I was really excited/nervous to be pregnant for the first time – all new things to experience some good some not so good. Although I didn’t suffer from serious morning sickness I did feel pretty rough for the first few months which wasn’t helped when what I thought would be a smooth process to register myself with the hospital/midwives turned out to be quite different. I saw my GP at 6 weeks pregnant and was told my forms would go off to the midwife team and hospital and I would then be contacted to arrange my first booking in appointment and scan. I heard nothing for 2 weeks, having done some reading I knew that a nuchal scan could only be done between 11weeks + 4days and 13weeks + 6days so I called the doctors to see what the hold up was. It was discovered that my forms were still at the surgery as no one from the Rodings midwife team had been in to collect them. I was told they would chase them up and I would probably hear within the next week. By 9 weeks my forms still had not been picked up and the surgery refused to fax them direct to the hospital or release them to me to hand deliver them. I didn’t seem able to get hold of a midwife but left a message. When they called back nothing was explained but I was told if I didn’t get an appointment for a nuchal scan I could have a different type of scan. I was left feeling quite annoyed at having to chase everything up to no avail, still with no appointment, as I wanted the nuchal scan, this other scan and its reliability etc was not explained and from my own research seemed to be slightly second rate. Finally at week 11 a very nice lady at PAH booked a scan appointment despite not having booked in with the midwives as she clearly empathised with my position. I did eventually have my booking in appointment and scan both of which were fine and I found the midwife fine in person. Since then my appointments and scans have been fine. Although I have found getting hold of a midwife on the phone nearly impossible without having to leave a voicemail first and then waiting for a return call. When they have rung back I have found they can be a little sharp or dismissive not really answering my questions to my satisfaction. I wanted to go on the hospital tour at PAH which according to the website can be from 25 weeks and is at the weekend. I couldn’t get hold of a midwife so emailed the hospital only to be told it had to be booked through the midwives and the head of the Rodings team would contact me shortly. A month later at 33 weeks I had an appointment with the midwife when I raised the issue again having heard nothing to be told I’d just missed one but I could go on the next one on a Tuesday after lunch in a weeks time, and there were none at weekends. As I was still working this wasn’t the most convenient but I felt that I wasn’t given much of a choice and at this point I was wasting their time. On the whole I have found the midwives great when seeing them in person just not so user friendly at any other time over the phone etc, having to work quite hard chasing up emailing or phoning various people to get an answer/result. As a first timer it has put a slight damper on what has otherwise been a very exciting happy experience so far.