ago.

I think the 6 bedded wards are to stay as they've been refurbished recently. There are several side rooms but I think the cost has rocketed - nore like £80 per night???? I left after 6 hours with dc3 & 4 precisely because I can't cope with snoring adults and crying babies - I am a light sleeper. I had it on my birth notes that I refused to stay on the Joan Booker ward. With dc2 I self discharged at 2am one night because I hadn't slept in 36 hours because of the noise and lights etc - it was really really busy then it was the June 02 baby boom, me and this other girls discharged and they only had 3 beds free including ours and I think they have around 55 beds on the postnatal ward!

Looks like there are a few M'netters in this area

I am certainly very happy and relieved to live within 10 minutes of this fab hospital - been there many times with DD's asthma.

MerryScot - did you give birth at St Peters though? recently?
Thanks

Not recently, no.

I've had both ds's there - both c-sections. My care was good - the main problem I think is just not enough staff. Everybody I encountered was friendly and helpful. I had a private room for ds2 in Feb 2006 - it cost £75 per night.
If I had another I would have no problem going back there.