Making a complaint about a botched birth, when the mw was so bloody lovely?

[Theincrediblesulk1]

I had a really bad birth with my ds 10 weeks ago. Birth was really bad, they were completely unprepared even though they induced me. i have been left with severe medical problems. But i feel bad complaining because the midwife was lovely, and my baby boy is here and fine.

Would you feel bad?

Hello Marjee,

I hate it that some mw don't listen! i am hoping to become a mw one day, and i will always listen to the woman first as no one is textbook every i hope you hear back soon with an apology from the mw. xxx

Omg! OP I really feel for you! I too had an incredibly traumatic birth experience - won't go into too much detail but due to preeclampsia I was induced, forceped, vontused before finally a massive rush for an emergency section. The csection socks things they put on were the wrong size (too small) and my legs ended up like elephant legs. I endured a 5 day stay at the hospital and three years on I can't bring myself to get pregnant again (It was my first pregnancy) - there were a lot of mistakes made - one me said I was fully dilated and they started me pushing for an hour before mw changed shift and 2nd one said I was only 8cm and shouldn't be pushing, then made me push again for an hour! (sorry I've gone on now!)

I didn't complain and I wish I had. I did however get a copy of my labour notes and there were definetely inaccuracies in there.

Please complain. Wishing you all the best.

Not me MW damn iPhone!

I just want to check - the MW was about to put you on a drip (was it synto at 5cm?) you said "no - that's not a good idea", but she went ahead anyway?

If so then it sounds like you were treated not only without your consent, but with it having been explicitly refused. However nice the MW, that is extraordinarily bad - if she keeps doing it she's going to end up with a conviction for assault.

And to have a 20cm piece of retained placenta having been told at the birth the expelled placenta was intact is also very concerning.

There are a number of points in your story that make me think you really should complain. It does read as a cascade of intervention, which in your case fortunately did still have a positive final outcome - although only due to you, not the planned forceps intervention!

I'm sorry you had such a traumatic birth, especially after having lost another baby. It must have been an awful experience. I hope you are managing to enjoy life with your new baby despite all of this.

They left the placenta in you for 9 weeks???! Are you in the UK? Sounds like you've had a terrible time of it. Doesn't matter how nice the midwife was she's pretty incapable.

Unbelivable. The placenta is as important to get out as the baby, it's a known standard!

I do hope you recover well from this terrible experience.

Complain,complain,complain ,do it for you ,for the staff and for the next woman to gve birth in those conditions . The staff could well of been complaining for months to no avail ,but if you kick off big style ,get the mp involved etc those in charge will have to act

I sued the hospital after they nearly killed us both and left my son with erbs palsy. The midwives were really nice and it's not their fault that the doctor was incompetent. But I sued because my son has a permenant disability because of that birth. I don't think that how nice the midwives were should affect your decision.

Hello i have a lot to catch up on so i might seem to be going over things a bit, so sorry

Yes i said that is not a good idea to the mw, and she did it anyway.

My husband was in the room with me and he remembers every detail perfectly, as do i. No mistaking what went on.

I am much better now And William is perfect such a happy little boy, why i also felt a bit bad complaining.

I am of the mindset a long a i get a baby i don't really care that much, But i know i have a duty to others who go through those doors.

And yes this took place in the uk, in hillingdon hospital, Dreadful place i can tell you!

Hecate,

I am sorry to hear about your poor baby's suffering xxxx

thanks, long time ago now, my baby is now 11 yrs old. (how time flies!)

but I still can't watch anything that shows someone giving birth without shaking and wanting to cry. After 11 years.

find someone to talk it over with. And there's nothing wrong with complaining - If the hospital doesn't get feedback then how will they ever improve?

I see no problem with you sending in your complaint. There's nothing to stop you from telling them how lovely your MW was in it all.

Oh god really, thats so sad, that your still haunted all this time later.