Blackheath/Greenwich Help!!

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Hello

I'm moving to Blackheath Standard end of May and my baby is due in June (madness I think but never mind too late now!) Can anyone give me some advice?

Where are you all giving birth? Anyone at Kings or St Thomas'?

Any great local doctors in the standard area?

Any good local pubs/ restaurants you can take babies (and perhaps dogs?)

Any good pregnancy classes such as yoga etc?

Anything else you love about the area?

Thanks for any help - really appreciate it

Not in Greenwich or Blackheath but Kings is my local hospital and was a great place to give birth. St Thomas' is quite far away from Blackheath. Lewisham Hospital or Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich would probably be your nearest.

It's a lovely area- the heath, maritime Greenwich, the river, Greenwich Park, market to name just a few obvious perks. Nice buildings, pubs and restaurants abound.

Again I'm not in Blackheath but am with King's College. Staff care so far has been good - only seen sonographers and midwives so far (21 wks). As I'm technically in Lewisham I can't do a homebirth with them so don't know how they are for that. Did a tour just of labout ward and was a bit put off tbh. Looks quite dated and very obv you are in a hospital - perhaps I expected too much but wanted a birthing centre originally and now going to check out Lewisham as they have a birthing centre due to open in April.
I'm registered with NCT and there are sooooo many classes pre and post pregnancy all in Blackheath or Greenwich - seriously they are the baby epicentres of SE London. You will have no worries finding good pubs/cafes in either areas in some places I don't think you are allowed in without a baby! I'm signed up to Judith Flood's hypno birthing classes in Blackheath in May and looking forward for excuse to go out for dinner once every week for a month - nice change to Brockley where I live at the mo!

I'm in Blackheath and probably giving birth at St T's - Had DS there and it was great in terms of the standard of care provided.

DH had a very bad experience with the Doctor at the Blackheath Standard surgery and the service always seemed a bit shoddy. I know there are some good surgeries in Charlton and there is one on Vanbrugh Hill which has a good reputation.

The Arches Leisure centre does a great Aqua Natal class and a pregnancy yoga class - although the centre itself is a bit grotty (for future reference the toddler gym there is great). There are some private classes in Blackheath Village that I've heard good things about.

Pubs/restaurants are all baby friendly. The Vanbrugh Tavern particularly so, as is Chapters in Blackheath for something a little more upmarket.

Something else to know is the library at the Standard does a great baby bounce - Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2.

Any other questions, just ask.

Hi,
I am in Brockley, Lewisham and planning to have a home birth so need to go with Lewisham hospital as it is the nearest, so it really depends what kind of birth you want. There is a good place for pregnancy yoga in Brockley called the Sun Flower

thesunflowercentre.co.uk/

Good luck!

Ooooooooh I used to live by the Standard! We were on Hassendean Road. I wasn't pregnant then though .

It's a lovely area. You can walk up to Greenwich park or to Blackheath village. The Arches is really good as has already been said. I have a close friend in Eltham who is a nurse at Guy's and she's having her baby at Queen Elizabeths and is happy with the standard of the hospital and care she's received there. I used to work with another girl who lived in Hither Green who had 2 babies at Lewisham and was really happy with the care there too.

Blackheath Village is pram central, lots of mums and babies and Greenwich is similar although does have more of a studenty vibe so there are some places with a younger crowd, but you would find yourself welcome at any of the restaurants in that area I should think. Strada in Blackheath village and also the Pizza Express at the other end of the village are both full of kids all the time!

The curry places are good in Blackheath - both the Mountain View and Taste of Raj are nice. Bar du Musee in Greenwich is nice for drinks or Sunday lunch. Quite jealous of you moving there!!! We've returned to the frozen north to be nearer to family.

Thanks Ladies - lots for me to take in ... I'm not keen on the local hospitals as they have very high intervention rates and have had awful experiences with Q. Elizabeth for health care for my dad.. I'm with UCLH at the moment so I might just stay there as they have an excellent record. its very difficult to know where to go but I really want somewhere pro natural birth (I would have the baby at home but its my first)

Thanks again.

Bar du Musee sounds lovely - might be first on my list to try!!

Have a look at the Lewisham Life activity pages, whose activities go into the Blackheath area:

Here

The Greenwich Union on Royal Hill is baby and dog friendly. Just ignore the drunken Glasweigan in the corner

Oooooh yes (overuse of oooooohs, sorry) the Greenwich Union is brill, love the raspberry beer in there and they do fairly good pub food too. I love Royal Hill.

Drings butchers (if you're a meat eater) is excellent, and conveniently positioned right next door to The Cheeseboard on Royal Hill, which I miss like crazy. Love love love cheese and it's a great shop.

missing it all a lot

Mycenae House has lots of different classes - from pregnancy yoga to theatre tots and latino bambino. Also has a pre-school playgroup which I am planning to test.

My absolute favourite place in Greenwich is Waterstones in Cutty Sark. They organise story time and all sorts of stuff for kids and there is Costa on the second floor.

The Maritime Museum - absolutely brilliant with kids too.

It is a fantastic area.

Don't get me started on the schools however ...

I live in Greenwich and had DD at St Thomas's and DS recently at King's College Hospital. I can def recommend Kings, they were really lovely and did exactly what I wanted, and I left 2 hours after the birth.

It's a great area for kids, esp in the summer. If you were nearer to Greenwich itself there is a totally lovely midwife at 2 GP practices but I am guessing you won't be in the catchment area.

Mycenae House has some good classes, I haven't been personaly but they do loads of things, pregnancy yoga etc and baby massage.

Another thing I have never done is 'running mummies' where everyone meets with their buggy and baby at Greenwich park bandstand twice a week to keep fit. Great idea, I am the one sitting on the bench eating a huge chocolate muffin

*personally

sorry justaphase didn't see your post!

I can also recommend waterstones with the kids area and fish tank, the trafalgar tavern in Greenwich erm, lots of shops in Blackheath , many baby groups at Greenwich and Blackheath library (baby rhyme time for example)

I grew up near the Standard and still love Blackheath and Greenwich so much. Would love to have brought my kids up around there - Greenwich Park at the end of the street and the heath pretty much across the road, what more could a small person ask for?

My friend was booked for a homebirth under Lewisham (had meconium in her waters in the end so had to go in) and I think they were quite supportive.

Sorry, don't have much else current to add - just jealousy!

I took a look at the intervention rates for the QE2 hospital and thought that they compared pretty well - low even to other London hospitals? Had a family member treated there and wasn't impressed with things like ward hygiene etc but my experience to date with the maternity service/ward has been fine and on the basis of the stats, I'm staying with them so I hope I haven't misread them... I looked at St Thomas's as a private patient but it took an 1.25 hrs to drive there from Greenwich on a Sunday morning so I thought better of it. Visions of delivering en route mostly though I would probably be laughed at by anyone who has been there and done that. It's my first so I'm playing it safe and going with the closest hospital :-) Also decided that £5k-£10k pays for a lot of childcare afterwards so I'd just have to get the husband to arrange the on site catering and hope that all goes well :-) Two friends have recently deliverered at the QE2 and had relatively difficult deliveries. Both still highly recommended it and their only comments were the aftercare which seems to be an endemic issue with the NHS unfortunately. Would be v interested in anyone who has experienced the local hospitals v central London?

I'm loving this thread as a Greenwich M2B.
I'm June too!! I can't decide whether it's a long time away or just around the corner. Maybe we'll meet at some event!....Thanks to all for all the top tips of places - especially the Cheeseboard. Mmmmm

There seems to be lots of bumps & babies stuff happening in Greenwich & around. Prams everywhere. Hubby & I are quite keen on the Rivington in Greenwich for any excuse for a special meal. They seem quite child friendly. It's next to the Picturehouse which does mum & baby screenings and then I gather they all head off to café rouge for coffee afterwards. I'm quite tempted by running mummies - but most of them look very fit the way they speed up the hill - I was rather built for comfort, not for speed

I'm booked for a home birth - so if I need to go in, they'll send me to my nearest hospital which is QEH. The staff there have been lovely - but I think with any hospital you'd want to take your antibac wipes and have to be assertive about after care expectations. Intervention rates on the latest figures for QEH are slightly lower than national figures - so I don't think I'm that fussed if I did have to go in. Probably.

I don't think I'd risk going with St Thomas unless of course I was having a "scheduled" delivery as the journey in takes forever unless you get the train and a taxi (but oh how their private rooms look lovely!)

not lewisham hospital!!

there is a brilliant breast feeding group called the baby cafe in eltham in a church hall, it is brilliant, loads of great support, took my ds til he was 12 months,
bottle feeders also welcome. very laid back, nice mums.

kalo12 - Any idea where abouts in Eltham? It's slightly closer for me than Greenwich/Blackheath.

hi

I am in Greenwich and just thought I would add to the lovely suggestions above.

Maritime museum is great for a coffee after a walk in the park. Great for when then start toddling as well as loads of space.

Blackheat Standard Library - does music and singing which is a good place to meet new mums

As is boppin bunnies held all over the place.

Last thing I can recommend is the quaggy childrens centre. This place saved me, looks a bit scary from the outside but they have a great support system for new mums. Bumps and babes groups, toy library and one to one breast feeding support groups.

Kidbrooke Road surgery also has a good breast feeding/mums and babes group. On a tuesday I think.

As for QEH, had my first there and would prefer not to go back. I think they are very good most of the time. But a little cautious on birthing and keen to intervene medically. Good luck with the birth, hope the move goes well and just in time to enjoy the park in the sunshine with your little one.

Hi

thanks for all of this info - I was expecting 1 or 2 replies from a local - getting info from people that lived there and moved is very unexpected.

Right well tons for me to get on with - I'm travelling in to a pilates class on thurs in the hope I'll make some mummy mates before I move there (move should have been early April but you know how these things don't work!!)and the same woman holds the running mummy class afterwards - I might give it a go?

I'm going to see the barkentine centre (which looks amazing) but might not get in - plus if you have any complications you get transferred to the Royal London and thats not meant to be great - after that I might stay with UCLH or go to Kings?

Anyone mums or mums to be fancy meeting for a coffee one thurs?

i will find out the church in eltham,

in the meantime do not go to royal london hospital - i had a miscarriage there it was the dirtiest unruly hospital i have ever seen - the stretcher that they put me on was covered in dried blood! neither lewisham. Kings is the best.
I had mine at queen elizabeth as i was worried about travelling that far in winter, it was fine but it gets busy - as does everywhere.

united reform church court road eltham se9.

the health visitor there liz ginty is the only sensible hv i have met. the other mums are fab, i am still good friends with my mums there even though i have moved away

Just another tip - well, two actually.

There is a great park with playground and cafe just up from Blackheath, Manor Park Gardens. The playground is suitable for littlies and the cafe has lots of ads for local events/classes etc.

Another good place to find out what is going on is the GreenBaby store in Greenwich. They have a noticeboard just inside the door that holds details of massage/yoga/singing etc.

blackheath standard rhyme time is good

There are mother and baby screenings at the cinema in Greenwich every Friday - I think I went every week of my maternity leave!

I had my dd in Lewisham but it was in the old building - apparently it's all whizzy and new these days. The birth was fine (even though it ended in an emergency CS) but I wasn't particularly impressed with the aftercare.