Panorama: Midwives

[OpalsOriginals]

Anyone else watching?

I had my first at the GRH MLU (started there, anyway), and I would never go back there. Ever. And I recommend it to nobody. I don't know whether they were massively understaffed or whether they were just totally apathetic, but they were hopeless. The midwives in the post-natal unit seemed pretty appalled at how I'd been treated, so it wasn't just me feeling like it was crap. I had a debrief before my second's birth and my community midwife also said that that first birth hadn't been handled well.

Second was a C-section in the birth unit, and it was great. They were clearly short staffed, but not to a point where I felt care was poor.

Only people I know who tried at Cheltenham ended up being transferred to GRH anyway, so it was never even on my radar. I'm not even sure it was open by the time I had my second in mid-2022.

@ThirdAidKit are you due to give birth at the Gloucester Royal? Do you have a choice of hospital where you are?

@ThirdAidKit
Be politely loud. Advocate for yourself. Ask many questions and keep asking them until you are comfortable you have an answer.
Talk with your birth partner and tell them how you want them to speak up for you.

My local hospitals are in East Kent, which were also under special measures. I was too afraid to be under midwife only care for birthing and insisted on a c-section instead.
I was the safest I could feel in the circumstances. Part of me feels a bit shell-shocked by it all - that I opted for a major surgery to feel safe. I’m very bloody lucky, though. My heart just aches for the mums who didn’t get to bring their babies home.

I really wish this idiot government would stop cutting tax by stupid £5er and instead fund midwives from education bursaries to salaries. Bunch of f* dopes.

@EarlGreywithLemon sorry for slow reply, I am not due to give birth at the Gloucester Royal and I do have a choice of hospital thankfully.

Trying to work out which is best is not that clear, I need to do some more research.

I had a choice of two hospitals for my two. The nearest hospital’s maternity unit has just been rated Inadequate by the CQC (previously Requires Improvement). The report makes for dire reading, including inadequate foetal heart rate monitoring. Yet you wouldn’t believe the number of women in our neighbourhood who recommend it, because big midwife led unit, lots of birthing pools and coloured lights.
I went for the other, further, hospital which is overall Excellent rated and Maternity is good. I also chose it because I know they are good with epidurals and intervene quickly when it’s needed. And I think a very good thing that I did too, because my first birth was as complicated, I needed an epidural pretty early because of her position, and adequate foetal monitoring and early intervention proved vital. I had a massive PPH, likely because of placental abruption - but because the doctors spotted the signs and acted early I had it in theatre once baby was out, and all was well.
Which is a long way to say, l know it’s not always the way, but CQC reports can be useful if they’re current and might help you make a more informed choice. Very best of luck, hope it goes very smoothly for you!

I am appalled at how bad maternity services have got. I trained as a midwife back in the 70s. It was only a one year course, but you had to be a qualified general nurse with a year's experience post SRN. Training was free, we were paid a staff nurse's salary and were considered to be part of the staff numbers. Looking back, that meant that the staff all had a good level of knowledge and experience right from the beginning of training. There were no staff shortages in my training hospital. Mums who had uncomplicated deliveries could stay in hospital for up to 7 days for a first baby and 48 hours for second or subsequent, CS up to 10 days. There was good community support too.
I have been really shocked and ashamed at the terrible lack of care the younger generation of my family have endured.

I’m currently pregnant - very early! 9+ 3 and will be giving birth at GRH all being well, I had my son there in 2022 and honestly I thought they were great. Did take a while to get discharged though but if dealing with poorly babies I don’t mind.

i am struggling to even get a booking appointment this time!!! I’ve not spoken to a midwife yet! I’ve called just about every number there is!

Just to put your mind at rest, I gave birth at grh this week, they were honestly fantastic! The community aftercare has been great too xx