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Hi, i had my baby at QC. I had a C-section, and I had to stay for 5 days after that, due to infection😩 The surgery was fine, but I was not happy with the after care. The ward was very busy at that time. It was like a baby factory, but probably you would not stay for 5 days.
Thanks both for the feedback!
I had my baby at QC in November 2023, amazing experience. I actually opted for a birth centre and got to have my whole labour there then had to be shifted to the ward. The care was amazing, they acted really fast when baby wasn't doing too well. After care was great for me. I'd have my future babies there too
I couldn’t fault the care I got at QC during my delivery - the midwives and doctors were very attentive and informative. But the aftercare was not the greatest. I remember I kept having to do a Covid test (I gave birth covid times) and I never had done a test before so I didnt know how to do it since I was given no instructions. The midwife just laughed and walked off. The night team were not helpful at all. My baby kept crying and I called for some help so I can be guided - no one came and when they did they said what do I expect them to do. Just to clarify, this was from labour ward to post natal ward - if I stuck to my original birthing plan which was to be in the birthing centre I don’t think I would have any issues. I’ve heard great things about the birthing centre at QC
Zakiyah, I had similar problem. I kept asking for help with bf, the night staff pushed me to give formula and they were smirking at me. I was asking for help because I knew that something is not ok. I ended up having a really bad infection. I guess there is always good and less helpful staff. But it is a very vulnerable time for new mums. And I am a health professional working for NHS. So I have some knowledge, but still I felt very helpless. Probably very different experience if everything goes smoothly and I can get discharged after a day.
@Jenisha agree, nothing is perfect. However there are some hospitals I would never go to, not even for two stitches on a hand. I know that both st Mary’s and queens charlotte are fine I’m just undecided as I live in between and I thought that having some real feedback might be helpful. Thanks!
@Giulia I heard good things about Chelsea and Westminster from two different sources. They even got to stay in a private room because of some difficulties during/after birth and they had to stay longer. C&W also has very good bf support. I know you have to change hospital, I just thought this info can be helpful. Also St Mary’s is in a good location, easy to get there with Elizabeth line.
I was meant to give birth at QC but they ran out of beds during my due date & they ended up wanting to induce me and so suggested st Mary’s. In retrospect I should have waited for a bed to free up at QC. St Mary’s is very run down, the air con wasn’t working and it was one of the hottest weeks of the year. The staff seemed to be angry at how outdated everything is and how badly the management handled their queries. The midwives are gonna be similar but you’ll get amazing staff and standard/bad staff anywhere. I can’t fault the doctors, they were amazing but we needed to stay in hospital for 10 days after due to complications and that’s where we suffered the bad conditions. If your birth is straightforward it shouldn’t matter as much but I’d personally go with QC. Good luck x
I had my boy in QC last year and I had a VBAC. They were absolutely amazing from start to finish
I have a high risk pregnancy and I’m at QC and I cannot fault it so far, everyone has been very caring and attentive. I’m under several different teams within the hospital due to several risk factors and each team has exceeded my expectations, I’ve also been given the number to one of the teams who I can text when I’m worried and they pretty much get back to me within 30 minutes. With my previous baby, I was at Northwick Park and my care was really bad, I lost my baby at 22 weeks due to negligence, a lot of things were overlooked during my pregnancy because of my age and this contributed to my loss. With that being said, every hospital has good staff members and bad staff members.
I have had both my children at Queen Charlotte's and would say I had a fairly good experience the first time but even better the 2nd time round. I had one of my scans in St Mary's and found the hospital a bit confusing but had no problems. So i would recommend Queen Charlotte's. Hope that helps x