Private birth during Covid-19
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We're booked into The Portland. My care will be taken over by them from 30 weeks. They've been really good so far and I'm very hopeful for a much better experience this time, compared to my first
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No, I was NHS with my first. It wasn't the best experience though I'm not sure the complications I faced would have been different in a private setting. However, this time there is a lot of pressure on me to make choices that I'd rather not like early induction and private gives us much more control. Plus in want to guarantee my husband can be there and stay which is not the case within NHS hospitals right now. So we're hedging our bets!
Yes, currently booked into Westminster Suite at St Thomas.
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Hope you ladies get the nice private suites on the 12th floor! I also did private at St. Thomas last year.
April in Lindo :)
Yes, April at the Portland. FTM, so nothing to compare to, but wanted the peace of mind of partner being allowed to attend every step. I’m also booked in at my local Nhs in case of emergencies and I must admit, they have also been very thorough. As an older higher risk mum to be, I feel very looked after!
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My local hospital is a about 400m away - the Whittington. I have only done the minimum necessary there. I had the initial booking bloods and met A midwife to get yellow book. I have one more appointment to see MW this wk at 30wks. I did not do any scans etc and they are aware that I am booked with the Portland and plan to deliver there. I did call the MW triage at the Whittington once and they advised me to come in as I was having palpitations. They were extremely thorough and I couldn’t fault their care. I would recommend staying with your local Nhs too, as if you have an emergency that is where the Ambulance will take you and it’s good for them to also have records of your care x
Hi Jackie, which local nhs did you book in to? im having a dilemma whether or not to continue my mw appointments at the nhs hosp and whilst going for my obs appt private at lindo. my obs told me that its silly to go both because all scans and test are done twice
Westminster Suite ❤️
We are thinking about private in St Thomas too. Someone mentioned they moved their private suits ?
Ladies I just found this old post and I am wondering if anyone can help me. I’m 30 weeks now and considering going private. We are booked in to Queen Charlotte’s NHS and I am struggling to get an actual person on the line at the Clayton wing to discuss our options. Here are my questions if anyone has any answers or experience: 1) If you begin care this late are you still paying the entire price of the package? 2) Is there an option of just booking a private room for after the birth? As in- do the birth with the NHS and then recover in a private room? 3) Queen Charlotte’s has the option of consultant and midwifery led. The midwifery led is double the price- is that normal? Is it far better care? Hope you all had wonderful experiences with your births!
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Hi Tammy. I didn’t look into that particular hospital but I know for the ones I did look into the difference in price between starting at 8w and 26w was only £1k difference. If you’re having issues reaching someone you can try calling a secretary for one of the consultants to see if there’s a better number for you to use. Hope one of the other ladies in this group has more info on that hospital for you.
Hi ladies, hope you & the babies are all well! I’m planning to move under a private consultant from 28 weeks & deliver at the Westminster Suite in St Thomas’, does anyone have any experiences of there please? Like a few of you have mentioned, the £ is quite a bit so I want to be sure I’m making the right decision. Thanks in advance 🤗x
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Hi Chloe, I think it’s all a personal preference. I did private at St. Thomas for my entire pregnancy and it was a godsend because Covid started while I was pregnant. I really liked my consultant and thought the standard of care was really good, but I also am not used to midwife lead care since that’s not the standard in my home country. You could also try to opt for a private room instead of doing private birth if you’d like but it’s not guaranteed you’ll be given the room.
Thanks Cindy, appreciate you taking the time to reply to me! :)
@Niki Did you do a private birth with your first or was it NHS? You’ll have to keep us all updated with how you found your experience at The Portland. I’ve heard great things about them.