Hello Mumsnet! This is my first post. I'm seven weeks pregnant with my first and I'm very excited and nervous. I moved to London just over a year ago, am still trying to figure out the NHS, and am considering whether to go with private maternity care.
I have type II diabetes. I had been controlled with medication, and over recent months worked with a consultant through NHS at the Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel to switch to insulin to plan for the pregnancy. Now I'm struggling to decide whether to continue with them (they have joint diabetes/obstetrics clinics) or to go private. My GP is heavily biased toward NHS (and the Royal London's diabetes experience in particular) so I don't feel I've gotten balanced advice. I have American insurance that will cover private maternity, so I'm hoping to gather more information on diabetes support in private care.
I had initially hoped to get Mark Johnson (who specialized in endocrinology before he switched to obstetrics) at C&W, but he's booked up for the month I'm due. I can't find anyone else with a double specialty, so I'm looking at high-risk specialists in general. Mark Johnson's secretary referred Martin Lupton and Zoe Penn. Are there any diabetics here that have worked with them? Is there anyone else you would recommend?
The other factor in the decision is the hopital/ward. From reading previous related threads on Mumsnet, I've narrowed it down to St Thomas, C&W, and the Portland. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of each? Has anyone had experience with more than one?
Thank you in advance!