Need good Chelsea&Westminster stories Post Reply

[ESA]

I had both my babies at C + W and thought the Drs were great.

As someone mentioned before I think the problem is you often hear the bad stories not the good ones. I remember having a good birth experience but didn't really want to shout about it in the presence of bad stories as it felt as though I wasn't being sympathetic to those who had a tough time.

Having a baby is often a woman's first experience of being in hospital and staying in a ward and I think it's helpful to think and understand what it'll be like in the hospital before giving birth so you know what to expect.

[marylisramos]

I think the best part for me about choosing to go with C&W was being assigned to the Cherry Team midwives, based at the Eileen Lecky Clinic in Putney. They are incredible - friendly, warm, caring and supportive throughout the pregnancy.

Hospital wise, we were in Labour Ward and we were allowed to have as much control as we wanted, the midwives and OBs were very accommodating and supportive as well (we had originally planned a home birth and ended up with an emergency c-section so had a lot of 'plans' that they let us stick to despite ending up in Labour Ward). Our midwife was with us throughout the labour and didn't leave us unless we wanted time to ourselves, so you really get individual attention.

I got a lot of compliments on the CS scar from the midwives, HV and GPs who examined me in the weeks following the birth so I guess the obstetrician was rather good!

One thing I would suggest is that you prepare a birth plan for the different eventualities, I.e. if you are intending to give birth in the birthing unit make plans for the labour ward and operating theatre as well so that you can have these to hand so that you can still retain some control over your birth even when things don't follow your plan A, and the staff at C&W certainly did their best to try and give us the birth we wanted!

One nice thing as well is that they let daddies stay overnight in postnatal, albeit in a chair (but they are not too strict if mummy needs a cuddle). BUT there are no shower facilities for daddy so he may have to go home at some point

[Franklens]

I gave birth last year at C+W and can not fault them at all. Incidentally, I had also worked there there the previous year and was so impressed with all the Dr's and midwives that I wanted to be a patient there too!

Generally the antenatal care is wonderful but the postnatal care can be a little hit and miss. This is in part due the fact 4 ladies and babies are put on a ward together and everyone is tired and emotional post labour. You tend to have one to one care on labour ward so it is a bit of a shock to only have approx 1 midwife to 4 patient/babies afterwards couple this with problems breastfeeding etc and sadly some mums have a difficult time. I would definitely recommend requesting a amenity bed if available, I think they are £250, no more as they are generally the single rooms on the post natal ward rather than on Kensington Wing which is more expensive. I think that it is important to remember that childbirth can be very unpredictable and therefore it is hard compare hospitals as everyones experience is different and some people are lucky and sail through whilst others have a much more challenging time, this would be the case regardless of hospital chosen. If Chelsea is your most convenient hospital I would definitely go for it as, trust me, you want the shortest possible journey to hospital when in labour. Chelsea also has wonderful places to eat locally so if you do happen to be admitted early you can pop out each day for coffee, lunch, supper etc which can be the difference between staying sane and going a little crazy being cooped up on a ward!
Good luck

[sandraletitia]

To anyone wondering about where to have their baby I would say don't be swayed by hearing others' stories - in ANY hospital there will be odd times things don't always go as they should, mostly due to pressure on the system - although they all know how many women are booked each month they DON"T know when they will come in! If anyone is unhappy with any aspect of their care it is always best to get something done about it at the time - ie speak to whoever is in charge on the ward that day.
I sit on the Labour Ward Forum at St. George's Hospital and know how seriously the staff take any issues women may have had.
Chelsea and Westminster is a great Hospital as well as being great looking, but St. George's is an equally fantastic place to have your baby.
We are very lucky living in London with access to such a range of teaching Hospitals where the knowledge and resources available are of a very high standard.
Glad you have made your choice and are now booked into the system. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

[Annefr]

Sorry i don't mean to hijack the thread.
How do you get a private room there? I have tried at The Kensington wing and they only offer a full package including delivery and room fr £6000-7000.

Many thanks

[KasiaT]

I had my baby girl there last Aug and was very happy. My only
comment is that sometimes they can get very busy and ahort staffed and then you just need to pester them for attention. That said the quality of care was very good and the nurses there were lovely. Unfortunately you cannot book a private room so if you want one just put your name down when you arrive. We did not manage to get one and the night on a busy ward was not relaxing. But I would gladly use C&W again. If you want any more info, send me an email. Good luck, exciting times ahead xxx

[KasiaT]

PS book a hopital tour, it will put your mind at rest to see the facilities

[szczepam1]

I used a private midwife. She provided me with continuity of care and helped us stand up to the hospital when we wanted to leave early and they wanted our daughter to stay "just in case." We also had a number of post-natal visits which was great for establishing breast feeding. Our private midwife cost £3,600. It was well worth it and significantly cheaper than going private.

[sandraletitia]

A private room on the postnatal ward at Chelsea and Westminster (not the Kensington wing) is £300.00 if available.

Sandra