Any experience of Kingston, St Georges or St Helier Maternity?

[PhoebeLaura]

I've been told be my doctor that I can choose between Kingston, St Georges Tooting and St Helier Hospitals and just wondered if anyone had experience/opinions they would like to share. I'm finding it very difficult as there is lots of contradictory info online.

I was at St Georges with DD in 2008.
Found the MW in the labour ward dismissive when we first arrived and she kept telling me to go up to the Carmen suite and try the birthing pool.
I insisted they checked me and I was already 3cm dilated and had only been in active labour for 30 mins so she took me seriously.
I was promptly given a room and allocated 2 mw, one a student and from that point on they were all fantastic!
Was given an epidural after an hours wait but ended up having a EMCS due to foetal distress, and found everyone to be very helpful.
However DD was born at 10pm and after 30mins in the recovery room, was moved to the ward and DH was told he had to go home.
This was awful as having just had the op, I could not move and really needed him there, but understand that others on the ward might have been disturbed.
The ladies who clean you were absolutely brilliant and came evry couple of hours.
Complaints include the ward being noisy all night so not getting much rest and then being woken to take medication when I had just nodded off.
On the flipside, when I asked for help, the staff were friendly asnd helpful, especially when DD wasn?t latching on properly and when I asked to be discharged early to go home and sleep as wasn?t managing to get any sleep on the ward.
All in all, I understand they are busy and understaffed and for that reason, although it wasn?t a perfect experience, I don't hold it against them.

Would I go back for DC2? Yes. Unfortunately we have moved so I will be at C&W, no idea what that will be like!

I'm scared now, I'm having my baby at St Helier and have only ever heard good things! xx

This is a three year old thread though.

I'm booked at St Helier too and lots of RL mums have told me they had great (recent) births there.

Sorry Gemsy, didnt mean to scare you! if anything, wanted to reassure you!

Don't go to St Helier, its not great. What about Epsom, I had DS there and it was very nice.

I had my DD at St Helier in 2007 (section) and my DS at St Helier last year. With DS I also had laser ablation surgery in the Fetal Medicine Unit at St Georges at 24 weeks (DS is a surviving triplet after acute TTTS).

Care at St Helier was good, decent support both times post-op. With DD I had a private room as I'd had a section, they don't charge for them AFAIK. With DS I was moved down to the neonatal/antenatal ward of the maternity ward so I was away from the other babies who were there.

Only experience in St Georges was that after the laser ablation surgery we were put into the Fetal Med unit's reserved room on the labour ward. While we were there, one of the midwives on shift wandered in, used the toilet in the ensuite, and left again without once talking to us. Given that we were waiting to find out whether any of our babies had survived the procedure this was distressing, to say the least. So tbh I'm not impressed with them.

We're vaguely planning on TTC towards the end of this year, I'll go back to St Helier in a heartbeat.

I know that this is an old thread - but just wanted to say that I had DD2 at the St Helier Birth Centre a few months ago and can not fault it. The staff were amazing and I would recommend it 100%. DC1 was born at St Georges and my experience was not positive! Like xalala, I'd go back to St Helier without a doubt.

Has anyone out there had success with donor egg IVF at 45 years old.
I'm about to undergo my first round, getting a bit nervous about it?!.
Thanks