Preparing for motherhood is a whirlwind of emotions. The thought of bringing a new life into your home is both an exciting and scary feeling.
There are three options where you can choose to give birth: at home, in NHS hospitals, and in private maternity hospitals.
If you have decided to give birth at a maternity hospital, you have to be able to choose the best London maternity hospital to ensure you get the quality care you desire for you and your baby.
Finding an excellent London maternity hospital to welcome your baby is a daunting task and will be one of the most important decisions you have to make.
It can be challenging and overwhelming since there are so many options available in London.
Not to worry, we have already done the research for you.
In this blog article, we share the top private maternity and NHS hospitals to choose from.
You will read about factors to consider, facilities, and tips to assist you in making an informed decision about the best London maternity hospital for your special day.
In summary, the top 5 picks on the best London maternity hospital are:
- St Mary’s Hospital
- University College Hospital
- The Portland Hospital for Women and Children
- King’s College Hospital
- Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospital
Contents
1. St Mary’s Hospital
- Address: Praed St, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 3312 6666
- Visit Website
St Mary’s Hospital is located in the London Borough of the City of Westminster. It has a long history dating back to 1845 and is quite popular for its private Lindo wing, where royal and celebrity births have occurred.
It is one of the five hospitals under Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Aside from the Lindo Wing, the hospital also has other wards such as a Birth centre and Maternity day assessment unit.
The Birth centre is located in the Cambridge wing and has double beds for partners to stay overnight.
Wards in the Clarence wing are the delivery suite, maternity day assessment unit, and Winnicott baby unit.
The hospital is accessible via Paddington and Edgware Road stations on the London Underground or Paddington and Marylebone overground railway stations on the London Overground.
It has several facilities offered while you are at the hospital:
2. University College Hospital
- Address: 235 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BU, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 3456 7890
- Visit Website
Located in the London Borough of Camden, University College Hospital is part of University College London Hospitals, one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK.
It was founded in 1834 and currently holds 665 beds. The hospital is a great choice for expectant mothers with its state-of-the-art facilities and The Care Quality Commission’s overall rating of “Good“.
Maternity services are available at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (EGA) Wing. With cutting-edge technology, they provide comprehensive quality gynaecology, maternity, and neonatal care.
Outpatients can bring their partners for scans, midwife appointments, Fetal Medicine Unit appointments, and attendances to the Maternal Fetal Assessment Unit.
For inpatients, you can have two support partners during labour and birth.
If you are in labour, you will have to contact the Maternal Fetal Assessment Unit (MFAU) or Labour and delivery care.
3. The Portland Hospital for Women and Children
- Address: 205 – 209 Great Portland St, London W1W 5AH, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 3993 3972
- Visit Website
Founded in 1983, The Portland Hospital for Women and Children is a private maternity hospital on Great Portland Street in London.
It has been a place for notable births of royalty and famous people, such as the birth of the son of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and the second son of David Beckham and Victoria Beckham.
You can trust their more than 600 skilled medical consultants working there.
Moreover, the hospital cares for more than 40,000 children a year. If you choose to have private maternity care with them, you can have the following services:
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)
- Choice of consultant-led care (CLC) and midwife-led delivery care (MLD)
- Pregnancy scans (NIPT)
- Emergency theatre
- 24/7 resident obstetric anaesthetist
- One-to-one midwife care in labour
- Newborn baby care
- Private rooms with a bed for a partner
- Postnatal and breastfeeding support
- Birthing pool for water births
The hospital also offers services for paediatric care, neonatal intensive care unit for premature and ill babies, treatments for gynaecology and oncology, and fertility services.
If you’d like to hear what other mothers have to say about the hospital, you can read several patient stories and learn about their journey.
4. King’s College Hospital
- Address: Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 3299 9000
- Visit Website
King’s College Hospital is located in the London Borough of Lambeth and offers a range of services in various fields, including Neurology, Neurosurgery, Trauma, and Maternity.
It was established in 1909 and currently has 950 beds. They offer Antenatal care (before the birth), Badger Notes, Clinic and scan locations, Parent education classes, and Neonatal units.
With King’s College Hospital, you can choose to give birth in the Nightingale Birth Centre at the hospital or at home under the care of their community-based midwives.
At the Nightingale Birth Centre, only one partner can come to visit at any time of the day. The Nightingale Birth Centre has the following facilities:
- Two midwife-led birthing rooms
- Two operating theatres for planned and emergency surgery
- Ten labour rooms (with beds, reclining chairs, birthing balls, mats, bean bags, stereos, and private bathrooms)
- Four-bed area for women who need extra monitoring before birth
- Two-bed high dependency unit (HDU)
- Five-bed recovery area
After giving birth, you may be sent home immediately if you don’t have complications or transferred to William Gilliatt postnatal ward for further postnatal care.
If you want to donate your umbilical cord, you can donate it to the Anthony Nolan Cord Blood Programme. The program aims to save people with blood cancer.
5. Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospital
- Address: Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 7188 7188
- Visit Website
Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospital was founded in 1721 by Thomas Guy. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark, just a few minutes from The Shard and London Bridge station.
It is an NHS hospital with 400 beds and one of the oldest maternity hospitals in London.
Should you decide to have your maternity care taken care of by Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospital throughout your pregnancy, you can expect a midwife appointment, antenatal appointments, scan appointments, and a visit to specialist clinics.
They also provide assessments, including early pregnancy and acute gynaecology unit (EPAGU) and maternity assessment unit (MAU).
You will also get the support you need when giving birth and after birth. They offer three places for birth: home from home birth centre, hospital birth centre, and your home.
Whichever option you choose, you can be assured to get the best treatment and care from their professional midwives, obstetricians, specialist nursing staff, and maternity support staff.
What to Consider When Choosing a Maternity Hospital
Choosing a maternity hospital requires serious thought. There are several factors to consider before entrusting a hospital to give you the maternity care you desire.
Here are some things you may want to consider:
- Location: This is the number one priority. Ensure that you choose a hospital close to you that is convenient and quick to reach.
- Top-notch Facilities: Consider the facilities the hospital offers. It should be able to provide you with everything you need for services before and after giving birth.
- Birthing options: Some hospitals offer various birthing options, including home birth, hospital, and water birth. Whichever birthing option you choose, make sure the hospital offers it.
- Patient reviews and staff ratings: Do a quick research on patient experiences and learn how the hospital took care of them. Moreover, it is also best to check the reputation of doctors and nurses working in the hospital.
- Cost: Consider the estimated cost if you decide to give birth at your chosen hospital.
Prepare Yourself Before the Big Day
Now that you know some of the best London maternity hospitals, you can now prepare before the big day comes. It is recommended to rest, catch up on reading birthing books and prepare your maternity bag.
Your maternity bag should have all the essentials, including insurance, clothing, toiletries, preferred snacks and drinks, entertainment, cash or credit card, and of course, a camera to capture the precious moments.
Lastly, don’t forget to try to relax and do meditation.
Moreover, it is ideal to prepare your house and make necessary arrangements before you leave for the hospital.
In this way, you lessen the stress and rush before giving birth.
Do you have any experiences you would like to share about these hospitals? Or is there a recommended hospital not on the list?
Share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments section below.
