HI there -as promised I just thought I'd ask if you wouldn't mind giving me you words of wisdom on this as I belive you are having you baby at UCH (when by the way?!) .
My questions are.......
How is the antenatal care? Do you get all your scans/ bloods done there - I guess so.....Have they been nice to you?!!!
Is it just midwife led- do you see any consultants- do you feel you need to?? I guess you don't feel get to know who will deliver your baby? Does that matter that much??
can you call on midwives if you ever need to or do you need to go to your GP to do this (sorry am totally clueless!!)
Have you been into the delivery ward -whats it like?
whats their policy on pain relief -am quite keen to know that they won't hang around toooo much i have hear some scare stories about some hospitals that seem reluatant to give epidurals etc
Do they have post natal care facilites there?
Did you say you had private up until 26 weeks? Where you tempted to carry on this route the whole way - we have NO insurance so the cost is just too terrifying for words!! Have a couple of friends who have gone NHS but with a private room after they've had the baby and said it was really worth it. Any thoughts? Do UCH do this at all?
Phil - if you don't fancy answering these no worries- but if you or anyone else out there knows anything about UCH - I'd SO appreciate it
Thanks!!!
Cazxx
(ps apologies if I come across as a bit of pathetic princess - pain relief/ private rooms....what next eh?!?!?!)
Anyone having baby at UCH - Phil think you are??
Hi, Caz I didn't have my ivf baby at UCH but wanted to add something on epidurals. I'm not sure how widely known this is but there is only a certain amount of time whilst dilating that you can ask for an epidural. After which it's 'too late'. End of story. If they are being slightly slow about it (not my experience) make sure you (or DH) ask very clearly how long they think you've got before it's too late. Someone I know waited and waited and only then asked, by the time someone was found to do it, she'd dilated past the safe stage (I think it's 8cm), it was then too late and she had to carry on without. Other people I know didn't get to the stage where they wanted/needed one at all. It's all very individual. I had one and was very happy I did. I had an unplanned c-section soon after and the epidural meant the prep. for the op was much quicker.
You're no 'pathetic princess' to ask these questions, try 'practical' instead!
love
Debra.
You're no 'pathetic princess' to ask these questions, try 'practical' instead!
love
Debra.
hi caz,
so sorry for the delay in replying.... but i had my baby there on tuesday. 3 weeks early and unexpected. liitle girl called Eve.
uch were really great. i had a planned c-section booked and my waters broke (while in john lewis). i arrived at uch doors at 1.30 pm and had the baby at 5.30 pm by c-section. as i'd already started i was given the choice for natural or section and opted for the fastest route.
with antenatal care i had midwife appointments at my local gp practice and consultant appoints at uch. reason being that i live on the outskirts of london and so the consultant suggested/arranged for local care too so that i didn't have to travel in every time. otherwise i would have had all scans/bloods done there.
i met my consultant at every appointment there except one. however as it was a planned c-section he was delivering the baby. they seem to work in teams and if its midwife led then i imagine that you'd meet someone from your assigned team at each appointment. i liked that i met the same people so that i wasn't reintroducing our situation everytime.
you are given an emergency number and pager for midwives. i met the consultant more than the midwives but that was because he was to deliver the baby.
delivery will take place in a room of your own. the ward was ok. its quite basic but really is fine. they have private amenity rooms which are £80 or £120 (ensuite) a night. the staff are fantastic. work hard, really friendly and always on call. of course there was a couple of grumpier ones but the nice ones far outweighed it.
pain relief. i had loads and loads. my contractions were every 30 seconds so had gas and air from the start, then an epidural and spinal block for the section. afterwards pain relief is given every few hours.
post and antenatal care. now this i was really impressed with! antenal you are given a session of free acupuncture if you want it! breast feeding classes and some others that i cant remember exactly, and in post natal you can do a 6 wk session of toning exercise classes for you and various drop in sessions for baby etc.
for us going down the private route completely was a really expensive option. we stopped private at 26 weeks because we felt uch gave us a similar experience to private care on the nhs. does that make sense?
having a private room in an nhs hospital is really good advise. you get privacy and great care at a fraction of the cost. i did have a room but also stayed on the ward for two nights.
caz, you don't sound like a pathetic princess at all and i'm happy to tell anything else. overall mine was a really positive experience there.
are you under uch or deciding where to go?
phil x
so sorry for the delay in replying.... but i had my baby there on tuesday. 3 weeks early and unexpected. liitle girl called Eve.
uch were really great. i had a planned c-section booked and my waters broke (while in john lewis). i arrived at uch doors at 1.30 pm and had the baby at 5.30 pm by c-section. as i'd already started i was given the choice for natural or section and opted for the fastest route.
with antenatal care i had midwife appointments at my local gp practice and consultant appoints at uch. reason being that i live on the outskirts of london and so the consultant suggested/arranged for local care too so that i didn't have to travel in every time. otherwise i would have had all scans/bloods done there.
i met my consultant at every appointment there except one. however as it was a planned c-section he was delivering the baby. they seem to work in teams and if its midwife led then i imagine that you'd meet someone from your assigned team at each appointment. i liked that i met the same people so that i wasn't reintroducing our situation everytime.
you are given an emergency number and pager for midwives. i met the consultant more than the midwives but that was because he was to deliver the baby.
delivery will take place in a room of your own. the ward was ok. its quite basic but really is fine. they have private amenity rooms which are £80 or £120 (ensuite) a night. the staff are fantastic. work hard, really friendly and always on call. of course there was a couple of grumpier ones but the nice ones far outweighed it.
pain relief. i had loads and loads. my contractions were every 30 seconds so had gas and air from the start, then an epidural and spinal block for the section. afterwards pain relief is given every few hours.
post and antenatal care. now this i was really impressed with! antenal you are given a session of free acupuncture if you want it! breast feeding classes and some others that i cant remember exactly, and in post natal you can do a 6 wk session of toning exercise classes for you and various drop in sessions for baby etc.
for us going down the private route completely was a really expensive option. we stopped private at 26 weeks because we felt uch gave us a similar experience to private care on the nhs. does that make sense?
having a private room in an nhs hospital is really good advise. you get privacy and great care at a fraction of the cost. i did have a room but also stayed on the ward for two nights.
caz, you don't sound like a pathetic princess at all and i'm happy to tell anything else. overall mine was a really positive experience there.
are you under uch or deciding where to go?
phil x
PHIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Hi!
Well I was just slagging you off on the other thread for being so selfish as to go off and ahve your baby without answer my daft questions and here you are!!!!!! (Joke by the way!)
SOOOOO happy for you - wow - you superstar
You ahve answered all my questions. UCH sounds really good. GP (GRIM!) has now referred me there - so i will see how it goes. We are still half considering maybe going private (in a NHS hosptial like St MArys or St Thomass) but we have to figure out cost and whether its actually worth it. from what you are saying maybe not?
Do you get to have tour of the ward at some point??
Anyway - how you YOU and baby doing!? You at home? doing okay? WOW!!
speak soon honey - sleep well!!
Cazxx
ps -waters breaking in John Lewis eh?!- embarrassing at all??
Hi Hi!
Well I was just slagging you off on the other thread for being so selfish as to go off and ahve your baby without answer my daft questions and here you are!!!!!! (Joke by the way!)
SOOOOO happy for you - wow - you superstar
You ahve answered all my questions. UCH sounds really good. GP (GRIM!) has now referred me there - so i will see how it goes. We are still half considering maybe going private (in a NHS hosptial like St MArys or St Thomass) but we have to figure out cost and whether its actually worth it. from what you are saying maybe not?
Do you get to have tour of the ward at some point??
Anyway - how you YOU and baby doing!? You at home? doing okay? WOW!!
speak soon honey - sleep well!!
Cazxx
ps -waters breaking in John Lewis eh?!- embarrassing at all??
hi caz,
we checked out a few options before deciding on uch. st. mary's, portland and elizabeth and st johns in st john wood. prices range from about 500.00 per night plus procedure to 1250.00 per night (not a typo!) plus procedure. being a c-section it worked out really costly.
just to let you know that when uch contact you to make yr first appointment, check out the open and closing times of the clinic. the later into the clinic time the longer the wait on the day. we would opt for the 1st appointment or the last one knowing it could be an hour delay.
receptionist is a bit of a dope so if your appointment is with a dr. then check with her she puts yr file in the dr's pile, not the general pile (long and boring story....).
there are ward tours every sunday, but you need to call in advance to make sure it's going ahead on the day. remember though it's not plush, but it is part of gt. ormond and they are very leading edge in research and development. also ranked top nhs london hospital in the recent published paper. food leaves somewhat to be desired...
anyway see what you both think, its personal choice at the end of the day.
embarrassed by my waters breaking? MORTIFIED! and sleep, i remember it somewhere in the distant past.
best of luck making the decision, its a tough one.
(i started writing this post at 2pm today and only just finished. )
phil x
we checked out a few options before deciding on uch. st. mary's, portland and elizabeth and st johns in st john wood. prices range from about 500.00 per night plus procedure to 1250.00 per night (not a typo!) plus procedure. being a c-section it worked out really costly.
just to let you know that when uch contact you to make yr first appointment, check out the open and closing times of the clinic. the later into the clinic time the longer the wait on the day. we would opt for the 1st appointment or the last one knowing it could be an hour delay.
receptionist is a bit of a dope so if your appointment is with a dr. then check with her she puts yr file in the dr's pile, not the general pile (long and boring story....).
there are ward tours every sunday, but you need to call in advance to make sure it's going ahead on the day. remember though it's not plush, but it is part of gt. ormond and they are very leading edge in research and development. also ranked top nhs london hospital in the recent published paper. food leaves somewhat to be desired...
anyway see what you both think, its personal choice at the end of the day.
embarrassed by my waters breaking? MORTIFIED! and sleep, i remember it somewhere in the distant past.
best of luck making the decision, its a tough one.
(i started writing this post at 2pm today and only just finished. )
phil x
hi caz,
eve is doing really well thankfully, me on the other hand - very disorganised.
read on another thread that your still undecided about hospital choice and everyone's opinions. it could drive you mad so go with what you and dh are comfortable with and ignore all else. good luck with making a decision.
let me know how you're doing (and hope you've stopped slagging me off by now !! )
love
phil x
eve is doing really well thankfully, me on the other hand - very disorganised.
read on another thread that your still undecided about hospital choice and everyone's opinions. it could drive you mad so go with what you and dh are comfortable with and ignore all else. good luck with making a decision.
let me know how you're doing (and hope you've stopped slagging me off by now !!
)love
phil x
Hi there!
Cannot BELIEVE that you thought of me when you have a new baby to cope with - you star!
UCH still defo in background, but, alot of my mates have recommended a particular consultant at St MArys , PAddington and by some miracle we have got an appointment with him -so if we get on -then I think we'll go that route. But might try to reduce the cost a bit by doing scans and stuff at UCH. We'll see what he suggests
How you doing - how is little eve -you getting much sleep??
Cazxx
Cannot BELIEVE that you thought of me when you have a new baby to cope with - you star!
UCH still defo in background, but, alot of my mates have recommended a particular consultant at St MArys , PAddington and by some miracle we have got an appointment with him -so if we get on -then I think we'll go that route. But might try to reduce the cost a bit by doing scans and stuff at UCH. We'll see what he suggests
How you doing - how is little eve -you getting much sleep??
Cazxx