Clueless about birth injuries!

[Lonz]

I have had difficulty coming to terms with the birth of my first child. From my understanding the midwives began to panic due to unexplained blood loss, cut me, then after did an intrusive examination to find the cause (I assume) and given an unexpected suppository (does everyone have one after giving birth?). I was never given any of this information from the midwives, nothing explained about what was sutured or even how to look after the injuries/what extent they were. Can anybody tell me if this is the norm and everyone is left in the dark or whether this was an exceptional case?

I have recently started to think my cervix was torn during the birth due to the blood loss, horrendous examination, heavy periods with heavy feeling and clots, change in surface of cervix and haven't conceived since despite not always being protected. Should they have told me if something like this had happened?

This is the only outcome I have been able to find which matches my experience. I have read that it can cause problems with subsequent pregnancies and births and blockage due to scar tissue. Currently waiting for my debrief (should this be on my notes?)

Any information on your post birth experiences would be greatly appreciated, was I treated badly or is being left clueless normal?

[BlinkAndMiss]

I'm sorry you had such a traumatic experience, unfortunately this is all too common but it doesn't make it any less upsetting. I was going to suggest a debrief but you're one step ahead and have already arranged one, I didn't have a debrief but I spoke to a consultant before the birth of my second child to look at possible options to avoid the stress I went though last time. It helped me to rationalise what happened. I'd go to your GP first so they can ascertain what injuries you have and how things are at the moment, that could put your mind at rest before you hear the details of the birth (which could be quite upsetting, it might be useful to have a plan in place about how to deal with the injuries before hearing the details).

The information should be in your notes but there should have been more in place to explain to you what injuries you had and how you should be looking after yourself. I found it was similar in the hospital I was in, it was just assumed that I was fine and that I knew what to do. Even when I said I didn't know, the information was brief. I think the resources are so stretched that it's simply missed out and passed on to the community midwives who do home visits in the days after you go home.

I hope you manage to find some closure soon, make sure you tell the hospital that you felt that you were given a distinct lack of information which has contributed to how you feel now. It might be something they address so that other people aren't left in the same situation but unfortunately being left clueless seems to be the norm.

[Lonz]

Thank you for your reply. It's appalling! I did make a complaint, obviously they shrugged it off, but I wrote another complaint to stress my point, they just gave me a crap 'apology'. (I also experienced poor care when taken to another hospital run by same area in an ambulance which was distressing, then sent home at 3am with no transport which they knew and an 8 day old baby!)
I'm currently going through different processes and start therapy next month for self-diagnosed PTSD.

I didn't think about going to the GP to know what injuries I have, that's something to think about. But I did go when the stitches from my episiotomy came apart, they didn't do anything but make me cry. It was just adding insult to injury, quite literally! I didn't even know that I also sustained a 2nd degree tear until I saw it myself, then felt some internal stitches. I think it was the trainee that said "it's a continuous stitch" when I asked about what stitches I had (at the time I thought it was just a 'small' cut!). She didn't even look like she knew what she was doing, and I was left alone in a room with her at some points?! She told me to push, then left. That lead me to believe I was told to push too early. They were also discussing my bits between themselves as they checked me, making me worry about what they were doing. It's just ridiculous!

It was my mum who told me how to deal with stitches and my sister's who helped me attempt breastfeeding, but failed a week later. It just feels like right now they have a power over me, knowing what happened, and feel my son was also left traumatised as he was in a bad way after birth, very quiet baby.

I think after I have truly recovered from all this, I'll write a letter to the hospital giving feedback of my experience and what I feel they should support mothers with and what needs improving. I already told them they ruined my experience as a first time mother as you can imagine those previous letters were fuelled with anger.

[Lonz]

Would my birth injuries be on my medical record at the GP? I thought everything that happened and to do with you giving birth was just in your notes which is why it never occurred to me.