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

northern I'm actually wondering if the best way to get something going is to get Panorama or some such to do an undercover programme...use hidden video to show terrible conditions, bullying midwives and the like. I think actually seeing how bad things are, along with all the crying and vulnerable new mums, crying babies, would arouse public sentiment and hopefully put pressure on the policymakers.

Any tv producers out there???

Ds1 - horrible and getting hold of any food was a huge battle.

Ds2 same hospital, 3 years later - really good, a huge relief after the nightmare labour.

Having had a lovely private reoom in with lovely (generally) helpful midwives after DC1 was born in another country, the thought of having to stay on a hot, noisy shared post natal ward with DC2 had my skin crawling. Thankfully my local hospital offer 6 hour discharge (provided there are no problems). I was home and in my own bed 8 hours after DC2 arrived. Bliss :)

Horrible. Had to stay 3 days, couldn't wait to get out.

It was the seventh circle of hell. I never got a single morsel of NHS food in the 3 days after my c-sec before I discharged myself (apparently there were meals served in some room miles away down a few corridors, but what with having had major surgery and a baby to wheel around I inexplicably couldn't get to it). They had a Pro-Breastfeeding policy, which was admirable in itself, but it actually just amounted to having no bottles, no sterilisers, no formula milk, and no-one available to help new mothers get breastfeeding going. They literally had one nurse who was the breastfeeding counsellor, and she visited the ward for an hour once a week. She popped in on me as I tearfully explained my inability to get my (deeply jaundiced and suffering from blood group incompatibility) baby breastfeeding, and her help was to give me a leaflet about the breastfeeding support group, which next met six days later. The midwives shouted repeatedly at my husband for picking up his own son (he was not to be cowed and cheerfully shouted back), and tried to send me home without having had my anti-D, despite my twittering that I hadn't had it on an hourly basis after the delivery.

I found it infuriating that this hospital (like many others) had invested heavily in revamping the delivery ward into a plush, cosy environment for people who were in and out in a few hours, but had done nothing with the 1950s postnatal ward where mothers often spent many days after complex deliveries. It was revolting. I hated it.

dreamingbohemian I believe that there was an undercover doc made about the apalling natal car in a London hospital.
It's a good idea, but I think the country needs to know just how widespread it is, and not just one hospital.

I should mention that for the short time I was in waiting to go home, I was treated very well. Even had breakfast!

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that despite the ward being understaffed and the mws incredibly busy it was great both times. It was entirely down to the incredibly lovely staff (at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, on the high risk ward on level 6). Everyone, mws, lady who brought the tea trolley round, cleaners, the patientline lady who was trying to sort out everyone's tvs, was without fail lovely and helpful.

First time had emcs, ds was in NICU/SCBU, I was on the ward for 4 weeks (pre and post birth). The mws forgot my medication once but apart from that it was clean, food was ok (started ordering halal curries in the end) and mws would go out of their way to try and find food for ladies coming in after the menus had been done. Food brought to your bed! Help with expressing and going to see ds after cs.

Second time had VBAC and was in for 4 days. Again, everyone very busy, again incredibly kind mws (quite a few remembered me from the last time so must have been quite low turnover). Help with pain meds and mw checked my stitches when they were really hurting. No help with bfing or baby care but I didn't ask for it or need it.

So sorry for those of you who have had such awful experiences - I can understand how wards can be understaffed and under resourced, but it's truely shocking how horrible some of the mws have been.

I am dreading going through the experience again, which I will be doing a couple of months. After an awful delivery I'm going for an ELCS this time, partly because I don't trust the MW's not to cause me pain and trauma as they did last time. But the trade off is two days stay on the post-natal ward which is hell on earth.

Last time I had a spinal block and already hadn't slept for two days when I arrived. The other three women in my bay were on their phone, chatting 24 hours a day. I was next to the corridor so the lights were never out and I had all the corridor noise aswell. The food was pretty crap but I found if I went for the halal option it was usually edible.
The staff were mostly pretty horendous, with the odd exception like the neonatal and BF nurse. Unfortunaltely their helpfulness was totally wiped out by the nastiness of the midwives. I was forced to walk to the loo alone even though I could barely feel my bottom half. When the MW came to check on us the morning after the birth, at 6am, she said "haven't you checked his nappy? It needs changing" and flounced off, not bothering to ask if I needed help. He wouldn't feed but it took hours and hours to get some help. I had a drain, and when the MW came in to remove it she said it wouldn't hurt. I was almost at the level of excrutiating pain that my labour had been, and she made out I was being pathetic when I cried out in agony and made her stop. She reluctantly gave me a paracetamol and tried again, I told her to get off me, and eventually took it out myself much to my DH's horror. Other friends who had a drain were morphined up to the eyeballs before it was removed [sceptical].

My DS had jaundice and was put in a phototherapy lamp. On my last night there, 5th night with no sleep, he just kept crying and crying and I couldn't settle him. I went to the nurses station and begged for help and the response was a shrug and a "what do you expect me to do?"! I practically got down on my knees to that woman, who finally took him away for an hour so I could try and sleep.
I have never been more exhausted or demoralised in my life.

JUst to add; I know that the wards are too busy and horribly overstaffed, but there is no excuse at all for the way the MW's talk to and treat the women in their care. This time I am hoping I feel more in control, even if my body will be shot to shit, and I am taking no crap from anyone.

First time - awful to start with. Horrendous birth, DS1 in special care then had to go back there every 4 hours for abs (I had torn badly, could hardly walk but the midwives ignored me when I buzzed them to ask them to take DS1 so had to hobble down 2 corridors and 4 floors to take DS1 there every 4 hours - couldnt sleep as desperate not to miss the slot) - v hot postnatal ward that they were dismantling around me and DS1 - literally! They were moving wards and it was men with electric screwdrivers taking the ward apart - v overworked midwives even more overworked with the move and 8 to a room. They then moved us to the new floor - even worse! - put DS1 and me (could hardly walk) in a cubicle so small that I had nowhere to put my bag and DS1's crib! I burst into tears at the head midwife who agreed it was a rubbish cubicle and put me in a private room they had spare - and then it was wonderful. No noise, lovely supportive midwives and I finally managed to connect with DS1. If only everyone could have that experience.

DS2 - gave birth in a birth centre (different hospital) and discharged within 6 hours. Again lovely silent room.

Icoulddoitbetter

Havent read the whole thread, but dd1 was an amazing experience local birth centre two midwives through the 'fab' birth, lovely room from start to finish with birth pool etc. Then moved a to the psotnatel ward right next to the labour rooms, fairly quiet 3new mums including me, lovely showers/baths.

Dining room which reminded me of a b&B with all the breakfast bits set out etc, staff that couldnt help more if they tried day and night! Offers of tea, hot choc, toast biscuits etc. A daily menu from which you chose you lunch and dinner (it was all fab and delicious). Each morning one of the staff would come into the ward and say is anyone wanted to go home today? If no one did the staff were very happy, i was even told by one of the midwives we wont let you home till youve tried the whole menu

I absolutely loved my experience stayed three nights and could not wait to go back (all NHS by the way)

dd2 unfortunately birth centre was closed at the time due to funding/staff so had a home birth still fab and with 3midwives, did miss the post natel pampering though.

ds1 birth centre was re opened so went back fantastic birth lovely post natel experience, cannot fault it one bit...such a shame that it is on the brink of closer due to cuts...i believe every women should be entitled to stay in such a place after birth...plus the support esp with feeding waas second to none.

Panorama should start with Queens margaret-hodge.co.uk/2011/06/

thats is suppose to be a after the whole menu part, i thought it was lovely how she was making me feel so welocme and not like i should be leaving

Pampering? Not here you don't. Ayrshire Maternity Unit.

I do realise things have changed in 15 years , but my experience of a post natal care ward four hours from London was really excellent. I remember going up in the lift from the delivery suite with my new baby and just feeling over the moon; got to the ward (I had never seen it before) and it was large, spacious, sunny, very happy atmosphere; the other mums were so friendly and helped me out with everything I needed (I had nothing at all with me - dd was two weeks early and I had gone away fromLondon for the weekend, too hot to be bothered with my carefully packed baby bag!); the nurses were charming and friendly, even showed me how to bathe my baby, breast feed, do a nappy, the lot. I could not have had a better 3 nights. They took the babies out of the room so everyone could sleep and brought them in only when they cried. I was very grateful and felt very cared for. So don't despair, expectant mums: it CAN be good! We even chose the baby's name there, from a book the woman in the next bed lent me.

Mine was pretty good given the circumstances - it was far too hot and the food was shit, I didn't sleep the whole time I was there and couldn't wait to get out - but the staff were lovely and helpful, everything was clean, someone always answered the buzzer etc. This was St Michaels in Bristol.

I'd happily take part in a documentary if it was made with intent to make an actual difference and not purely to publicly slate the services. Mind you I will probably end up giving birth on the bathroom floor, I'm so reluctant to return to the hospital :(

plainwhitet your experience sound very simialr to mine, i was actually sad to go, so like you say it CAN be good, but it should ALWAYS be this way such a shame it isnt everywhere.

My experiences were fine - DD1 London hospital EMCS so in for 4 days no problems. A bit noisy but honestly fine and the MWs were helpful. DS Gloucester - couldn't have been nicer. Stayed one night through choice. Lots of my friends also gave birth there and all stayed if they wanted to. DD3 Norwich - home within 5 hours of giving birth!

Not great, really.

They couldn't get me a wheelchair to go to SCBU and breastfeed my baby because the "smokers had it" and they didn't want to get it off them because they "had attitude". In the end I had to walk - having had a c-section 12 hours earlier, and it was 2 floors and down a long corridor away.

Food was crap, but that doesn't matter really.

Showers were covered with other women's blood and bins were overflowing with surfboards maternity pads and they didn't get cleaned before I got discharged - or if they did, it was unnoticeable.

It was about 27 degrees in there - really stiflingly hot. Heating was on all the time and you couldn't open any of the windows because people might climb in and steal the babies, apparently. And they wonder why bugs breed!

In terms of breastfeeding, I was laughed at for asking for a breast pump because I "wouldn't get anything" (even though I wanted it to stimulate milk supply whilst my baby was in SCBU) and had formula pushed constantly when I was trying to establish breastfeeding. There were several ladies in the ward with me trying to establish breastfeeding, but by morning they had been given bottles of formula, and as far as I can tell, very little other support.

Hideous. Hot, overcrowded and loud, with absolutely no privacy. After a three day labour and manual placenta extraction I was left to entertain a ten year old bored child who's vile mother was in for an elcs the next morning.
Hideously overworked staff, who didn't bring pain relief in time or offer any kind of assistance.
I stood on my catheter in the shower and pulled it out to speed up the process, and asked to go home every thirty seconds. On the third day I got up, had a shower, dressed dd and myself and sat on the bed reading the paper, repeating "I want to go home now" to everyone I saw. They let me go.