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

[seasidesally]

Really looking forward to this,anybody else ??

One other thing which was nice about Pat was when she talked about how in the old days, people didn't have much, the baby was put in a bottom drawer, was quite cosy, I think she said breastfed, and surrounded by love.

I wouldn't leave my baby in the nursery there, one person to 9 babies?!! That's ridiculous for the amount of money they are paying. I'd expect one nurse to two babies.

I didn't have a baby at the Portland but dd had an op on her ear there and they were absolutely brilliant. I never slag the NHS off because I have had brilliant care from them. They just couldn't commit to her ear op because they deemed it not an emergency. We did and we didn't want to wait so ex paid to go to the Portand. She was seen and operated on the following day and for us at the time it was worth every penny.

I think Pat is wise enough to know that even if she thinks the past was better in terms of parent-child closeness, she would do better not to say as much in a documentary at her workplace. DH and I thought she was quite clever in dismissing all the differences with 'Well they did things differently then', avoiding the observation that in some places there's been no change at all.

I had my twins in an NHS hospital (with a bad reputation, Mayday) - and they were whisked away for the night to help me recover from a caesarean and a lot of blood loss. I don't think I was 'with it' enough to be bothered at the time, but I do look back and think it was a bit odd.

My first baby I had a very difficult birth and my care was 1st class, can't imagine it being better anywhere, though as I was pushing for 4h I get the impression I may have been gently persuaded to have a csection if I was somewhere like the Portland (at the woman who was taken for
a section after pushing for 1h, though fair enough if there were other reasons and she wanted it-it wasn't clear). Afterwards I paid £75 for a private room with private bathroom, and my husband could stay. I suppose a big difference however was that that the private rooms were not guaranteed. That said many maternity hospitals have only private rooms these days. My mother wanted me to have the baby privately but now agrees that I couldn't have had a better experience in the private sector.
That said we all know that good nhs care can never be guaranteed these days.

I too found the babies crying in the nursery very sad. Poor Pat having to look after 8 babies most nights.

After saying that I had csections with both my DDs on the NHS. Both were taken away for the first night, I wonder if my two had a ratio of 8 babies to one nurse? As I was out if it on morphine, I had no choice.

I was also given a private room for dd1 with an ensuite. One of my midwives with dd1 (I had a 24 hour labour then a Csections with her) was the senior midwife from One Born Every Minute- the first series set in Southampton, with the very soft Scottish accent she was absolutely lovely!

Didn't Pat say that the babies only wanted feeding (and a wee cuddle), so it didn't matter who did that? So much for bonding, I thought.

Chinese lady though, probably would have been afraid to bond, which was very sad.

I must say that right from the start, I felt that DS1 didn't give a shit who looked after him so long as they had milk. He certainly never seemed that bothered as to whether I was there or not, so I kind of agree with Pat's point. Thankfully DS2 actually seemed to prefer me and so my sense of self-worth was restored :)

If we had the money I'd so do this possibly just for the food

I can really see the temptation, though. A lot of it is about the element of control, isn't it?

Because if you pay to go private, you will get an epidural. On the NHS, hopefully you will get an epidural and most women will, but there will be times when there is no anesthetist, or those rare occasions where the midwife almost refuses to let you.

Because if you pay to go private for a cesarean, you will get a cesarean. On the NHS, you have to go through your entire pregnancy knowing that you might have a fight on your hands and they might actually refuse you at 38 weeks when you've got no options left.

I'd do it purely for that last reason. And the food.

I found it interesting and sad. But also like the programme makers wanted you to look down on the rich women who threw money at it and we're more interested in the food and their make up than their babies. The only one they showed more positively was the ones who came over from Saudi.

The Chinese woman came across quite badly but I also felt a bit sorry for her. But them her way of soothing her baby was to rock the cot and say shh then get her mum to pick him up. I felt she was deliberately portrayed in a very negative way, especially showing her going back to work quickly and the picture of Lucas on his own and he was on his 2nd nanny.

DC1 was taken at night but I have ME/CFS and they wanted me to rest. Couldn't do it in a ward though, worst experience ever! I did buzz them at about 6am as I was desperate for him back. Then they gave me my own room. DC2 was a ELCS and they accidently took me to the ward when my bed wasn't ready so had to put me in a side room with en suite to wait. I begged them to let me stay there and said if I couldn't rest (which I wouldn't be able to on a ward, I can't cope with the noise) then I'd be calling them all the time to help. They said I made my case and left the there. Was amazing! No problem with the NHS but it would be better to have more staff available so they aren't so rushed all the time.

I found the nursery whisking sad. Surely mothers should be bonding with their new babies straight away.

I haven't watched the programme but had my DS at The Portland nearly 12 years ago (2002) - there was a midwife led unit then which is what I went for as a lot of people under consultants seemed to end up with c-sections. My care was fantastic - someone mentioned the programme 'Portland Babies' that was the midwife team that I was under and they couldn't have been more involved and caring. My labour was perfect and I wasn't encouraged to have any kind of intervention but knew that epidurals etc were available if I wanted them.

The food and room service were great when you had visitors - I loved that the menu featured brie, prawns and chocolate mousse - all things you are supposed to avoid while pregnant! And we did enjoy our half bottle of champagne! My nieces came to visit and were offered an ice lolly - when they asked what there was, we were told that someone would go to the shop so just give them a list. I realise these are all just little touches but they helped.

A midwife sat on my bed for over an hour helping me to breastfeed and I could call the office directly when I went home with my son.

When I went on to have my daughters, we were no longer living in London so I opted for NHS home births as I felt that was what would most closely replicate my experience at the Portland.

I watched this and enjoyed it - but was utterly at some of Pat's comments about the baby girl wanting to keep her clothes on, having pretty ears for earrings, and not having to stay slim yet - but I did envy her getting all those newborn cuddles. As others have said, though, one nanny to nine babies seems like a poor staff:baby ratio - maybe the midwives on at night help if the nursery is busy?

I also wonder whether any of the maternity nurse's past clients watched this and are now sad because they suspect she might have lied to them about them seeing their baby's first smile. What's the point of that (kind, well-meant) lie, if you then go on TV and tell everyone you lied?

As a midwife I haven't a clue why a midwife would want to work there. For a rest I guess?! Although they have midwife led care I'd expect it makes up a small proportion of the birth numbers. They MWs shown on the program seemed to act as an American-style labour and delivery nurse during labour, and as a skivvy the rest of the time! I can't see the job satisfaction.

Oh - and I really want to know what's in the goody bag (apart from the panda).

I would have paid a fair whack for them to take DD1 for the night after my (unplanned) evening C-section after which she screamed on the postnatal ward all night long. I asked for help (I couldn't stand up yet due to the spinal) and was told she was my baby I had to look after. They moved her from the crib to my bed and she finally gazed into my eyes (amazing) then fell asleep but I was too scared to sleep incase she rolled off! Eye gazing 10 mins aside it was the worst experience of my life!

This really is hideous

I was completely at the attitude of some of the women.
It's as if childbirth is treated as a medical emergency (which yes, I get for some people, unfortunately I is) rather than a normal bodily function.
I got the impression that their babies were their little accessories, not human beings that need to be taken care of......but then silly me they can just pay someone to do that for them too
More money than sense!!

I used to watch Portland Babies and it was much better than this. Felt the narrator was taking the pee at times.

I wondered why the lady from China was having a baby. He was crying and she laughed then got someone else to pick him up.

I have to say though, I had surgery in an NHS hospital and the care was fab. I had surgery in a private hospital for something else and I had expected classy hotel standard and it was quite disappointing at how blah the room was and how lonely I felt.

I am afraid that I just became distracted by how incredibly plain all the women seem to be (I'm not talking about whilst in labour/giving birth etc - the women looking round and being interviewed).

A lot of the people I went to school with who have children have used the Portland - I can see why, if you could afford it, it would appeal: who wouldn't want to be in complete control, total comfort, see the same staff every time and have time to speak with staff and have your questions answered in detail whenever you need to? I appreciate the NHS enormously: but I can absolutely see why people use the Portland, and not just because of ELCS.

I'm not sure I understand you hefzi, you aren't seriously saying that you were distracted by how plain the women were?