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Childbirth

London hospitals for hypnobirth?

40 replies

londonlou · 26/11/2006 15:52

I'm right at the beginning of things. Nervously awaiting a 3rd beta to make sure it's going in the right direction. Last one ended in biochem. I'm an ivf'er and this pregnancy is 6 years coming. I've had a lot of practice at research and thought I should start looking where I would like to give birth. If things go well, I'd like to do hypnobirth with a pool, a doula and possibly with an independent midwife. Can anyone recommend a London hospital where this kind of birth
would fit in? Or would I have a cat's hell chance of getting a home birth with a first pregnancy?

To complicate matters I might be moving to Margate in the new year, so would have to start looking for a place in Kent.

Sorry for the ramble.

Lou

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Lio · 26/11/2006 15:53

Where in London are you? And would you consider hiring a pool and doing it at home?

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londonlou · 26/11/2006 16:41

Hi Lio,
I'm in Hackney, E8. I would consider a home birth. In fact I think I'd prefer it.
Lou

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/11/2006 16:45

I don't think Hackney has a home birth support group any more, but Tower Hamlets has a pretty good one. If you contact me off board (not . quite . cockney @ googlemail . com, only without the spaces), I can get you the details of it.

There are a couple of independent midwives operating in our area. I don't think most midwives would want to have a doula as well ... or at least they'd want you to use a doula of their choice, iyswim. And for a hospital birth, you generally get the right to only two birth helpers, so your partner/dh and your midwife uses up your quota.

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/11/2006 16:45

Oh, tell me if you're emailing me, coz I check that address only rarely. Thanks.

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londonlou · 26/11/2006 17:10

Hi Notquitecockney,

Thanks for your reply. I found a group of midwifes very local to me. \link{http://londonbirthpractice.co.uk/}. I guess they'll have info on homebirth possibilities in the area. One thing that's kind of worrying me is that I'm likely to move, so I'll have to look for both places. I might not have my partner in with me. We've already agreed that he shouldn't do what he's not comfortable with. So that should keep the quota down! If I had to take an independent into a hospital, I probably wouldn't need a doula.

Thanks

Lou

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/11/2006 17:17

Ah, one of that practice used to be with Caroline Flint. I'd heard good things about her.

You could try to find a midwife who was willing to cover you for a home birth in Margate, too? How far into the new year are you talking about moving? And how pregnant are you?

I managed to find my mifwife while 25 weeks pregnant or something, but it's probably better to book in earlier than that if you can ...

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londonlou · 26/11/2006 17:52

I'm very early. 4w2d! I'll consider myself extremely lucky to get there! I'm buying a house now in Margate, so that should be another 3 months. I have a place in London where I'm not sure if I'll have moved out of by August, so I might have the luxury of deciding to be where's best for me in the summer. But ideally I'd like to make sure I'm booked in with someone early. I;m an ivf pregnancy, so waiting to hear how many I have in there! I guess if it's more than 1 that would change things a lot and I may have to be in hospital.

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/11/2006 17:55

Oh, if you want to do NCT Antenatal Classes in your neighbourhood, there are a few options for you - I don't know whether Hackney does courses, there's an independent teacher in Hackney, and Tower Hamlets do classes. For which, um, you'd want to talk to me.

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Lio · 26/11/2006 19:13

Oh, good luck, hope this pg goes swimmingly. I strongly recommend a book called Your Birth Rights by Pat Thomas - I borrowed it from the library and it was instrumental in making me brave enough to request the home birth I wanted. LOTS of info about where to find midwives/doulas etc. This was also covered well in Stand and Deliver and Other Brilliant Ways to Give Birth(can't remember author's name).

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pupuce · 26/11/2006 19:27

Stand and deliver is by Emma Mahoney.
Londonlou - if you move to Kent, feel free to contact me as I know many doulas in Kent.
I am myself on maternity leave but can make some recommendations.

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londonlou · 26/11/2006 19:47

Oh, thanks all for the info from everyone. Notquitecockney I'll email you.
Looks like I've got some reading to do.

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/11/2006 20:12

There is a North-East London meet on Wednesday, if you want to chat to some of us in person. Very quiet, maybe 8 people, meeting up in for dinner. There's a thread in Meet-ups with the details, if you're interested.

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Baretoes · 26/11/2006 23:37

Hello there - as a hospital option - UCH is where I'm booked and they have the Bloomsbury Birth Centre on one side of the lift (midwive run home from home, birth pool etc) on one side of the lift and labour ward on the other. I too am planning to hypnobirth in the pool but feel happier that should medical intervention be required, the doctors can get to me as easily as if I am in labour ward. The midwives are great there. Just another idea to throw in to the pot.....?!

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londonlou · 27/11/2006 14:46

Baretoes - I wonder why this didn't come up in my search on dr foster's birth guide? Thanks for the tip!

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Baretoes · 27/11/2006 15:55

I'm not sure!! The maternity bit to UCH is actually in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital on Huntley Street (tel 0845 1555000 for UCH main switch board and they can put you through to the birth centre).

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lemonaid · 27/11/2006 16:06

The Birth Centre (independent midwives who do homebirths or have birth centre next to St George's) do a lot of hypnobirths (a lot of the people who do hypnobirthing classes with my hypnobirthing teacher use them).

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hertsnessex · 27/11/2006 16:07

homebirth sounds like it might be a good choice for you.

im a doula in essex/herts if you have any q's feel free to PM me.

cx

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BrummieOnTheRun · 27/11/2006 16:32

Hi Lou,
In theory UCH/Bloomsbury Birthing Centre is a great option and the valiant staff are excellent, but the building is old and cramped, all but one of the birth rooms are small, can be too hot and do not have en-suite facilities.
There was only one birth pool in a large dept, so you're far from guaranteed access. The post-natal facilities there are chronic. About 1 bed away from installing bunk beds. The bathrooms were disgusting. And unless a miracle has happened since last year they're probably still chronically understaffed. My m/w said they sometimes have to close the Bloomsbury bit if understaffed.
Could all have changed since last Nov. Go visit. But also go see St Thomas' at Waterloo. Fantastic new unit.

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BrummieOnTheRun · 27/11/2006 16:39

btw, hypnobirthing is fantastic...wish I'd done it with my first. And with enough prep you can do it ANYWHERE. You won't need an experienced hypnobirthing therapists with you. You can just take the classes (there are loads of classes throughout london) and listen to the CDs. I'm a massive sceptic and that worked for me.

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londonlou · 27/11/2006 18:50

Baretoes - ah! I now see why I hadn't spotted it. It was listed as you say.

Lemonaid - The birth Centre looks fab, but it's private only. I spoke with them today and they charge on a sliding scale. The longer you're signed up with them the more expensive it is. i.e. from 8w to term it's £6400. For the last month it's £3500. But then you're not guaranteed you'll get in and they said that Aug is tricky month what with staff holidays. I'm trying to see if I can find an NHS place first before looking at private. Just spent all my money on getting pregnant! LOL.

Hertsnessex - I think I'd like homebirth. Might do that option with independent midwife. My local hosp the Homerton has good special care baby unit and I'd only being going to hosp if things went wrong. I wouldn't like to choose to give birth there, as hardly any water births.

BrummieOnTheRun - I was looking at the Gowri Motha's Gentle Birth Method for hypnobirth, but am I right in thinking that she lifted much of her advice from other hypnobirth sources? Where did you get yours from? I will still get her book through for the recipes and other stuff. Sounds like what I'm looking for.

Phew. Thanks ladies for all your help so far.

Lou
x

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BrummieOnTheRun · 27/11/2006 20:00

Hi Lou,

It was the Gowri Motha classes that I did. I'm not sure where she developed the hypnobirthing element from, but I liked her course because it covers more than just self-hypnosis: it's all about getting 'birth fit' and giving yourself the best chance possible of a natural birth (not to mention making you feel great at 8 months+ when everyone else is sick to death of being pregnant!
There's a bit on diet (to ensure the baby's not too big), a bit on optimal foetal positioning, a bit on massage and lymphatic drainage, perineal massage, etc, etc. The diet stuff is a bit severe - I just cut wheat and sugar from 28 weeks and it worked a dream.
Highly recommend the program. Gives you great confidence that the birth can be good.

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NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 20:14

Independent midwives are a lot cheaper than the Birth Centre (aka Caroline Flint).

There is talk of an NHS birthing centre in E14, but I think it's a little way off.

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londonlou · 27/11/2006 23:33

Brummieontherun - cool. I'll get Gowri's book then. I do a bit of that diet stuff when I need to for my IBS, I bet it's similar.

Notquitecockney - Is that the one Barts is opening in the docklands end of 2007? Sounds great, but sadly not ready yet!

Lou
x

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Gemmitygem · 28/11/2006 12:09

hi lou,

I found the Birthing From Within book good, cos it's realistic about the pain. A bit hippy but was really good on preparing you mentally for the birth. I also had the hypnobirthing book and CD, and frankly during labour just wanted to burn them (and kill the author) (joke), because it was so untrue: labour does bloody hurt, but it's nothing to be scared of because it's gone so fast and afterwards the whole thing is like a dream, you can't really remember it. however, the hynobirthing thing seemed to deny that the pain was real, and when you're in the thick of it you realise how irritating that is, as if you've been lied to. The Birthing from Within book is better cos it says 'yes it is difficult, it hurts a lot, you have to be brave, and you CAN do it' which is a much more realistic and optimistic message than 'the pain is in your head and you can imagine it away'. Breathing and counting does help though...

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Lio · 28/11/2006 14:38

Maybe you will consider reading Marie Mongan's book too (called something obvious like 'Hypnobirthing the Mongan Method' or something) - your library will get it in for you if they don't already have a copy. Very interesting history of labour and birth and quite a quick read too.

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