To not want to be a medical guinea pig whilst being treated for suspected sepsis, one day postpartum whilst very unwell

[Februaryblooms]

In hospital after being induced with DD who was born yesterday morning. DD has jaundice and is on a blue light in the crib but she's doing ok as per monitoring.

It was a quick labour that ended up with me having a second degree tear and stitches. I've been losing alot of clots, am weak and have been told I have some retained placental products.

I've had cannulas galore, constant blood tests etc and somewhere among that lot I've contracted an infection that they won't yet call sepsis but have strongly hinted toward that being what it is and said they are screening and treating me for it "just in case"

I'm currently laid up having a blood transfusion after rushing through two IV doses of antibiotics, multiple bags of fluid, and am told I may need to go to theatre to remove the retained products if they don't expel themselves/If the antibiotics don't work soon. I'm incredibly poorly, sweating, have poor (high heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) and can't leave my bed or tend to my newborn, fortunately my partner is here and is being brilliant.

I'm positively terrified to be honest and have never felt so vulnerable in my life after hearing the word "Sepsis"

My AIBU is:

AIBU to not want my treatment process used to teach the student midwives/staff. Every procedure and obs I have is being undertaken by the student staff over seen and walked through by senior staff who are all absolutely lovely but it's making me feel like a guinea pig laying here helpless, whilst my condition is being used to train the students.

I haven't said anything, I don't know if I have any right to. I'm being treated regardless aren't I and can't afford to go private.

Am I being ridiculous and over reacting because of my current state? How would you feel? Is this the norm?

Nobody has asked whether I mind so I assume I don't have a choice.

I'm not bashing the NHS and I'm grateful I'm being looked after. I'm

You do have a choice. You can refuse to have students present if that is what you want.

I had a very long and difficult labour with my 1st, and had one student after another in my room. I found the MW talking to them really distracting in the end, and got a bit upset that I felt like I was being talked about rather than to. DH had a word and the students were ushered away.

If it's bothering you, get your DP to go out to the MWs station and say that whilst you both appreciate people need to learn, you're in no fit state to tolerate it right now and you don't want any more students while you are so poorly.

Hope you're feeling better soon, and congratulations

There are always Twats who think that if you're well enough to post on Mumsnet then you must be fine.
Yanbu to say enough is enough.
Congratulations and I hope all goes well for you and your brand new baby 💐

You have the right to say no to students being present.

But it's only by being involved in patient care that students learn and become competent.

Personally I wouldn't dream of saying no, but if you want to, speak to the midwife looking after you.

TabbyMumzyour shitty post says a whole lot about you...none of it good.

Yes I am on mumsnet trying to distract myself. I'm fucking scared, bed bound, and don't know what's going on with my body.

It was the student staff who I was referring to when I said they were lovely, they all have been. There has been some occasions where obs have taken longer and needed to be taken over by a more senior member of staff, the most recent occasion being having my bloods taken, she tried a few times then apologised, said she was new and would get somebody else to take over.

People sneering about me being alarmed about sepsis clearly haven't read the thread about the woman who posted here and was found to have it ffs.

To the PP who was looked at for sepsis after both DC can you tell me your experience please and when you left better?

Just say no. Or ask the senior doctor to check with you first BEFORE the students are wheeled in. You can and should refuse if you are not up to it. I'm sorry you are feeling so vulnerable. Some HCP don't see a person in front if them - you are the "sepsis" case in bed 4.

Good luck

I was in hospital a lot during 2 pregnancies due to placenta praevia. I think I spoke to every medical student in West London!

Remember that while the6 are being supervised, you ar3 probably getting better care than normal, but it’s fine to say, not now.

I used to let the students practice putting a cannula in, as I had really good veins. After 2 PP pregnancies, my veins now collapse and only the anaesthetists can get a line in.

It's perfectly fine to say you don't want students. YY it's how they learn but lots of people will say yes to them (look at all the posters on here queuing up to say how worthwhile it is so there will be many people like them in RL too).
Don't feel guilted into it. Don't say you feel like a guinea pig - just say you find it stressful and don't give permission for it to continue. Then try to rest . . . and congratulations on your baby

You had a baby yesterday. Say no to anything you like.

As with every condition not everyone is the same. My friend was in hospital weeks with sepsis and was messaging me regularly. She wasn’t unconscious as someone else implied.

You can feel very unwell and still type brief messages on here. People are so judgy and make people going through a tough time feel worse.

There are only 2 types of illness on MN.

'You're posting so are therefore in fine health' and 'unconscious'

There is no in-between

OP you poor thing, of course, you are scared. As PP have said speak to a nurse. No one will think bad of you for it. I hope you are at home with your baby ASAP.

You should have been asked if you mind the students but as others have said how are the students supposed to learn if not on patients, every member of the senior staff was also once a student .I totally understand you feel ill and worried but as you said every thing the students do is overseen so no mistakes can be made.30 plus years ago I had a back to back birth forgotten what t is called but baby was bon face up. There must have been about 15 students in the room but it never crossed my mind to object

Re getting blood.
Some people it harder to get blood out of.
Some people experience people take a few trys . Make sure you are singing what they are telling you when they are getting blood ask what else you can do and it .
Hope you get better soon . And can home with lovely baby

The very next person that walks in, say that you are exhausted and do not want any more people treating you than necessary and from now on, you do not want any trainee or student staff.

You have the right to refuse this at any point.

The very next person that walks in, say that you are exhausted and do not want any more people treating you than necessary and from now on, you do not want any trainee or student staff.

You have the right to refuse this at any point.

Yes you have the right to decline treatment from a student, and this will be respected. However please remember that this is how qualified midwives learned their skills, being that student. Also they have students in private hospitals as well - too many learners, not enough placements!

Obviously not the same medical conditions but I have had many operations and other medical treatment and I am always happy to have students in on my treatment. It is important to train the next generation of doctors. I also think you get better treatment as well because the team are really on their toes and the trainers are generaly supervising carefully.

I would usually be fine with students but in your circumstances OP I think it is adding to your stress and anxiety and that you should decline to be observed any further.

Hope it's not sepsis and sending good healing vibes to you

I've been completely accomodating of the less experienced staff members tending to me. I've been nothing but polite, friendly and obliging despite feeling genuinely terrible and sick with nerves.

Like somebody else mentioned, it has felt some of the time like I'm being talked about rather than talked to. I was trying to ask the doctor about the process if I were to need to go to theatre for the retained products, and she began talking to the student explaining what to do with the fluids machine before I had even finished my sentence.

I've had alot of student care during the labour and I was fine with that because I wasn't in fear then, it's now that I am.

Watch me get jumped on for calling them student staff, I don't know what the best way to refer to them is, you can't say anything on here sometimes.

Thank you for the kind replies, I appreciate them.

Look, it's your body. You've had enough, you are well within your remit to say 'NO more students! I'm frightened and feel very poorly and don't want students present anymore'.

I have no issue with ds being treated or observed by students if they ask us in advance. Infact a student picked up something others have missed before now.

I did complain when 8 medical students came in at once when he was critically ill and nobody asked before though.

Congrats on the baby first off. And you absolutely have a right to say no to being seen to by students.

When I was in labour on my first, I was asked if the trainee midwife could do my bloods, my dh said he’d rather not as I was terrible with needles and he was so right. It was 5am and I was in a lot of pain due to labour. I couldn’t guard I wouldn’t move or wriggle.

Afterwards, on the ward, I found the trainees the most warm and lovely and friendliest of everyone.
Second baby and I was more open to having trainee midwives etc, but I was high risk so they were there to witness a high risk birth in a way as there was so much meconium in the waters, but the fully qualified midwife did everything.

Don’t feel bad to say no. Ask your dp to have a word as you want to save your energy. Yes, they have to learn but you also have a right to say no. You’re not a pin cushion and you’ve just given birth. Rest up and hope you start feeling better soon

I got discharged from hospital having had sepsis a couple of weeks ago. I had been ill for three weeks and trying to just crack on with life. What an idiot. I know full well the signs and had at least three of them.

I was on MN, but probably not posting or replying to posts. I was on FB a bot and, as the ward was right next to a pokestop, playing pokemon go quite a bit, as well as youtube.

I also did care work for a huge chunk of my life, did two years of a nursing degree.

I felt a bit like a guinea pig at times too. I even felt I was teaching sometimes. I thought that better than letting the newish HCA fail to take my BP for a third time. IT wasn't so bad I felt I needed to tell them to stop training people on me though. It does sounds like you have had a lot of it.

I happened to have a couple of well deserved tantrums though, so was treated well.

Good grief this is AIBU at its best isn’t it. The OP has had a baby one day ago who is poorly and receiving treatment, she is poorly, frightened and overwhelmed. Probably exhausted with all the beeping those machines do, that pump in the antiobiotics and fluids. Basically in survival mode.

But all this must be put aside, as it is far more important that a student gets to have repeated goes at putting a canula in.

Give your heads a wobble. Of course she can take a break from any additional stress. Absolute madness that anyone on here is asking her to think of and take responsibility for students learning at this point in time.