UCLH or St. Mary's?

[Mum2B79]

Hi Everyone!

I'm choosing a hospital for my first pregnancy and can't choose between UCLH and St. Marys. I've mainly read good things about both (and some questionable things!) but does anyone have any recent feedback they could give me? It would really help! :)

I had my first at UCH just under 18 months ago and have booked to have my second there later this year.

In terms of antenatal care, I felt there wasn't much at the beginning of the pregnancy (16 week appointment is group appointment for low risk) so I was a little disappointed compared to care at other hospitals but they more than made up for it later on in the pregnancy. Scans were excellent and midwives are kind and compassionate. I presented a few times with reduced movement and they took me seriously every time and treated me with respect.

I was lucky enough to be low risk so delivered in their birth centre which was great and exactly what I wanted. Postnatal ward was as good can be expected - short staffed but they did their best and no different to others.

I don't know anyone who's delivered at St Marys but a few friends have at Queen Charlottes (also part of their trust) and also recommend highly.

Im having my first at UCLH so I have nothing to compare it to. So far I have been happy with my care and I also went in with reduced movements and they took it very serious, although i was worried I was wasting their time. The birth centre looks lovely, and I feel reassured that should I need the labour ward it's all in the same building.

Thanks both...very useful advice.

Riddles26- I'm also considering queen Charlotte now since a few people have suggested it...its a little out of my way though...but I'm trying to think of what would be best for the baby

One thing I did read in reviews of uch was that its quite busy and midwives are too stretched. Has this been anyone's experience so far?

St. Mary's is a bit smaller and therefore it can feel a bit more personalised and less busy. Definitely worth considering.

Having my 2nd at uclh after a positive experience with my first there 3 years ago. It is a centre of excellence and despite the pressure which all nhs hospitals are under I feel the care is excellent. Highly recommend.

I am at St Mary’s (37w). I don't feel like I've had the best experience - mine is a high risk pregnancy and I've seen a different doctor at every appointment and had to explain several times that this is not my 2nd pregnancy, it's my 8th - which is exactly what I wanted to avoid as I was originally being seen there for recurrent mc. I still have no overall picture of how the system works and have been told to wait outside a clinic and then found out I should have gone straight in. I've only just found out where the labour ward is - I'm booked for a CS but it would have been reassuring to know what to do if I go into labour naturally.

On the plus side, there are some lovely midwives, the phlebotomist, anaesthetist and sonographers are fantastic and I do feel that everyone there knows what they are doing, they just aren't very good at joining the dots or communicating. I'm also very grateful to have reached this point of pregnancy and to the RMC. Hopefully the CS will be a positive experience - I just want to take home my baby.

Thanks blubirdsky/DRS

Good luck msjuniper - I hope everything goes smoothly

UCH is busy but I didn't feel like I didn't get enough care or wasn't given attention at any point. I was also always seen at a reasonable time for midwife appointments. Keep in mind most of those at UCH are tertiary referrals for complicated pregnancies. Waiting times are much longer for consultant appointments and labour ward is very busy. If you are midwife led, you are the overwhelming minority.

Friends of mine who used Queen Charlotte did so because that was more convenient for them and ditto for me with UCH. Keep travel distance in mind when picking but I imagine you will be happy with both. There are some difficult members of staff everywhere but hopefully you won't encounter them.

UCLH or St Mary's Maternity Ward - Post Pandemic experiences?

I would like to hear everyone's experiences from 2020, 2021 and 2022 from having babies at either St Mary's in London or at UCLH in London: the good, the so-so, and the bad? :) Especially pregnancies categorised as high risk.

1. Did you feel you got the antenatal care and monitoring you needed before birth?

... How was the care before 20 weeks of pregnancy? Did you get the tests you needed (Blood tests, NIPT etc)? Did you get a pregnancy plan that reflected your situation (low risk / high risk)? Did you get to speak to an obstetrician to put together your plan if your pregnancy was a high risk? Did you feel safe with the plan?

....and post 20 weeks? Was there a difference in the attention you got? Did you feel safe and cared for?

2. How was the support for delivering your baby, specially if you were at the labour ward?

3. How was the post-birth care?

I am asking as I am I categorised as a high risk pregnancy due to my age (43), IVF pregnancy, hypertension from 8 weeks of pregnancy, and with an underactive thyroid. I have had a previous MC and another pregnancy ending at 16 weeks (fetal abnormality).

I am currently at UCLH and I am concerned over "basic care & safety"; the 8 week booking appointment ignored signs for hypertension and I needed to go to the A&E afterwards (who were brilliant, took my symptoms seriously, and got it under control with meds!). The endocrinology team also seems to ignore my underactive thyroid, despite me asking for their guidance for how to manage it. I am self-managing but don't feel safe doing it "DIY". The list goes on.... I am now 14 weeks.

Overall, I guess I am trying to assess if this lack of attention is just a common theme in NHS today "before getting to 20 weeks of pregnancy"......and does the care possibly get a bit more robust after 20-24 weeks ....when pregnancies are more "viable"?...Perhaps the UK maternity ward crisis today means that NHS can't afford to focus on your pregnancy needs before 20-24 weeks? It sounds terrible when stated like this, but I am more interested in being able to just see the reality as it is, and then be in a better position to make choices between hospitals.

What has been your experience across 2020-2022?

St Mary’s were awful in 2020, I was told my baby had died and then was put straight out in the public waiting room, with all the other pregnant women, for several hours whilst they looked for a particular doctor.

My husband was not allowed in with me, when some hospitals had started relaxing those rules for losses.

It takes a special level of heartlessness to put a woman carrying a dead baby back out in the waiting room with all the healthy pregnancies and as such would avoid, at all costs.