Radio 4 just now, woman in labour 'given paracetamol' for labour pain!

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just

But that’s not good enough. I’ve seen the same thing over and over in jobs I’ve had.

I’ve sat with lots of families while a loved one has died.

I wouldn’t be a complete arsehole to them because I’d already watched 3 other people die that week.

And it’s not about it being a special event. It’s about providing appropriate medical care.

I gave birth in September 2022 as a first time mum in Germany. The pain relief I was given was Paracetamol. I assumed it was normal.

No it's not good enough but that's likely the cause added with poor working culture and leadership which becomes institutionalised . I was treated terribly by midwives. I've always been kind to my patients if I feel I'm not working to the best of my ability I would take annual leave.

You don’t need compassion as such though, just to not be lazy - asking every half an hour or so ‘do you want more pain relief?’ Then actually getting some if she says yes isn’t ‘compassion’ it’s just doing your job, in my eyes. I think it’s partly laziness - if you have an epidural you have to have a midwife in the room with you at all times. Otherwise they can flit in and out and just ‘check on you’ until the final stage. Plus the effort of finding an anaesthetist/doctor. Epidurals can make labour longer and they also want to free the room up ASAP.

But I also stand by what I said before, so many women go into hospital convinced they want a drug free water birth, so the staff see that as a green light not to offer much under the guise of ‘respecting their wishes’.

What is a special life changing moment for you is something they have seen many times before

I didn't expect them to view it as an amazingly special moment. I just wanted to not be treated like an absolute inconvenience when I couldn't walk without help because I'd haemorrhaged and every time I stood up my legs buckled and my vision went. When I asked that, because of this, could I please have some breakfast brought to me rather than me walking down the corridor to the breakfast room (I'd already basically crawled to the loo and nearly keeled over because no one would help, so there was no way I could have made it to get food), I was treated as if they thought I was the most spoilt little brat they'd ever met. And I didn't get any food.

Yep it's a poor culture probably backed up by shitty leadership if there's a rotten apple it can quickly poison the whole well. I've also had a shitty birth was ignored (told me I wasn't in enough pain to be in labour) and actually walked into delivery suite 10cm dilated offered nothing and treated as an inconvenience. Im sorry for your experiences women are routinely treated like shit.

That's more than what I got when I was induced!

Yes! It makes no sense.