Where to Give Birth in London

Author: Peggy 12:31, 20 March 2013 770 0 0


Where to Give Birth in London The vast majority of us will end up giving birth on the NHS. Even so, there are still choices to be made about the kind of birth you would like. Most NHS maternity units now incorporate a birth centre providing a low tech birth experience for women with uncomplicated labours. You’re entitled to choose a home birth within the NHS, and in many cases, particularly after a previous birth has had complications, you can opt for an elective caesarean. 

Even going private doesn’t necessarily mean having to remortgage the house. There are options, for example hiring an independent midwife or a doula, or simply paying for a single room after the birth, that can give you a little bit of extra control without stretching all the way to a private hospital.
So, before you book yourself into the local labour ward, it might be worth spending a little bit of time examining all your options. Although, there is definitely something to be said for proximity – particularly when your waters have broken and your contractions are coming every three minutes.



NHS Hospitals


The advantage of going to a large hospital to give birth is that it will cater for pretty much every eventuality. Epidurals and other pain relief will be available if you need them, as will a caesarean. Specialist doctors will be there to monitor your progress, and there will be facilities for looking after you and your baby if there are any complications after the birth.

Most local hospitals now also have a midwife-led unit. In these units the care is provided entirely by midwives. The aim is to provide a more relaxed environment to encourage natural births with as little intervention as possible. An NHS midwife-led unit will generally have at least one birth pool, though it is not usually possible to guarantee that it will be available when you need it. If there are complications during the birth then you will be transferred into the care of a consultant on the labour ward.

Be aware, though, that the bigger and better equipped the hospital, the more complicated births, requiring medical intervention, will be transferred to their unit.
There is a midwife shortage in the UK, and NHS hospitals can often be short staffed and forced to rely on agency workers, particularly at night. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in general most mothers are happy with the standard of care that they receive on the NHS during the birth itself, but that post natal care can be haphazard.
Although partners are actively encouraged to be involved in the birth process there are not usually facilities for them to stay overnight at an NHS hospital after the birth, and if you want to have a single room afterwards then you will usually have to pay for it (around £100-£200 per night). As with birth pools, hospitals can’t guarantee that a single room with be available when you request one.  


The best thing to do is to go on a tour of the maternity unit and ask the staff there about the things that are most important to you. Your antenatal midwife should be able to give you details of the times of hospital tours, or you can call the hospital’s main switchboard and ask to speak to the antenatal department. Even if you have already booked yourself in to a particular hospital you can change your mind at any time during your pregnancy.


Private Hospitals


Bank balance permitting, a private maternity hospital or birth centre could provide you with more control over your birth experience, and a more comfortable stay.
You will choose your own obstetrician, and whether you want to book a caesarean for a particular day, or ensure that there will be a birthing pool in your room, you can be confident that your needs will be accommodated. Going private will also guarantee you a single en suite room for as long as you need it.
Exactly how much you’ll have to pay depends on which services you need, a caesarean is more expensive than a natural birth and a consultant-led birth will cost more than a midwife-led one. 
As a rough guide, once you have paid the hospital for the use of their facilities, and settled the bill from your private consultant obstetrician, you’ll be lucky to walk away with much change from £10,000.


Home Birth


Giving birth at home could be the ultimate solution for the pregnant woman hoping for a natural birth. Your own home is the place that is most familiar to you and where you are least likely to feel under stress. You won’t have to make a hasty trip to hospital, you can arrange food and entertainment to suit yourself and you don’t need to worry about privacy or whether you’ve got an en suite bathroom.
If there are complications during the birth and you need medical help then you’ll have to go further to get it, though research has shown that medical intervention is less likely to be needed if a woman is labouring at home. If there have been no complications so far in your pregnancy then you should be able to book a home birth through your local hospital and a midwife will be sent out to you when you are in labour. If you are having difficulty booking a home birth through the NHS, or if you would like to select your own midwife who will take time to get to know you and your family before the birth, then you may want to consider an independent midwife.
Independent midwives are fully qualified midwives who have chosen to work outside the NHS. Most of them specialise in home birth, and some are experts in specific areas such as breech or twin births. They will usually provide  antenatal care in your home, as well as attending the birth and visiting for up to a month afterwards. They can refer you for scans and other antenatal tests, in your local NHS hospital. They can also refer you to an NHS obstetrician if necessary. 


Doulas


The role of a doula is in offering emotional and practical support to women - ‘mothering the mother’. In many cultures women are encouraged to rest for forty days after giving birth; here we’re usually expected to get back to normal a bit more quickly. Hiring a doula can provide much needed after care and practical help, allowing the mother to have as stress-free a birth experience as possible, and spend the maximum amount of time bonding with her baby.
Doulas can offer assistance and encouragement during pregnancy, during the birth itself (although they are not clinically trained, and will not replace a midwife) and can help out at home in the first weeks after the birth. Some doulas specialise in either pre or post birth services and some offer both.
What will it cost?

NHS                                Free!
Postnatal doula              £10-£15/hour
Birth doula                     £200-600           
Independent midwife     £2,000-£4,000
Private birth centre        £4,000-£5,000
Private hospital              £5,000-£10,000


Source: https://www.babylondon.co.uk/articles/pregnancy-a-birth/pregnancy/item/231-your-birth-your-choice


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