AIBU to think that all mothers should have food and water on postnatal wards?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello,

Today, we at MNHQ are launching a new campaign called Better Postnatal Care: Aftercare, not Afterthought.

Over the years, we’ve been struck by how many MNers have related pretty horrible experiences on postnatal wards. We’ve also seen lots of discussions about longer term aspects of postnatal care: help with breast or bottle feeding, mental health care for new mothers, wound care after difficult births, and physio for women who feel they need it (but rarely feel able to ask for it) - among other things.

So, towards the end of last year we decided to see if we could do something about it. We ran a big survey of Mumsnet users’ experiences of postnatal care, and some of the results were striking. (You can see more here.) Among those who stayed in hospital after giving birth - which was most new mums - many reported that it was sometimes difficult to access food, pain relief, drinking water and washing facilities. 61% had been unable to access food when they needed it; 45% had been unable to access pain relief when they needed it; 22% had been unable to access water when they needed it; and 19% had been unable to access washing facilities when they needed them.

So today, we are asking the major UK political parties to commit, in their manifestos for the general election, to making sure that women on postnatal wards always have access to the absolute basics: food, water, pain relief and washing facilities.

We’re also asking everyone (this means you!) to contribute ideas about how we can make postnatal wards ‘fit for purpose’. More midwives? A fridge full of sandwiches, fruit and water on every ward? Asking all visitors and patients to turn off noises on their phones and personal devices? Maternity support assistants? Welcome cards by every bed explaining how the ward works? Making sure that inpatients and their visitors use headphones if they’re watching TV? We’re after all your suggestions, no matter how small. We’ll also be asking for input from healthcare workers with frontline experience - so if you’re one of those, please do chip in.

This isn’t about going into battle with people who work in maternity services in the NHS. Most of you feel that overall, over the year or so post-birth, standards of postnatal care are good or OK. When asked what needs to change, many of you say you think there should be more staff. Some of you had very good experiences: if you look at the ‘Good Stuff’ heading on this page you’ll see some shout-outs to hospitals and services that MNers say are getting things right. So we know that it can be done. What we want to do is find out how these hospitals are managing to get it right, and see if the lessons can be transferred.

In the months to come, the campaign will look in more detail at things like infant feeding, traumatic births, postnatal mental health, and follow-up care for birth injuries.

Please get involved with the campaign. Here are some ways you can help.

And as ever - do let us know what you think!

Thanks

Ideally there should be more private en suite rooms so new mothers can have some privacy and SLEEP! I had to stay in for 3 nights after my DD was born by c-section and didn't sleep for those nights due to noise and constant interruptions.
There should be breastfeeding counsellors available and a lot more midwives/assistants to help new mothers with their own needs and the needs of the newborns.
I'm so glad this campaign is being launched as I think it's disgusting how new mothers are treated when they're at their most vulnerable.

Apologies for the flippant tone, was trying to be amusing, perhaps it came across wrong. I am not wrong about the challenges on postnatal ward though. I'm also entitled to express my opinion; I am a service user as well as a service provider. I had a baby 7 months ago and was in for 5 days. I saw no midwife at all for 3 of them despite being high risk and the person I did eventually see barely spoke to me. We aren't supposed to blindly support our colleagues if they're not doing their job properly, plus my post is anonymous. Of course there are amazing midwives on postnatal, who are desperately overstretched and doing their absolute best. There are also terrible ones.

Oh and the option to discuss the birth if needed. I had a crash section with my first and was whipped up to theatre and put under a GA without anyone telling me why. I asked the midwives on the ward so many times to help me understand what had happened and they each said they'd find out, but not one did. I still don't know what the reason was, whether they lost his heartbeat, it was too slow or he in some other distress. The horrendous birth, coupled with the fact that I was left unconscious with him for the best part of a day and was then abandoned on a ward contributed to me not bonding with him for a long time, despite him being a very much wanted ivf baby. It traumatised me. My second (shock surprise)baby was a planned section and that healed some of those scars, but at the time I thought that my one shot at birth and being a new mum was ruined completely.

Cups of tea/coffee for partners would be nice. After all they are helping to look after the mothers and babies.

WTAF?

Why is the partner getting off his / her arse and tending to the mother, fetching her water....you expect nurses and midwives to make teas for well partners.

For those saying no drinks etc. During the day your partner is there and the shops are open. In the middle of the night, you knew you were having a baby and had 9 months notice? Pack some drinks / fruit in your bag. Or must the NHS now provide fruit bowls for all wards?

Also, Batsgirl, you have actually said that patient survival rates aren't important compared to empathy

No she didn't, Michael - Batsgirl said that survival rates should be a given and are hardly a benchmark.

God - where to start! Staff were either 'so what?' - even during labour - and on the postnatal ward really offish and at worst very patronising about breastfeeding help. But the worst thing is allowing men - partners - to stay on a Labour ward. I had a man swearing and tutting all night when I was unable to breastfeed my (first) baby and she was wailing loudly. I was beside myself - locked myself in the loo. Just so harrowing. I complained to the staff. But generally my care was absymal - they lost my notes, they left my carefully collected colostrum out in a syringe all night so it was ruined (!!) etc etc. Have quite honestly never in my life felt less cared for - I was shocked.

I had to beg for a wheelchair so I could visit my prem baby, I could barely walk after c section and being on my death bed 24 hours previously. I desperately needed to see my child but was told that I had to walk as its 'good for you'. I got back to the ward exhausted and the next day I was in agony. The nurses then had the audacity to tell me that id done to much and would have to stay in bed that day and not see ds, oh and no pain relief when I asked. There I just too much to write about the terrible care I received and the fact that my 5 week old baby (7 week prem) was left in a room on his own for hours on end when he was kicked out of neonatal to make room and I couldn't get to him due to transport issues

But survival rates aren't a given. They are affected by a basket of different factors. You don't just throw a few staff and a few facilities together and blindly hope for the best.

motherofdaemons thank you for your honesty. I'd echo all that you've said from my professional experience of closely working with delivery suite and postnatal wards.

I actually think Daemons post was really interesting and made sense, based on my personal experience and from the sound of this thread, showing that negative experiences are unfortunately quite common.

Why can't we be critical when there are clearly some major flaws regarding postnatal care? Why do you think this campaign was started in the first place?

It's not a personal attack to say some people are not good at the job or lack certain training/qualities.

I have another point to add - I don't think people realise how much of a huge difference bedside manner makes. The difference it makes in feeling positive and supported vs feeling alone, patronised, upset and negative about the whole experience is amazing. My hospital midwife during birth was horrible to me (doctors were amazing, but only needed them very shortly) and my community midwife was also quite dismissive and clearly wanted to get me out of the door as fast as possible.

My community midwife this time round is lovely and make's me feel like she has a lot of time for me. The world of difference in confidence and positivity that causes is amazing. It doesn't take a lot of time to ask how someone is.

Food and drink needs to be readily available.

I gave birth to my dd in2014 and it was shocking. I have labour pains in my back and the after pains were horrendous so I asked for painkillers (just a paracetamol) at 3.30am, 4.30am and 6am at 8am I rang my husband begging him to bring me some Nurofen when he came to visit. Just after 3.30am my bed broke (the back wouldn't lay down) and I was told that there weren't any other beds so I would have to wait for maintenance who started at 7am.

I wasn't offered a drink or anything to eat after having my baby at 10.30pm, I asked for something when I got onto the ward at 2am but was told nothing was available and there was a drinking tap at the end of the corridor. Breakfast was at 8am and it was just slices of bread because toasters had been banned!

If that had been my first child my second would have most definitely been born at home but luckily it was my second and last.

I'd have settled for proper pain relief beyond paracetamol after my CS. That was irregular as it was, but as I couldn't have Ibuprofen there wasn't much else. They finally prescribed me Oromorph on the second hugely painful day, which I was taking so that I could be discharged despite massive visual migraines from the awful stuff. I was then told I couldn't be discharged as I was now on Oromorph and so couldn't "just stop" taking it, not take it with me. /headdesk The doctor was lucky I didn't find him that day, as the hormones, migraines and pain made for an interesting combo as I staggered off to find someone to give the bottle back to. :D

At least that second time round I had known to bring in my own food, water and bed pads to bleed into. Mostly because when I bled more than I'd expected the first time the nurses laughed at me for not knowing it was normal and for being scared.

I'd have given anything to avoid that ward after the first time, but I'm complicated so had no choice. Thankfully my husband was able to be with me for a little of it, or I'd most likely have cracked before the five days were up and gone and sat in the corridor with my baby for a better "care experience".

The welcome cards are a good idea - would cut down on the questions and unnecessary calls.

I'd also suggest supporting perhaps a security guard so nurses aren't expected to evict families of patients overstaying their time without permission, and also to stop patients' families from forcing their way into the ward out of hours when other patients leave to get food from the shop.

Perhaps if the Bounty packs are to continue they could have bed pads, sanitary towels, ample snacks and little bottles of water added to them?

Food brought to you, I had to wait in a queue with entitled male partners pushing in front of post partum mothers (all the women could queue properly)

Water, on the prenatal ward it was filled regularly, my husband had to find water on the post natal ward.

Pain killers, in the end I got my husband to bring me some because I couldn't get any from the staff.

Ward instructions, they left me a jug and told me to do my first wee in it, which I did. Upon finding a nurse to present my piss filled jug to at 2am I was told they just needed to know how much I'd pissed they didn't need to see!

Actual post natal care, in the 18 hours I was on the post natal ward not one person talked to me like a human being.
My baby needed monitoring because my water's broke > 24 hours before delivery yet my husband had to ask someone to carry out obs at +16 hours. We also had to request my catheter and canular be removed after 24 + hours.
No one helped with my first shower dh helped while a HCA checked the baby otherwise I'd have just sat in my own blood and whatever the fuck else comes out during birth

Doctors/nurses didn't communicate with me I had PUPPS, doctor didn't ask me anything so I spent my 2nd day as a mother in the walk in clinic trying to get it sorted then my 4th day as a mother at the GP because the walk in doctor didn't know what PUPPS is.
Doctor also didn't ask/tell me about rubella vaccine so I was kept on ward to have vaccine when I could have had it at my GP. After crying because I wanted to go home then the staff told me the vaccine was why I was being kept in at 7pm and I could get it done at a later date.

Basically it was fucking horrific and just writing this makes me want to cry.

I remember being in the post natal ward, distraught at 2am with DD1 roaring with distress and hunger, unable to latch on, gnawing away at my bleeding nipple. I finally plucked up the courage to buzz a midwife. She came, handed me a photocopied sheet on how to hand express, and a little cup, and turned on her heel and fucked off.

An hour later I'd managed to extract one and a half drops of colostrum but was weeping with frustration, I couldn't get DD to take it as she was beside herself. A different midwife came, took one look at me, and said that I should get some rest, whisked DD off to the midwife station and gave her a bottle while I slept.

I've never been angrier than I was with the first midwife, nor more grateful than I was to the second. The kindness and support was vital at such a vulnerable time.

I will not get on to the anaesthetist who, clearly annoyed at being called up, bollocked me for a solid ten minutes whilst siting my epidural about how much it was costing the NHS and that giving birth was supposed to be natural.

If he hadn't had a massive needle in my spine at the time, I would have wanted to know the last time he undertook to experience contractions for hours and then pushed a baby out of his vagina. Prick.

This thread is so frightening. I'm pregnant with my first and reading this makes me feel sick (I suffer with anxiety anyway). I'm so sorry for the horrible experiences you've all had

I'd have liked staff not to wake me up at 3.30pm when it was the first sleep I'd had since giving birth at 2.26am.

Agent we don't want to frighten you. I'd advise not reading this thread.

I've tried 3 times to share this page on Facebook, I give in!

Can we add sleep to the list? All the maternity wars I've been on have been kept deliberately bright with artificial light all day long. If you try to turn the lights off and draw your curtains so you can 'sleep when the baby sleeps' someone (usually a person you've failed to be able to contact for food or pain relief) will mysteriously materialise to ask why you've turned the lights off and drawn the curtains. It's like torture.

I think we need to go back to the drawing board completely and redesign all maternity wards with postnatal women's guidance from the start.

Sometimes I think it's a hangover from the days of workhouses 'they got themselves into this mess, why should we make them feel comfortable? They'll only be back in a year's time with baby number two, costing the taxpayer more money'.

I've tried sharing this on Facebook 3 times. I give up.

FreeNiki when I was on the postnatal ward my hospital had banned patients and visitors from bringing food in from outside. Apparently it was part of their infection control measures. So bringing your own wasn't an option.

Oh I forgot about the fucking hand expressing! The midwife handed me two syringes and told me to hand express as baby wouldn't latch (in the 10 seconds I was allowed to try post birth before being handed a bottle of formula) No explanation or sheet explaining WTF I was supposed to do.

We shouldn't be relying on women having partners there all day to fetch and carry. Plenty of women don't have partners, or have partners who can't be there all day, or have partners who are useless.

We’re also asking everyone (this means you!) to contribute ideas about how we can make postnatal wards ‘fit for purpose’.

I think a survey would be a better way to achieve your goal, as this thread has turned into more of a discussion/complaint thread.

It's also worth bearing in mind that any recommendations need to be realistic. Maternity services are already under resourced and overstretched.

The idea about some postnatal wards permitting a relative/friend to stay, is for them to help provide support to both mum and baby. This includes things like getting the woman's meals/water, watching the baby whilst mum gets a wash ect.

Also I'm not sure what some posters mean by saying that midwives don't have nursing skills. I think the issue is that the postnatal wards are understaffed, the midwife has to prioritise woman and babies with more complex care needs, and things like drug rounds, so unfortunately things like filling water jugs are least of her priorities.

Also midwives aren't neonatal nurses, but should have the skills to take babies observations. If the midwife wasn't able to do this, surely this is a training need and should be escalated to management?