Ante natal care in St Mary's, London?

[ursigurke]

I have decided to have my baby in St Mary's as it is the closest and I just wanted to know if someone could tell me anything about it. As my GP surgery needed 5 weeks to book the first appointment for me I was hoping that at least from now on, I will be in good hands...

I had my baby (DS2) at St Marys - it is a big and busy London teaching hospital and the antenatal care reflects it: lots of student midwives taking appointments, occasionally long waits etc. but on the whole I was happy with my antenatal care and very happy with the birth which I had in the birth centre there in February. My referral got lost and I had to chase it up with GP and St Marys for a couple of weeks but from thereon in it was fine. My top tips would be (i) try and book up your next appointments well in advance (as they are generally booked up at least 2 weeks in advance), (ii) if you want to do the triple test make sure your booking in appointment is not on a Friday as they cant take bloods then (they have to send them off for testing) and (iii) go for the earliest appointments in the day you can (as the waiting is less then - I had to wait almost an hour for the 2 afternoon appointments I had).

Strange that your referral got lost too. In my case I was quite sure it was the GP's fault but as it happened to you too. Thanks for your tips. Morning appointment would be better for me anyway.
I haven't got a letter from the hospital yet but my GP has sent me the copy of the appointment that he has booked in the internet. So I have to go to the Centre in Woodfield Road. Do you think this is only for the meeting with the midwife or do I get my first scan there? Are all the appointments made there? I guess I will find out in two weeks anyway but I'm just too curious. I am already more than 10 weeks, so had time enough to think/worry about it

hi i'm 29 weeks now and am registered with St Marys. I remember posting on here before my first appointment to as i was quite curious and excited! Congrats by the way

Like dinky, I've been quite happy with the care so far, you get allocated a group of midwives so your appointments are always on certain days of the week although I haven't seen the same midwife I have seen the same lady taking my blood! The scans have been the best part so far as on both times they really took the time to point everything out and explain what we were looking at and gave us plenty of pics to take home, they even let my mum come with DH on the 20 week scan without a fuss. Luckily, I haven't had any problems so everything's been quite routine and straight forward although you can wait a while for your appointments but hey that's better than sitting in the office!

I've always had my appointments at the antenatal dept in the outpatients block so not sure where the other centre is. I'm also being referred to the birthing centre so have one more appointment at the hospital and then the rest will be at the birthing centre. They have weekly tours of the birthing centre and the labour ward every thursday starting at 11am and apparently you can just turn up and have a look, which i am yet to do.

thanks to both of you, I seem to have made the right choice then. I don't mind waiting (well, if it is not too long) but I hope I'll have a say in chosing the appointments as actually only mondays are convenient for me.
So the birthing centre is not located in the hospital? Maybe that's where I will have my first appointment then.
Good to know about the tours, I really want to do that as soon as possible.

The birth centre is in the hospital Ursigurke - its on the ground floor but standalone (the labour ward and the antenatal ward are on the first floor - the antenatal appointments are in a different place again). It is really lovely in the birth centre - I loved it there - and the huge bonus is that partners can stay overnight with you and the baby (v rare). They only have gas and air and water as pain relief there so if you're planning on epidural etc. you wont be able to go there. They take on your antenatal care from 37 weeks if you are being referred to the birth centre though..

At my 12 week appointment I had my 12 week scan - but my appointment was at the hospital and not Woodfield Road, so I dont know if they have midwife sonographers at the Woodfield Road centre. Good luck and hope all goes well with your pregnancy.

Oh yes, one other thing - parking a nightmare around the hospital. There is a hotel near by where you can pay to park in the carpark there or if you're lucky enough to give birth in the evening/night (as I was) you can park on the street outside the hospital but need to clear out by 7am (when the feral parking wardens appear)- so basically if you go into labour during the day, get a taxi there...

ooh dinky you're getting me excited now, only 10 weeks left, i'm just hoping i can do it on G&A alone so i can stay in the birthing centre, it sounds great did you use a pool? i'm hoping to have the option, but obviously if it's in use...

Questions2008 - I was already nearly 10 cm dilated when I got there (it was a pretty quick labour) and used the pool for a waterbirth (to help with stretching and minimise tearing) and didnt have any other pain relief, so it is definitely do-able. There are 2 lovely big pool rooms but the other 3 rooms have lovely deep baths in them you can use for pain relief if the pool rooms are busy. Its worth letting them know when you call up to say you're in labour/will be coming in that you might be interested in a waterbirth. The midwives were all really lovely (it was my second time of giving birth and I know how horrible some midwives can be - didnt meet any like that in the birth centre) and respected my birth preferences - and there are lots of takeaway places nearby if you're peckish after giving birth. I honestly dont know how my birth experience there could have been any better. Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful birth for your little one.