To think that some women have an awful time on the postnatal ward

[elliejjtiny]

This isn't a slag off the midwives thread. In my case the midwives were perfectly lovely and kind, just very overworked.

My 2 experiences on the postnatal ward with DS4 (now 18m) and DS5 (now 6m) were horrible. I had caesareans both times and both babies were in NICU, although DS5 came and joined me on the ward for the last 3 days. Once my catheter was out I had to make my own breakfast, fetch other meals and drinks from the ward kitchen, take expressed milk down what felt like endless corridors to NICU every 4 hours and sterilize all the bottles, pump bits etc. I didn't have DH with me as he was looking after the DC's or any visitors who stayed more than 5 minutes. I could have really done with some tlc in my vulnerable and hormonal state. And some decent painkillers. I wasn't allowed morphine after the catheter came out because it made me wobbly, just paracetamol and ibubrofen. I take more than that for period pains.

But when I talk about it I get told that it didn't happen or that I'm being negative or exaggerating. It makes me feel like I'm going mad. So come and tell me your awful postnatal ward stories so that I know I'm not alone.

The 'inadequate pain relief because you need to be alert in order to look after your baby' is a strange sort of logic, I think. I can honestly say that I have rarely been less alert than when I was in severe pain. OK, I wasn't drowsy, which I accept can be a side effect of some medicines, but I certainly wasn't alert; I hads retreated into my own little world where everything seemed distant and fuzzy and confusing because the only thing I was really aware of was that I was in intense pain and there was no end in sight.

I'd agree treacle soda, surely if you are in so much pain that you need sedating pain relief to be comfortable, then you are in too much pain to care for a baby without serious help.

It seems so obvious that postnatal wards are set up for women who are well - independent on the ward, rapidly healing wounds or no wounds, mildly emotional but not depressed, able to sleep, accessing family support. I wonder how much data there is on the proportion of women who don't fit that profile - given the nature of childbirth it must be quite high.

It's interesting though that so many hospitals seem to do a lot better than others. The postnatal ratings on Friends and Family tests seem always to be lower than any other maternity service, but e.g. the trust I work for (not in maternity services) has ratings in the 60s and even Lewisham (EVEN Lewisham) has ratings in the 50s. Not great - any ward I work on has ratings in the 90s (not because I'm there ) - but nothing like the 20s in St Thomas's. There's really no excuse for running a service that rates like that IMO.

One common thread that runs through all these stories is that midwives seem to consciously withhold help, assistance, attention and pain relief from women, because the culture of a postnatal ward says "you are MOTHERS now, and you bloody well won't have our help once you're discharged, so you'd better start coping".

It's hateful.

I know that any clinical idea that is likely to result in someone staying longer in hospital is received like a lead balloon on ward rounds. You have to be very sure of yourself clinically to propose these things (which is not wrong in itself, but it should be possible to make a team decision that someone needs to stay and on well-functioning wards that should happen). I'd imagine that some midwives start to censor themselves from saying things that aren't well received by senior leaders.

It's a shame, as on the website patientopinion.org, many of the hospitals mentioned on here have got mostly excellent reviews. This is one of the sites that the hospitals read and respond to. If people told some of their experiences there, it may help to change.

Have just returned to this thread and am so shocked to read about how many posting on here had such appalling experiences at St.Thomas' .... Am awaiting aeeting there where I intend to lodge a formal complaint. Am speechless and so sad anybody else has been through the trauma I endured. dD is six months old and the whole thing was so medieval it still haunts me. Am sooo angry at how these MWs are clearly above any reproach. My blood is boiling reading this, keep remembering how filthy, uncaring and utterly negligent everything was..... They should be shut down pending improvement measures. Am heartbroken to read here how many women have had such frightening times at what is billed as a leading teaching hospital.

treaclesoda
You've totally summed up how I felt the day post-CS!

I'd had v little 'proper' pain relief (sporadic doses of paracetamol & ibuprofen do not count!)

It is like you're in your own bubble & you notice v little...even found it hard to concentrate on my LO

Yes and wondering when it would end, focusing on whether anyone gave a shit & would come back with some oromorph that you'd spent the last 5 hours begging trying to ask politely for