"Gave birth here two days ago"

I would highly recommend Queen Charlottes Hospital after my whole experience during pregnancy. I only gave birth two days ago, during the antenatal visits, sometimes I received better advice from some midwives than others but overall I felt well looked after & respected. I planned on having a water birth in the birth centre and was very much wishing to have a hypnobirth. Unfortunately when I went into labour due to complications with the babies nuchal cord & her having a lack of oxygen I ended up on the delivery ward however the midwife read my birth plan, went through it with me, respected it and said even though I couldn't have exactly what I wanted due to the circumstances, they would try their best to stick to it. Funny as a friend who has had two children elsewhere in London laughed at my birth plan saying they really are pointless as no midwife is interested in them, a totally different experience from mine, everyone who dealt with me seemed to know my wishes for lack of intervention, no pain relief etc). The midwife really was amazing, spending their 12 hour shift in the room with us constantly monitoring me and the baby but respecting me & our privacy, in the end after 44 hours with no pain relief (my choice) I needed a c section but in this time they had put me in a lovely room with a pool (which unfortunately I couldn't use) with dimmed lights, fairy lights in the ceiling, I could play my music & even though I was constantly monitored I was given peace and quiet so I could focus on my contractions in the way I wanted to. In the end it came to an emergency c section but we were given options, risks & information at all times & decisions were not taken away from us. I was upset & the staff were very sympathetic and reassuring. After the birth I was taken to a ward where once again the staff really seemed to care about you. A midwife, before I was released came around & sat with us for 30 mins explaining anything and everything on breastfeeding. My birth really didn't go the way I had loved it to but the end result is the same, I have a lovely baby girl. we are both alive and well & it is really all down to the staff at Queen Charlottes.