I posted this in the Childbirth topic but am putting here as well in the hopes someone will spot it...
I am 14 weeks pregnant with DC2. DD was born at St George's in Tooting in Jan and we were really happy with them. This time round we are no longer zoned for St G(!) and I am booked into Kingston hospital. I'm thinking about having a home birth but, because of where we live, this means transferring to the St Helier midwives.
I have heard some horror stories about St Helier itself. I know you hear horror stories about every big London hospital - I've read some awful things about St G but we were very happy with them. But I haven't heard anything positive about St Helier, mostly because everyone I know has avoided going there.
If everything works out ok I should have baby at home and not need the hospital at all. But I am very nervous about transferring to the St H midwives as I know nothing about the midwife team (i.e. outside the hospital) or the hospital and, if anything did go wrong, I'd have to transfer into the hospital. I feel I need to know about having a home birth through them and having a hospital birth as either could happen.
Does anyone have any experience of the midwife team at home? Or if you used the hospital itself, what was that like? Were you supported in having a natural birth, even though it's a consultant led unit? Do they have a birthing pool? (Sorry, none of this info is available on the St Helier website.)
I'd love any views on St Helier as I'm really struggling to find out anything about it. Thank you!