5 * Babies Inside The Portland Hospital BBC 2 9pm (wed)

[seasidesally]

Really looking forward to this,anybody else ??

Oh do bore off with your cheap little comment PirateSmile. You know perfectly well that those "million pound" houses are average semi detatcheds in an unfashionable suburb of south east London.

I had my two children at Kings and consider myself very fortunate to live on the doorstep of such an outstanding hospital. They absolutely saved me and dc1, we had superb care there.

i was thinking the clintons daughter,is it Chelsea

I would absolutely go there if I could afford it. My NHS experience was as follows:

Understaffed & inexperienced staff
Underfunded - always encouraging the cheap option by staying at home for too long and being stingy with pain relief

If I had been allowed to go into hospital when I first called up, the ward wouldn't have closed and I wouldn't have had to go to a different hospital an arrive 'too late' for pain relief.

Of course, many of these people are not eligible for NHS care, not that they would choose it probably!

Presidents daughter - Chelsea Clinton?

Nope, just checked, she gave birth in America.

Many countries have presidents.

Having lived outside of the UK for years, I just do not understand these extremes!

A happy medium for all is possible you know, as practiced in France, Belgium and Holland.

I had a CS in a Belgian hospital, carried out by the consultant who had seen me through the nine months of pregnancy. I had a private room where my dh was allowed to stay on a bunk bed. The hospital wasn't luxurious but it was a very clean and professional environment, the staffing levels were high and the food was good. Neo-natal emergency care was available on site as were all proper medical services for any eventuality.

This is achieved through obligatory state-subsidised health insurance (totally different to the US!!). This system allows everyone to have a good standard of care. Those who cannot pay anything, do not. Those who can, pay a certain amount and then are reimbursed according to their income. It's fair. It's safe.

Forgot to say; had cs owing to breech baby and abnormal uterus. It is standard to stay in for four to six days. In that time, mothers receive lessons on basic baby care , help with breast-feeding, post-natal physio and any pysychological help required.

I'm guessing the WAG might be Abbey Clancey?

I totally get the appeal of being guaranteed to see the same midwife/consultant throughout pregnancy and labour. I think I saw 5 different midwives through my pregnancy (2013/2014) and then ended up giving birth at a totally different hospital because the one I was supposed to go to had closed its doors because it was understaffed that night

bibbitybobbityhat
Hilarious that you assume
I know the area you live in. I have no idea what it's like. Just saying it's funny you are a millionaire class warrior!

I don't find it sad that someone is worried about her "belly" and losing her filthy rich man because of it. I find her extremely stupid for buying in to that whole world. Stupid and certainly not fit for the job of having a baby.

So someone isn't suitable to be a parent because they have different ideas from you?

Yes, she's got extremely odd priorities.

You know those are her priorities, right, and that people don't actually have to share the same ones you have in order to be a parent?

I thought Kinga's dh was OK, she did sound very competitive and I think he was concerned for her well being and making sure she wasn't doing it out of a need to compete with her mother . Lovely family

Ask the decorating the hospital and bringing your own furniture utterly bizarre and unnecessary.

Yes and your point is what? Lots of people have the wrong priorities when it comes to parenthood.

IMO.

I agree, I thought Kinga's Dh was just concerned that she was putting far too much pressure on herself to have no pain relief. I liked him.

Wasn't keen on the solid brass baby feet mounted on a wooden plinth which were sold on request.

I'm pretty sure that Alison's two older children were called Zippy and George

Did I see a waterbath in Kinga's room? Why did no one encourage her to try that, to see if it helped?

It seems as though before the word 'epidural' is out of the mum's mouth, there's a scrubbed up anesthetist knocking at the door brandishing a needle.
Maybe they like to keep noise levels to a minimum at the Portland.

Just enjoying the brass of someone who is happy to declare that someone else isn't fit to have a baby simply because they have different priorities to you, that's all. It's highly entertaining.

We saw all of 2 mins of Kinga's labour,she might well have used the water bath.

ILost - that's what you pay for, no waiting around. Why would you wait if you don't have to?

nehandaradio.com/2016/01/14/zimbo-nurse-switched-off-alarm-on-childs-monitor-weeks-after-she-abandoned-post-to-get-snack/

Bit worrying

Blimey, worryinh indeed but similar happened to us in The SCBU on the NHS, a nurse left the room and told dh and I to switch an alarm off if it went off on the incubator next to us, not even our baby!! We refused. Should've reported her but the pair of is were sleep deprived and weren't thinking straight!

Enjoy away Thurlow. That's what we come to Mumsnet for, mainly, isn't it? entertainment. Having a chat about a tv programme must fall into that category.

I'm not sure the Portland is coming out of this looking that great, to be honest. It's a bit warts and all, mainly from the staff, it's not good publicity.