St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey - advice and views please

[meercat71]

Hi all

Anyone here got advice or views/experience of giving birth at St Peter's in Chertsey.

I understand that if you need extra care/have a problem they have excellent surgical care but hopefully I should just be a bog standard first timer and I have heard tales (some from midwives) of lack of cleanliness, understaffing etc... am quite nervous.

Am also considering a home birth with private midwives and any advice on that would be appreciated too. I live in Walton on Thames, Surrey.

Thanks in advance
C xx

[rolledhedgehog]

I am from Walton too! I had my second baby in St. Peters two years ago. I was not in for long and they did not seem to busy so it may just be luck of the draw. The bog-standard labour room was fine and clean. They have some really nice home from home rooms there too but I did not get one of those. I was actually only there 10 mins before DD was born so it was an easy birth but the midwife was fantastic. She was really calm and made time afterwards to bathe DD etc.

The postnatal ward was ok. The care seemed fine although I was not there long. It seemed clean enough to me. I gave birth in a london hospital with my first and it was much cleaner than that!

I am now expecting my third and would like a home birth, mainly because it is easier not to find childcare for the other two. I have lots of friends who have had babies there and I have not heard anything negative really.

[eleusis]

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[CarGirl]

I have had my 4 there, and it has made huge improvements over the last 2-3 years. The labour ward & rooms are very good, I do feel the joan booker ward is a bit lacking in staff when it's busy which is luck of the draw.

With the last 2 I never went there (I refused) and went home after 6 hours instead. I had a rough time first time around (so a few bad memories) and the 2nd was during a huge baby boom in June 2002 where maternity wards were overflowing everywhere and when myself and this other mum self discharged at 3am there were only 3 empty beds including ours (I saw the info on the staff room wall). It was just so busy/noisy that I couldn't sleep so that is why I self discharged.

All of mine were booked for home birth and they are really supportive of it and I certainly wouldn't worry about having to actually labour/deliver there I'd just recommend leaving asap afterwards if they are busy!

[Thelittlesoldiersmummy]

Hi I am down the road in Leatherhead! i had my DS at Guildford as at the time lived in weybridge and didnt want to go to St peters due to the bad things I had heard! Guildford was brilliant if you have strong reservations about St Peters!

[eleusis]

If I were you, I would avoif St Peter's AT ALL COSTS. And I mean that literally. I refused to go there... full stop. Ended up at Queen Charlotte and they were lovely.

Seethis thread... among many others.

[CarGirl]

My eldest is 10 my youngest nearly 2, believe me there have been huge improvements in the last few years even between summer 2003 and summer 2005 I noticed huge changes - although I am a fan of home birth, so much more relaxed at home etc

[funnypeculiar]

I had my second there (although was planned as a home birth). In comparison to my first experience (at Kingston), the place is rather grubby and unkept. My birth was very st forward and quick, and my mw care in the birth excellent. Although they'd have had to go some to arse it up. I was then left to sit in the labour room with the bloody mess of sheets under the bed for about 5 hours. Which was unsavoury, but not a big problem. The Joan Booker ward was pretty crap. Understaffed, very noisy and chaotic, not a great place to spent my first night with dd. Should have pushed for 6 hour discharge, or booked a 'private' room as many mates recommended.

I have heard from many sources that the horror stories of a few years back are a thing of the past and that it is much better now. Thats said, if I had a third, I'd defn aim for a home birth again.

There's an excellent home birth support group run by some local Shpperton/Sunbury NCT people (think one is a mw) - have you been in touch with them?? You don't need to go the private mw option - it can still be an NHS birth... (my mw actually suggested a home birth for me)

[meercat71]

Thanks everyone
Much appreciated
am definitely veering towards the home birth but as was poo pooed by the consultant at St P's when I mentioned a water birth I didn't thnk there was much chance of a home birth (it has never been offered to me as an option I only found out about it at an NCT early class)
cheers
C x

[Thelittlesoldiersmummy]

have you thought of a independant midwife these cover Walton/Weybridge www.yoursmaternally.co.uk/

[eleusis]

Find a hospital you like on birthchoice.co.uk and/or drfoster.co.uk and then show up there when you are in full blown labour. Nobody can make you go to St. Peters if you don't let them bully you into something you don't want -- and they will try to bully you at St. Peters. Call me a synic, but they make their decisions based upon their budget, not your care.

Personally, I think you are crazy to want a home birth. But, hey, if that is what you want, good luck!