"Will not have my baby here based on first 23..."

I have made the decision at 24 weeks to change hospital as I quite frankly don't trust the staff at St Mary's (Paddington) to get us through the labour and birth positively.

At every appointment from the very beginning there has been some kind of administration error and the staff, bar one or two, are horribly rude of the 15 I've come in contact with.

I self referred over the phone in September and after I didn't hear from the hospital for 8 days I called to see what was wrong. The person who I'd spoken to for 20 mins taking details, hadn't booked me on the system. This could be forgiven as I know how stretched the NHS is. But at my booking appointment I was bounced between midwives and while waiting for my maternity notes to be returned to me, another midwife asked if I had done a urine sample. I said no as I didn't know I needed to do one. She scoffed at me. So I went and did it. She then didn't want to take it from me but eventually did. When she wrote the results in my returned maternity notes I asked was everything OK. Her response was 'I suggest you actually read your maternity notes'. How rude! It was my first appointment.

At my 12 week scan I was told by the antenatal clinic that my scan was in fetal medicinal dept in a different wing. I got there 20 mins early and at 9am when the reception opened I was told the scan was in the antenatal clinic which now meant I was late as had to run back to where I was originally.

At my 16 week appointment it was a total waste of time. They didn't weight me, listen to baby's heartbeat, just went through my blood results which were all fine. Waste of resource! I was told at that appointment to pop in after my 20 week scan for my whooping cough injection. So they booked my 20 week scan on Friday 4 weeks time. When I had the scan and went back to antenatal clinic for the jab, the receptionist (such a rude man) just said 'we don't do vaccinations on a Friday, sorrryyyyyy' really condescendingly.

These are just some of the things that all add up. Labour and birth is equal parts mental and physical and if the mental side is off because the staff don't make you feel like it's a staff and relaxed environment, you're screwed.

If you look at the stats of St. Mary's compared to the national average you are more likely to need an assisted delivery or to have an emergency C-section there. No thank you!

I have no transferred to UCL who have a new maternity unit and I can tell you after 2 visits, the staff, even the ones you bump into in the corridor/share a lift with are very nice!

Delighted to not be burdened with giving birth at St. Mary's now!