Lewisham, Kings, St Thomas? How to make the decision...

[Ellie78]

Very newly pregnant and was put on the spot this morning at the GPs. I could have any one of these. He said, and I agree with him from what I've read on the t'internet, that there's not to choose between them in terms of care. I opted for Lewisham, then changed my mind and have now gone with St Thomas' (on the basis of it being actually more convenient in terms of ante natal appointments)

None of them make more sense, in terms of getting to the hospital; they're all pretty similar in terms of distance and we'd have to go by cab/get a lift anyway when The Time Comes.

Is there a factor I'm not reckoning with?

[Lochie]

I've heard really good things about Lewisham birthing centre recently which is attached to the actual hospital so you only need to go next door if you want an epidural or need extra care. Kings and St Thomas's don't have birthing centres and they are a home from home and apparently far more relaxing to 'birth' in. If I lived in or near Lewisham i'd seriously think about going there....

[sillywoman]

If you need to be on a consultant led unit then Kings is your best chance for a more straightforward birth without intervention. If you'd like to use a home-from-home birth centre and you're low risk them Lewisham is best (absolutely lovely birth centre), if you want private healthcare and a view of the houses of parliament, or you've got a mutiple pregnancy and you'd like to have the best chance of a vaginal birth for your babies then Tommies is best.

These are all personal opinion (mine!) and you'll find supporters and knockers for every hospital.

Don't chose your hospital on how convenient it is for you to make antenatal appointments though, the crucial influence your choice will have is over the kind of birth experience you'll have.

[Otta]

Lewisham gets a bad rep, because the main building is so old, and a bit tatty. However, the staff are wonderful, and everyone I know who has had a baby there has had good things to say.

[jollybaby]

they have a home from home unit at St Thomas' too - though I'm not sure if this is as demedicalised as the Lewisham birthing centre.

http://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/services/womensservices/maternity/labour/homefromhome.aspx

I have a bit of a soft spot for St Thomas'- having worked there in the past. I only decided to go for Kings as I couldn't face the idea of travelling along the Walworth Road in labour!

[cheryla]

I agree with all points above, don't commit to a hospital based on convenience.

We are a high risk birth and so need the help that Kings can give us during and after the birth.

Likewise if you find yourself having a low risk birth then Lewisham maybe better.

Good Luck!

[Jo'sEnglish]

Just a quick recent experience of Lewisham as I gave birth there last month.

I was low-risk so booked into the birth centre there and it is just lovely, very comfortable and the midwifes were all amazing. Unfortunately I had complications and had to be transferred to the labour ward and had a torrid time, so much so I made a formal complaint. Post-natal care wasn't great either. I met some fantastic individuals amongst the medical staff there but overall the system doesn't seem to be up to scratch :(

Send me a PM if you want more info and good luck with your pregnancy!

[sillywoman]

Sadly Jo yours is a story I hear frequently. It's hard to tell how a labour will go - you may book for and start off in the lovely birth centre then end up on the consultant unit (which at Lewisham doesn't have the best reputation of the local units). It's all a bit of a gamble.

[buggie]

Would look into post-natal care as much as ante-natal care... while awkward to travel round for antenatal visits think the postnatal ones are more important.

AFAIK even if you're at tommy's for the birth, they don't come to do your post-natal visits, that is passed onto Kings. I'm not aware of how smooth that transition is and would want to check how it happens/if this means a bigger gap between leaving hospital and having home visit... am sure those who've had babies at tommy's can tell you how this worked.

[Otta]

We found Tommy's ery good in terms of knowing what was going on, and one department communicating with another.

Kings was great in terms of the absolutely fantastic staff, but not so great on things atually being done as they were meant to be, we had to remind them a lot.

Lewisham, we've not had a baby at, but have had a lot of dealings with them, and they have been very very caring and kind.

Just a note to say, that whilst I am sure Jo'sEnglish is being totally honest about her experience, you can find an absolute horror story about any hospital, even on this forum if you have a look. Sometimes things will be unpleasant however much planning and goo intentions there are.

[Jo'sEnglish]

I agree Otta, and I think in many ways I was unlucky in that it was very busy when I was in there and I got a locum doctor. We always felt it was a gamble though, and a gamble we were prepared to take in the hope I would get to have the birth I wanted in the birth centre. All in all, if you are low risk and want that type of birth than nothing beats the Lewisham birth centre, it's amazing! Sadly, you never know how things will work out...

[ClareC]

I had number one at Tommys, started in the home from home which was not at all medicalised and midwife led. The medical section is just down the corridor, which was a relief when things went wrong! Ended up with a csection on the Sunday night, went home Tues afternoon. The postnatal care was handed to Kings and all went very smoothly.

Second time round I had an elective c section at Kings. Great experience and out the next day.

Can't comment on Lewisham but can't fault Kings or Tommys.

Would suggest you visit the 3 places and go with the one you feel most comfortable and at ease with. You can change your mind and transfer if you want to.

Happy to answer any specific questions, just PM

[Strawbs]

I'm yet to have my baby but thus far have been with tommies and I've found them to be brilliant.. I've developed gestational diabetes and the care has been exceptional.. Midwives have been great and upon being classed as hugh risk have seen lots of midwives, consultants and doctors and it's all been very smooth.. Tour of the birthing ward showed it to be a nice environment.. That is my experience to date so other than that I can't help.. I have no experience of kings.. Hope that helps..

[gebbjane]

" even if you're at tommy's for the birth, they don't come to do your post-natal visits, that is passed onto Kings. I'm not aware of how smooth that transition is and would want to check how it happens/if this means a bigger gap between leaving hospital and having home visit... am sure those who've had babies at tommy's can tell you how this worked."

I had baby at Tommies - good experience for me. Had no problems with the transition of ante-natal care from Tommies to kings. I had a kings midwife come and see me within 24hrs of being home. I was discharged with high blood pressure and a couple of other problems, I had all my medical notes from the hospital to give her and she was able to ensure I had all the right medication and came in pretty much everyday to check my blood pressure until it went down enough to be discharged from their care.

[craigy]

Post natal care is postcode led so shouldn't be a factor in deciding which hospital you have your baby in. If you live in ED you will be seen by kings midwives. After birth it is pretty normal for women to go to different address so there is a pretty foolproof system of referring postnatal discharges on to the correct hospital and it does not result in a delay in care.

Birth is a very subjective experience and what people view as acceptable and unacceptable is very different with many dofferent variables at play so other peoples experiences are also not a good factor to base a decision on....

All 3 hospitals are within the same PCT so the option to change care in pregnancy is available.

I have had 2 babies at one of the mentioned hospitals and had a great positive experience both times.

[reneet]

craigy Wrote:

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>

>

> All 3 hospitals are within the same PCT so the

> option to change care in pregnancy is available.

>

This is wromg the hospitals are not within the same PCT. Lewisham is within Lewisham PCT, Tommies is Lambeth and Kings is Southwark. Having said that the three PCT have an alliance and tend to act as a group.

[ClareC]

I think Kings is Lambeth too.....

[reneet]

Kings is in Lambeth (if you give birth in Kings then you register in Lambeth) but Southwark is its commissioning PCT, if you are treated in Kings and you are a no-fixed-aboard then southwark fits the bill. Although as I said all this is irrelevant as they operate as an alliance now.

[craigy]

Pardon my terminology, PCT is not right but they are the same health authority of LSL (Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham) which gives the choice to move between them if need be whereas if you lived in say Greenwich you would be classed as out of area and they have the option to refuse you.. I really don't wish to get into a debate about this, was just trying to point out that there was some degree of choice

[Kes]

Ellie,

I'd go and visit them all, ask as many questions as you possibly can and then go with your gut feeling!

The experience you have in any hospital will be hugely influenced by how the birth goes and I'm afraid that is mostly luck. You'll find huge praise from those who've had straight forward births and utter horror stories from those who haven't for every hospital.

I had my baby at St T's and can confirm there is a midwife led non-medical bit there, can't comment on any of the others. I would say tho - having had my heart set on using the midwife unit and ending up transfering to the medical unit for every intervention under the sun, that if you go down the midwife unit route anywhere, be prepared practiacally and emotionally for the possibility it may not work out.

I'd assume that at Kings, although there is no Midwife led unit, if everything was "normal" you'd be cared for by midwives and not encouraged to have any epidural, monitoring, etc. etc. unless it was really needed?? Expect someone else on here can answer that!

K

[Ellie78]

You've all been really helpful, thank you so much.

I'm much more open to see how things work out now; I think the lesson learned is to ride the wave. Generally I would say that I would prefer not as much intervention, just because I think I'd find it all a bit scary (lots of machines attached etc) but, you know what, in the however many secret years I've known my body...it sometimes just does what it wants to do (or what I don't plan it to do)...For that reason perhaps my choice of St T's isn't so far off the mark of where I want to be.

Will make an appointment to look around St T's first, see how that goes and go and look about the other two.

Thanks for the offers of pm chats. I might well take you up on it.

[pommie]

I had my daughter at lewisham 3 years ago and my experience was ok overall. Only problem i had was that they dressed her before handing her back to me (after checking her over) and then moved me straight into a chair whilst they cleaned up the bed which in turn ended up making me faint and if my partner hadnt of been there, then i have a vision of them dropping me as there was only 2 midwives there. Also when they came round to show you how to bathe the baby, for some strange reason, even tho there were 4 of us in a room, they completely by-passed us and i had to actually go and ask them to come back. Most of the midwives were lovely tho and I am pregnant with my second baby and have opted to go to lewisham. Definitely thinking about the birth centre there as it looks amazing.

Good luck in your decision

[Strawbs]

Ellie - just back from having my baby at tommies and honestly they were superb! I cannot speak highly enough f them and I would rec them wholeheartedly!!

[crystal7]

Ellie78 I had a homebirth last wk and ended up being transferred to Kings where we spent 2 nights. I was dreading it, all I wanted to do was curl up in my own bed. However the staff were fantastic and the ward was fine (as hospita wards go). I was incredibly lucky to have my own room though as it wasn't very busy.

[sillywoman]

Ellie78 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Generally I would say that I would prefer not as

> much intervention, just because I think I'd find

> it all a bit scary (lots of machines attached etc)

> but, you know what, in the however many secret

> years I've known my body...it sometimes just does

> what it wants to do (or what I don't plan it to

> do)...For that reason perhaps my choice of St T's

> isn't so far off the mark of where I want to be.

>

> If you go by the statistics (http://www.birthchoiceuk.com) then you have a significantly higher probability of unplanned Caesarean at Tommies and Lewisham (taken overall) or of forceps delivery at Tommies.

So to avoid forceps or ventouse, statistically go for Lewisham. To avoid emergency caesarean statistically go for Kings. Tommies isn't great for either I'm afraid. The most interventional of the three.