"the UCLH is popular"

What I liked

-The staff in the labour ward

What could be improved

-The behaviour of some of the staff in the maternity ward

-More beds

Anything else?

Well I was in labour from 4am but I decided to wait until my contractions were close together as my midwife already warned me to wait or else I would be sent home. As I live in tottenham, I took the cab to the UCLH and got there at 9.

I went to the labour ward and I had to wait to wait for a midwife to attend to me. When I finally saw a midwife (I think she was a sister), she gave me directions to go to a different floor to check how many cm I was! I was in so much pain that I couldn't walk so the midwife just checked me in one of the rooms on the ward. As it turned out, I was 9cm so then they rushed me into a room so I could give birth. Almost all the rooms were occupied so I had to wait for one to be cleaned.

I gave birth around 10am and the staff there were very nice and helpful. I was unable to hold my son straight away as I had a tear and needed stitches.

I had to wait for a bed in the maternity ward. I got a bed around 12. Everything was fine until they asked me to leave. My mother asked if I could stay so I could be monitored as I have a minor heart condition, my blood pressure was high at the time, I had a stitches and my mother wouldn't be at home as she was working. First they accepted. Then another midwife came and asked I could leave again because their wasn't enough beds. My mother explained why I couldn't do that. The midwife very rudely said to my mother that she would call social services as no one would be at home to stay with me and my son as I am 19 years old! I was very shocked at that. My mother than called her work and told them she couldn't make it. So we left. I was told previously that is was policy that from the maternity ward, a mother and her child must stay there a minimum of 6 hours. I only stayed for 4.

I think that the UCLH is so popular that the hospital cannot provide 100% of its full potential. As a first time mother, I would have preferred to go to a hospital that is not so well known and have the best care for me and my son.