Camilla Gambarini, along with her partner Emanuele chose the Fitzrovia Suite for the birth of their baby Edoardo, after carefully researching her local options. Here is her story.
“When I found out I was pregnant, we were, of course, excited. But, because we are not originally from the UK, we were also slightly nervous as we weren’t quite sure how the UK healthcare system worked. Safety for myself and the baby was our top priority. As this was our first baby and I had no direct experience, I wanted to spend time researching hospitals carefully.
“We live close to University College Hospital, and already knew about its reputation for excellent maternity care through our neighbour, who chose the hospital for the birth of her babies and had had excellent experiences. Access to the specialist neonatal unit was important to us for safety reasons, as we learned that this wasn’t available at all hospitals.
“We were delighted to discover that UCLH also offered a private option at The Fitzrovia Suite. We wanted to have the security of being seen by a consultant of our choice throughout my pregnancy, which isn’t always the case when you have a baby through the NHS.
“We decided to go on a tour of the hospital, where we were given background information on all the consultants. I chose Mr Daniel Stott as my obstetrician because he had previously worked with the consultant we had used for our early scans, but also because of his reputation for being patient and kind. It was the right choice, and I was very lucky to have him throughout my care.
“We agreed that I should have a planned C-section as Edoardo wasn’t in the best position for a regular birth. This was the first time I had ever stayed in hospital, and I admit I was scared, but in the end, it felt just like a holiday. The midwives were so attentive and passionate about what they do. We were made to feel important, and the staff all went above and beyond expectations. In fact, I ended up staying for an additional day, to give myself time to recover from the surgery and to build up my energy for going home.
“I was given so much great advice about how to care for Edoardo, and we had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. The Fitzrovia Suite team almost became like family in those few days. I was actually really sad to leave our little bubble with these amazing people, and we have been back to visit everyone since the birth.
“I would absolutely recommend The Fitzrovia Suite and University College Hospital to anyone who is giving birth. I can’t stress how important it is to be in a hospital like this in case anything goes wrong, as all the support is there for you, even if you have a difficult birth. My experience there was excellent.”
