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

[seasidesally]

Really looking forward to this,anybody else ??

YY it was quite joyless.

No raised I think your first reaction was the correct one

I felt a bit sorry for Chinese mum. She was so anxious about keeping her man - I suppose that money she's become accustomed to is all tied in with keeping the man and her looks. She seemed so unhappy for a new mother.

The rooms at the Wellingtin are much better. At most NHS hospitals you can pay a bit extra for a separate room on the NHS ward, I did it twice, not sure if it's classified as "private", the food and bathrooms were the same. I went to visit a close relative at the Lindo Ward and was turned away because she was "resting" I was very pissed off

I felt sorry for the Chinese mum in the end - clueless but also a bit lonely and anxious.

Not sure I'll tune in for a second round but interesting as a one-off! Thanks for the company seasidesally et al

Yes I agree hassled She seemed quite naive right from the start, with her Victoria Beckham obsession and her 'ID die if I had a baby and was poor' . But she barely looked at the baby when he was born and was reluctant to pick him up. Then the thing about her husband leaving her because she still had a tummy. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen in that house.

Why was the yoga teacher labouring on her back?!

I had 2 DCs at the Portland and was v happy with it. I can't compare it to an NHS experience so none of the following is intended to imply that it is "better".

It wasn't particularly "luxurious" (I'd say pretty much like a travelodge) although I've heard rumours of suites (I'm sure Victoria Beckham had at least the Travelodge Plus option!) It was spotlessly and scrupulously clean, and the staff were lovely. Not rushed, took time to show you things (they took DH aside to give him a lesson in how to bath ds, which was very sweet), etc - bar none, they were kind and helpful. The food was tasty and there was good choice. If DH wanted to eat with me, I just ticked an extra box and another meal was brought. Interestingly I can remember that I had to pay for extra meals separately and it was definitely not expensive. I could order tea and biscuits any time I wanted, which was really nice when visitors came, not so much my mates who would ring me and ask if I wanted a cappuccino bringing in, but grandparents who had come up on the train etc. Visitors could pretty much come whenever I wanted.

Medical side was impeccable. My FIL was a retd consultant who had worked in the gynae dept of several London NHS hospitals and he had no criticisms (and I think he was predisposed to have some!). He knew either directly or indirectly several of the consultants and had nothing bad to say (and Drs do like a good bitch!)

DCs could go to the nursery at night but it wasn't like they were whisked away or it was obligatory. I think I tried once (was shattered) and they brought ds back and said he was unsettled and needed his mum. Completely right.

There is a lot of emergency/neonatal support if needed (I didn't). That was a rumour that wasn't true when I went there and that was 15 years ago pretty much. Dunno if people may transfer over at some stage due to cost, but the resource is there. The sad incident with the mother who died happened before I went there, so maybe 16 or so years ago. I'm not minimising it in any way, it sounded terrible, but it was a long time ago.

I have very fond memories of my birth experience there and always am slightly amused when it is depicted as the Ritz with a delivery room round the back. It's PR is a bit skewed, I think.

Don't know about it being joyless. I was pretty joyful both times I gave birth, and had lots of mates and family visiting. DH worked round the corner at the time and was always there. It's quite quiet and serene, but anywhere/everywhere with healthy newborns is joyful

Good to get your view! I think the programme was clearly designed to show a 'certain' type of patient and experience. There were no visitors shown and everything seemed a bit detached, good to hear it's not really like that.

I wanted a home birth in water and they didn't do water or home births
The consultant was very patronising and aloof almost like he was going to breeze in a point directions and then go and play golf
He got my back up and totally put me off the Portland
He dismissed midwives as being borderline witches and home births as dangerous and fatal
I ended up employing a team of private midwives from The Birth Centre associated with St George's Hospital and they were incredible
Cost about 4k but I never had an expensive wedding so I think it was totally worth it

That Asian woman does not have a clue, and she seems very detached from her baby, he is more like an accessory to her. At the last but, him sitting there quite lonely looking in his designer clothes, no bonding really there. She seemed very insecure and superficial.

Those babies going to the nursery instead of being with their mum, we just went back 50 years! No skin to skin and little bonding happening.

When I told people that I had an amazing birth experience they didn't believe me or seemed to think that I was delusional!

I suppose it is edited to get the most interesting and comment worthy bits into the programme. That's how they get people talking about it. I did Google the death and it was 2002 so you were right fernet and another baby died in 2015 but you cant guarantee your baby won't die anywhere I suppose, no matter how much money you have.

Just to clarify I had a home birth in a pool with the midwives in shifts

I like the CEO's comment that this was how people should have their babies. The room were basic, I like the suite with a living room and bedroom.

I had a long labour, emcs and no-one took my baby. I had no support once I got out if hospital and a few good night's sleep in a private room would have made the world of difference.

Agree re type, although I didn't really see anyone else while I was there - combination of being knackered and post c-section, visitors constantly in and out, nowhere actually to go, and tiny baby who is endlessly more interesting than any random in the next room, so can't really comment.

I think the "whisked off to nursery" part is the biggest myth. It was on offer but it wasn't The Law! I just had a clear plastic bassinet next to the bed, pretty much like everyone else in the country, I expect. They did answer your button quite quickly, I remember, which was nice and I'm embarrassed in retrospect at how little nappy changing I did in the first 48 hours, but I think to be fair there was some concern that ds was not passing his meconium, so they were checking on him rather than me being a princess .

Florian That sounds like a lovely birth. I'd say 4k would be worth it for that. I wouldn't pay 40k though!!!

I've been in the Portland Hospital, but for gynae reasons. A nurse told me the sad ward was the IVF ward. The op was fine I kept my uterus and an ovary, food was great but it was very quiet. I was told I must have been popular because of all the visitors I had! Unfortunately I had an infection, post discharge and had to go to the Royal Free for an emergency operation.

I gave birth to two of my children in the Royal Free and had a lovely experience. My last baby was in my local hospital and I had a private room, which was great for establishing breast feeding. But always I couldn't wait to go home.

I think this programme showed that no matter how much money you have, there is a frailty and vulnerability when it comes to childbirth.

I loved how excited the big sister was to see the baby, they were my favourite family.

Not sure why baby Lucas was in clothes, in a blanket, then in a sleeping bag contraption. It can't be that cold in their house surely?

My DC are teens now but it wasn't anything like £40k - suspect that has got a lot of extras in it. Remember a LOT of people get covered by their insurance.

Guineapigs, this was after my time but I think they now have a midwife led birthing centre at the Portland running in parallel. In my time it was all consultant-led care only, but it seems to have this new strand. (They keep sending me magazines, God knows why! That ship has long sailed)

Sorry, that was for Florian.

Depressing - no one being active during their births, very little breastfeeding, and poor little babies having to wait their turn in the nursery.... Does having champagne make up for the early 1970s style birth - of routine inductions, stuck in bed, only one hour of pushing and then whisked off for intervention? But I was glad the lady who wanted a vaginal birth got it. The Consultant there was quite new to the Portland, did that make a difference?

Would Doreen have got the sack for telling it like it is?

It's interesting that someone just said they had a midwife led unit now. I was wondering why a midwife would want to work there (other than working conditions in the NHS being grim). They didn't seem to manage births. They mainly were shown wheeling babies around, answering call buzzers and assisting in theatre. Not really what a midwife training is all about.

I rather liked Pat - the story of losing her first child was very sad. I think I would have liked her job minding adorable newborns in the nursery all night. Funny how she talked about having your baby in with you as old fashioned (ie what happened when she gave birth). I think working there must give a funny perspective on what is routine. Certainly following a long labour and emergency c-section nobody offered to mind my baby (wouldn't have let them anyway).