To Ask for your experiences of post natal wards

[RozziPringle]

Mine was Noisy and hot with incredibly overworked midwives. The most memorable incident was around 12 hours after a c-section i was made to get out of bed to walk along 5 corridors to shower, doubled over in agony. When i told the widwife i wasnt going to make it and i felt faint she tutted and muttered about me been lazy under her breath.
There were some fantastic midwives Don't get me wrong but they seemed few and far between.
Im due to give birth in 3 weeks and im dreading going through all this again

msbuggywinkle sounds like you had a bit of a crappy time, I posted on the campaign thread about a midwives typical day and what others got from that was that discharges are often the thing that is pushed furtherst down the list as unfortunately other things take priority. Also when doing discharges we are often waiting for others to do their job before we can complete the reams of required paperwork. Also we're working within time constraints placed on us by other areas. I could repost my post from the other thread if it would give people a bit of an insight into what we do? I'm not saying that any of the stuff on this thread is acceptable, it really isn't, but sometimes midwives cop the flak for it because they are the most visible HCP on the postnatal ward.

It was a really bad experience, although it was nearly 7 years ago now it still affects how I feel about boy 1's birthday.

I feel it was my fault, somehow, for not being assertive enough.

Second birth the post-natal care was great, couldn't fault it. Bathroom was clean, lovely food provided, my husband could stay. Homebirth.

MrsJRT, about the difference between hospitals and MLUs: I don't know what the average MLU size is, but the one at our local cottage hospital has only 4 beds (and an excellent reputation). You can only give birth there if you are low risk and go into spontaneous labour between 37-42 weeks, so no high risk patients who need lots of drugs and monitoring, no post-cs patients, presumably no patients who have had eg third degree tear as they would have been sent to hopsital to be sewn up.

Even if there is only one member of staff on duty to care for the post-natal women, it must be much easier to look after 4 women with minimal requirements than 20 or so high risk, post surgery women. There must be much more time for bf advice or just making tea and toast, and I would imagine that the atmosphere and working conditions in the MLU makes for much less stressed, more pleasant mws.

Obviously this doesn't make the horrendous treatment described on this thread right, and I felt sick reading some of the terrible stories, but it is easier to understand how those mws might have become so callous in such difficult working conditions.

MrsJRT - The fact that it isn't the midwife's fault doesn't mean that it isn't a legitimate complaint. PN care is about more than the midwives on the ward, but as the face of care to women who are often quite vulnerable, it is important that they don't let the stress impact their interactions.

I had a bad PN experience in New York - so it isn't limited to the NHS. Many of the same complaints as others on this board. Chronic under staffing for the non-clinically important aspects of care. The day time nurses (not MWs in the US) were pretty good, a couple really excellent, but the night time staff were bad to appalling. As others have said, it was as much about their terrible attitude and rude manner as it was about their inability to be useful in a timely way.

I do understand the way chronic poor management leads to poor staff attitudes. Perhaps the campaign needs to be partly about insisting on some patient experience metrics becoming important in the same way clinical metrics are. Might be analogous to Cameron's happiness index approach.

Awful the two times I had to stay in hospital overnight (discharged from delivery suite with one birth). Checked myself out. Don't think anything will change because the patients are all women and no one gives a toss.

Absolutely dreadful care at Southmead, Bristol. The worst night of my life on the post-natal ward.

Still feel very upset about it 4 years on.

I totally support this campaign. I had a home birth the second time around as there was no way I would ever put myself in that situation again.

I'm horrified by these experiences and so pleased this thread didn't exist before I had my baby cos it would have terrified me.

I had a very good experience of PN care at St George's in Tooting. I had to stay in for 6 days so I saw loads of different midwives and they were all at least fine, and most of them were excellent, lovely, helpful. I got so much help with BF and looking after my baby that when we finally got to take him home we felt quite confident about it. They were busy but had time to answer questions etc - sometimes had to wait/chase but when it was urgent they dealt with it straight away. I had a side room (I had a long blood transfusion) which helped, I think but as most people's worst experiences seem to be about staff attitudes, and I had the same midwives as the people on the shared ward, I don't think it would have been too different from that point of view. Other staff (paediatricians, HCAs, cleaners etc) were all professional, friendly and helpful.

My only real complaint would be that one of the MW lied on my notes, saying that she'd explained all the practicalities of the ward - meals, toilets etc - but she hadn't. And it wasn't that I was too out of it to remember cos I checked with my husband who had been there the whole time and he confirmed that no-one had explained that stuff. But it wasn't too hard to work out the breakfast arrangements and staff were polite and helpful when I didn't know something.

I am so grateful for the care we had during that week and I'm so shocked that at this very vulnerable time, some women are getting such poor care. I feel very lucky.

That reminds me CitizenOscar when I had DS2, he had mild talipes (where the feet turn in). A paediatrician mentioned them, showed me what they were and said something about me needing to do something with his feet, he showed me; the whole conversation took about 20 seconds but I was post-natal and his accent was hard to understand, so it was all a bit of a blur.

I was shocked to read on my notes that "Mother has been instructed on how to perform physiotherapy on the baby's talipes." I made them cross it out - no way was a 20 second mumbled conversation "instruction on physiotherapy."

Bloody hell ! - if he'd spent a whole minute talking to me maybe I could have qualified and got a job as a physio there!

I am going to name and shame here!

Towards the end of my pregnancy I knew some thing was wrong. I was going to give birth at St Peters, Chertsey, Surrey. Every time I begged for a check up the staff were rude/dimissive/cruel. I overheard them in the corridors laughing at 'the ugly baby' in room #4. :(

So I changed to (another shameless name drop) to Frimley Park, Surrey. The consultant (fantastic man) who saw me admitted me immediately as I had severe pre-eclampsia. I had a EMCS,lost huge amounts of blood and my DS went straight to intensive care.
The MW went beyond there work duties for me. I will always be so thankful of all the kindness they showed to and my DS. When I win the lotto I will return and buy them all a nice villa in the sun!

I had a horrific time in hospital both during induction and post-natally - to the point that I am seriously considering getting sterilised so I never have to go through birth again.

My induction took 5 days, during which time I was on the deliver unit (and delivery bed thingy) and slept about 5 hours total in 5 days (and was looked after by 12 different midwives). On day 5 I had an EMCS as I had just about given up and could hardly talk with pain (failed epidural, syntocinon running for 16 hours, not working) and exhaustion.

On transfer to post-natal ward, I was first put in ante-natal ward as no space in post-natal. I was continually told that I needed to get up and out of bed and pass urine, although I still had my catheter in. When I asked for it to be removed, they told me they would do it asap - 2 hours later, I got my husband to go and ask for a syringe (I'm a nurse, deal with catheters on a daily basis) so that I could take it out myself and eventually someone came to do it. 4 hours later, I was transferred to a 6 bed (think it should have been 4 bed) bay on the post-natal ward which was about 30 degrees and had the heating on. DD cried a lot both nights (as babies do), even when held - and instead of helping me, I had 2 different care assistants pull my curtain back and huff at me because dd was crying (I was trying to sooth her, just wasn't working). I cried the whole of the second night as I hadn't slept for 7 days and dd wouldn't stop crying. I was scared because when I was holding dd, I kept dozing off and was terrified I would drop her. A MW suggested that they put the bed rails up, to protect me and her, but I was then stuck, with my buzzer not being answered, desperate for a wee and trapped in bed.

After complaining that I felt that I was going to faint everytime I stood up, I was told to get on with it as I had just had a baby, and that's why I felt faint. Before I left (self-discharged after dd was given ok), a MW took my blood, and was found that my Hb was so low, it was borderline whether a blood transfusion was necessary or not - was sent home with iron (which worked fortunately).

The biggest problem for me was the complete lack of compassion or empathy shown for me. I'm a nurse, I understand what it is to be so manic that you don't think that you are doing a decent enough job. And I can understand waiting ages for meds / bp checks etc. What I just don't get is that no matter what, if you are speaking to someone, you can be pleasant and sympathetic in the same time it takes to be rude. Unfortunately, I only experienced compassion when the MW who was arranging my discharge told me she'd looked through my notes and as I had such a hard time, she would advise me to go to the after-birth counselling service. When I did go, I was so affected that I couldn't even step foot in the hospital - the counsellor arranged a room outside the main building for me.

Thank you for starting this thread - it's feels cathartic to write some of my experience down now. I never complained, although the counsellor I saw suggested I did and told me that she was going to use my case as a learning scenario for service improvement because she felt my care was sub-standard. Every time I try to write down my experience to complain, I end up crying and can never finish it, and now I'm maybe able to deal with it, I feel that 2 years later it's too late.

I was desperate for a home birth after all the horror stories I heard about hospital births. In the end I had to go to hospital (baby had a poo whilst inside). They were really nice and friendly (mind you I was 9cm gone when I arrived so went straight to the delivery room) I was then given my own room and discharged the next day. That said I think I was lucky and will be planning a home birth with DC2.

Great thread (unless you are pregnant). St Michael's hospital in Bristol made the first days with my new baby some of the worst in my entire life. I can't get that time back and have had CBT to get over it. The MW and HV at home all let us down massively. I will never go back there. Quite a sad thread this too.

Seems like I'm in the minority here but I had lovely care at GWH in Swindon, midwives were lovely depsite being very obviously busy. I was given tea and toast after the birth and just generally looked after very well.

I'm really shocked at the lack of food some hospitals have, there was too much where I was, lunch was a three course affair with soup and roll to start, cooked main and then dessert with the same amount served at dinner time. I have never eaten so much!

Mine was fine as well. They did what they had to do, I did what I had to do. DH was able to stay all day. Sure, the staff were rushed, but perfectly pleasant. The only sharp conversation I had was with a MW who tried to tell me off for opening a window at night. It must have been 30 degrees in my room, I told her so and she left. They brought round questionable food on a regular basis and answered any questions I had. When I asked to be discharged I was discharged.

It wasn't anything to write home about but it was okay. I'm really surprised that so many people have had such awful experiences, I only know one person IRL that has a real horror story :(

Awful aftercare! Had a nice (ish), swift second birth - staff weren't great, but was prepared for that and was just glad it had gone smoothly and would not have to stay long in PN ward (rubbish experience first time round). Within half an hour of giving birth I was in agony, crying, groaning and eventually nearly screaming. This went on for almost five hours before anyone would examine me - was constantly told "you've just had a baby - of course you're in pain", by people who had watched me give birth without screaming. Dh finally physically dragged a Doctor into the room to check me, discovered an enormous blood clot and rushed me into theatre as I started fitting. Ended up stuck in hospital for three days (again!), left at the start of a blizzard outside for fear of being snowed in - preferred our chances against the elements to being stuck in that place a minute longer!

This thread is really, really shocking. I'm so sad that some women have been treated so appallingly when at their most vulnerable.

I don't have dcs but have spent lots of time in hospital over the years and developed PTSD due to some of the appalling bullying from nurses and doctors and my experiences (e.g sedation failing in a surgery and being laughed at as I cried in pain whilst the procedure was carried out).

So I think that lots of people have shitty experiences in hospital sadly but how much worse must that be when you've just given birth, are exhausted and getting to grips with being a mum? I hope the campaign takes off.

Oh and I think it cannot be underestimated how important it is to formally complain in order to start changing things.

But I know from experience that things can be so awful that the idea of sitting down and writing about everything that happened when you just want to move on and start feeling better is almost impossible. I would guess a very large number of people don't complain for that reason. When you feel strong enough it's a few years down the line and then it feels too late.

Both births in same hospital.
DS birth: ward was crowded, very hot, and incredibly noisy (although to be fair it was my DS making a fair amount of that noise) Midwives very helpful and lovely, but not great at bf advice.
DD birth: Still very hot. Not so crowded, much quieter, midwives still not great at bf help but great in everything else including getting me crutches and physio referral.

Looks like I was seriously lucky! :( They're talking about merging our local maternity services with another trust. Really hope they don't do it!

So sorry to hear all your awful experiences. As an obstetric physio (going onto PN ward in the morning, in fact), would like to know if anyone has any pos/neg stories re physio PN? Did you get any input at all, or just a leaflet thrust at you? Were you happy with this? Is Pn physio a valuable part of your care or not really necessary? Please do complain if you have any bad experiences on a PN ward, it really can make a difference.

The physios didn't have time to see all the mum's properly unfortunately. However I never witnessed them being rude to patients unlike some other staff.

I never got to see a physio despite being in pain from my Kielland's forceps birth until ds was 9 months old.

first time I was just given a leaflet. second time round the physio lady had leaflets and took about 10m to explain how to do the excercises and how often. both very friendly, though.

Whipps Cross East London.

Labour staff were LOVELY- but Dh and I were nearly sick when the midwife pulled out the stirrups from the bed and they were FULL of blood.

Postnatal was awful. I spent the third day with my baby sitting in a stairwell near the labour ward crying I was so scared and alone there. No one noticed. It was the worst 5 days of my life.

The physio lady that came round after my section was lovely, gave me some leaflets and went through the exercises for about 15 minutes.

Re physios - I'd been under the care of obstetric physios before birth, though there wasn't much they could do for SPD except tell me as soon as ds was born, to book the postnatal physio course for 6-8 weeks later, and to make an appt if I didn't feel substantially better in a couple weeks.

I seem to recall someone popping in to give me a leaflet with the same phone no., but there were so many people giving me 30 seconds of talk and a leaflet and then buggering off I don't know if that was a physio.

But I got an appt within a couple days when I phoned up, and then the postnatal exercise course was excellent - though many people couldn't get on it.