Royal birth: What sort of care can the Duchess of Cambridge expect in the Lindo Wing?

notes: it is not about the Duchess nor the Lindo wing, but on how to prepare first class obstetric service

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/10170970/Royal-birth-What-sort-of-care-can-the-Duchess-of-Cambridge-expect-in-the-Lindo-Wing.html

Anna Maxted

Anna Maxted, who gave birth to all three of her children in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, describes what the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly Kate Middleton, can expect when she has her first child there.

On first sight, I was disappointed that the Lindo Wing wasn't more luxurious, in view of the first 24-hours normal delivery package costing £4,965 (or £6,420 for Caesarean section) plus £1,050 for the deluxe package per additional night. I briefly forgot it was a hospital, not a five-star hotel.

I was swiftly reminded. Upon our arrival - soon after my waters broke - my husband and I were ushered to a spartan, white private room, and I was wired up to monitors to track my blood pressure and the baby's heartbeat. After two hours of contractions, I noticed the beeping had slowed. My husband summoned the midwife. She arrived instantly, checked the monitor, calmly announced: 'This baby needs to be out now.' My obstetrician appeared like a genie. I had an emergency Caesarean thirty minutes later.

All of my children, now 11, 8, and 6, were born at the Lindo, at an accumulative cost of nearly £30,000 - inclusive of obstetrician, anaesthetist and paediatrician fees - and I haven't spent half as much on them since. But oh, it was worth it. My large room, best described as shabby chic, looked on to a brick wall. It was forensically clean, but basic, despite the TV and en-suite (although the unit has since undergone refurbishment). As my mother noted, not as glitzy as the Portland; 'more serious, more hospitally.' We were paying for personal, consistent, consultant-led, exquisite care; unparalleled medical expertise - i.e., peace of mind. We got it.

Ante-natal treatment at the Lindo, attached to St Mary's NHS hospital, in scruffy Paddington, offers reassurance from the start, with a check-up on site each month, and cheerful, gimleteyed monitoring. Crucially, it has 24-hour access to critical care and neonatal units at St Mary's, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. I was anxious about a natural birth, so my consultant recommended a private pre-natal class where there was no preaching or bias: 'A good natural birth is preferable to a Caesarean,' he said, 'And a Caesarean is preferable to a bad natural birth.'

My Caesarean didn't feel like an emergency, even though the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby's neck. The team's urgent response was carefully understated. A celebratory atmosphere was maintained. 'Ah,' sighed the midwife, as young Oscar finally emerged, grimacing like a Halloween pumpkin, 'What a lovely round head!'

The post-natal care was kind, tireless - at midnight, Baby was whisked to the nursery, so I could sleep, and returned at 4am when he woke, as was my preference. Maternity nurses manually showed me how to breastfeed (no airs and graces allowed), to change and bath Oscar.

I can't recall eating anything but toast, although a friend who gave birth at the Lindo last month says the food was so awful, her husband brought in Burger King. Nor did we trouble the champagne list - though naturally, one did request The Telegraph alongside breakfast.

A stream of nurses marched in at all hours, to check blood pressure and keep an eye, and if I pressed a buzzer, staff responded instantly. I have fond memories of a personal morphine pump, at least after the first birth, to manage the pain of abdominal surgery. There was the happy sense of never being more than a few feet away from a doctor.

No travelling salesmen, touting nappies or baby food here, thank you. Security was low-key but tight. Visitors accessed the unit by pressing the buzzer of a monitored door. I was mildly rebuked for locking my door while I had a bath, as the consultant couldn't get in (thankfully) to check my stitches. Post-natal physiotherapy was also on offer. Medical excellence not fancy carpet, is what you pay for here - and despite the eye-watering cost, it was the wisest decision we ever made. Certainly, I was treated as every woman deserves at this emotional and exhilarating time: like a princess. But rather more importantly, I believe they saved my first son's life.