Not happy with care received during recent private birth - starting to formulate thoughts

[lisalisa]

The title says it all really. I am starting to emerge from the post birth fog ( now 5 weeks past delivery) and realising that the care I had during late pregnancy and after birth has been much less than adequate. I don't want to name my hospital or consultant here ( please don't search my threads to see if I've named them before when this issue hadn't arisen and name them here) as I'm anxious to keep this trhead as generic as possible for obvious reasns.

I think I'd like to start with a second opinion. I'm still not well 5 weeks on so the second opionion is very valuable as I no longer fee confident enough in my consultant to revisit him with my conintuing problems and seek his advice. Depending on what advice I receive in this second opinion I want to get well first and will then decide what to do about the inadeequate care.

Can anyone please recommend their privte maternity consultant within easy reach of London?

Has anyone every complained post birth about care and had either positive or negative results?

I had a pretty terrible birth experience and once I had recovered from it (a good few months later), physically at least, I booked an appointment at the hospital with the head of midwifery. She spent about 3 hours going through each point made in my labour notes, explaining exactly why things happened the way they did. It did not take away from what happened, but left me better informed about the reasons things happened the way they did, and I was grateful to have had that opportunity.

Am now due to go down the route of deciding what route to take for DC2, due in the summer. I could return to the same hopsital which is local to me, and perhaps opt for a private delivery or perhaps a doula to be my advocate during childbirth. I have yet to decide which, if either, will result in me being more relaxed about a better outcome.

I will be interested to hear thoughts on your post lisalisa and hope you continue to emerge well from your fog.

Thanks sugarsnap - I think in my case a post birth review wouldn't cut it. The care has been substandard in myh opinion before and after the birth ( when I had complications) although not during it. Experience range from being told to lie down when I was having a heamorrhage and to call back if it got worse ( rather than being told to come in at once for a review/call an ambulance) to being presribed medication contraindicated for bfing women ( when it was known I was bfing).

My dh is leaning towards compensation - after all we paid in total over £15k for the birth /care. I am not sure I have the strength to do that but I definitely need answers and would like recommendations for another private consultant to get second opinion on what should have been done at each stagte

I am with SS99 and think you should see the Head of Midwifery. I had a Private Birth and while I love my consultant I know they will not openly go against their colleagues especially if you are thinking of going down the compensation route. If you do not want to see the Head of Midwifery how about the Midwife who was at the Birth?

I am so sorry that this happened to you. I can recommend consultants that myself and friends have had great experiences with if you want to PM me but I think the Head of Midwifery would be a sound start. XX

It was a cesarean birth so no real midwife involvement.

Just had a compare and contrast session wtih a friend of mine who had identical circs to what happened to me. Basically 4 weeks after birth I had a massive heamorrhage and lost tons og blood. To give you an idea soaked my slippers to the extent that we wrung them out before thrwoing them away. Started shakng uncontrollably. Consultant's advice was to lay down and if it got worse(?) to call back. the same happened to my friend who was told to come in imediately and was scanned and ultimately given blood transfusion. I think this is what I may need as I'm so achey and tired I can barely walk nearly 5 weeks after delivery.

Attempted walk outside today and got as far as neighbours house about 10 steps away andcollapsed literally. Got home and bled heavily again and cried. This is just not right

Lisalisa, if you are bleeding like that, please go to your local nhs hospital to get checked out - you need to be strong to look after your little one. Take care of yourself x

Lisa - PM'd you with my consultant's details. Don't delay in getting seen though.

Please get yourself checked over quite urgently. I would have thought you at least need your iron level checked, and the cause of the excessive bleeding needs to be found. You're quite right about being given substandard care and advice, but you can deal with that when you're better.

It sounds awful to be bleeding the way you are. Go to a hospital! xx

Your consultant sounds a real twit!!! Does he or she have a partner in their practise you could see? If you have not been seen already you could try calling the Labour Ward in your Hospital and tell them what you told us and they should have a covering consultant on the ward you may be able to see. The hospital do need to know about this Consultant when you are feeling up to it as they are responsible for giving this person admitting rights and by the sounds of it this person has neglected you. xxx

Can't comment on most of your post, but can comment on being given medication marked 'unsuitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women'. Most medication will have this written on it - this is not because it is actually because it is unsuitable but because no clinical trial has been carried out on breast feeding women, so the drug company cannot claim it is suitable. What medication was it? It really might not be an issue.

Sorry you has such a traumatic time :-(

Thank you for your advice everyone . QTpie - yes it was new blood and I agree with your suggested 3 steps. Please don't worry everyone - I am not continuing to bleed in that way otherwise I would be in the A and E. I bled that way on 23 December and again 31 December. Got an appointment with another consultant on thursdasy afternoon to present all the ongoing issues and try to get better. Answers from the original consutlant can follow but I strongly feel that I never wnat him to treat another woman with this type of neglect/absence of care.

Re the medication - yes you are all probably right. However with a different medicine he did prescribe something whose brand name is diff118. When my dh took the prescription to the chemist ( it is a painkiller) the chemist said this is contraindicated nowadays and rartely used. We corroborated this with a non practising GP friend of ours who said it used to be prescribed commonly when she practiced but was now no longer used as there were safer and better alternatives ( this was not the one contraindicated for bfing - that was 2 types of anitbtiotics).

When I called consultant to tell him reactions of chemist and GP to diff118 he just simply prescribed something else without comment - almost as if I'd asked for roast beef on the hospital menu and then been given chicken!

Hi Lisalisa, I hope you feel better soon. My friends recommended Dr Guy Thorpe Beeston, Dr Partick O'Brien, Dr Jeffrey Braithwaite, Dr Demetrios Economides, Dr Brian Leitch and Dr Keith Duncan. A few have been under care of various Tatler rated doctors and did not provide very positive feedback (eg, doctors were too busy and appointments lasted 5-10 minutes - certainly not what you expect if you were to spend GBP12k+. I would be interested to find out which doctor/hospital you had - am also paying a ridiculous amount of money and hoping for a good care. Would you mind PMing me? I hope you do get a second opinion soon.

Sorry most of these doctors are either at Portland or at Chelsea & Westminster.

LisaLisa - just wanted to comment on the DF118. I'm a midwife and it is prescribed to every p/n lady who has had a section where I work. Its very safe to be used in breastfeeding and I've never heard of it not been safe. Its dihydrocodeine.

Sorry, just seen it was actually antibiotics that you were told weren't ok for use in breastfeeding. But you were still told that df118 isn't safe and I would say its very safe.

Thanks viva that 's very reassuring. Lilly whlst I'd love to PM you I don'tm want to name anyone right now so sorry.

SAw doctor today - diagnois is that I've got a fairly small - 18mm x 12mmblood clot in my uterus which is causing infection. I got a fever last night again which panicked me. Doc's opinion is to leave well alone and hope that my uterus expels the clot on its own. He said it would be a shame to having to operate jsu for such a small clot - a sentiment I quite agree with.

However bearing in mind I've now had 4 lots of antibs - he prescribed more today to deal wit hthis infection - and infections for over 5 weeks I'm not 100% convinved. Also I'mvery nervous to start daily life knowing I've got a clot inside me waiting to come out as then I shoudl wear and carry extra pads in case.

Getting a secnod opinion tomorrow

Sorry for typing one handed resulting in bad spelling

Lisa, I really would go to an NHS hospital to get checked out, esp if there's a big teaching hospital near you, where the consultants will be up to date with most recent research, etc.

Poor thing lisa. Glad you're getting a second opinion.

I had a blood clot the size of a coke can in my uterus post birth. I was initially prescribed a course of antibitotics but when it was not resolved I had it removed during a D&C under a GA. Is your dr actually recommending a laparascopic operation to remove it? A D&C is very straightforward: day surgery & did not interfere too much with bf-ing, but maybe it is different if you have had a CS cos of the scar?

I had a PPH immediately after giving birth & had several transfusions - they can put a strain on the heart (I developped a minor cardiac issue as a result of mine) so if you can avoid that then do. I agree your iron levels should be checked, or at least begin supplementing yourself - I would be confident it wouldn't do any harm if you were sticking to recommended dosages & usually one that is easy on the stomach.

I did not feel like I began recovering properly until about 6-8wks & it took months to properly recover, but it all blended in with the tiredness so I can't say how long it took. I definitely attribute it to the blood loss. I couldn't believe there were women at my new baby group who had had their babies literally one week ago & managing to get out & about to the group, shopping, etc It is still early days for your recovery so take care.

elvisgirl - that is so helpful. Glad someone has a similar history ( well not glad for you of course as itis not good that you had to suffer). He is not recommending any op to remove it just that I should pass it on my own.

What put a strain on your heart - the heamorrhages or the transfusions can I ask?

I am supplementing iron now.

Been for my second opinion, going to transfer to new consultant. I am very worried about telling current consultant as I don' twant to hurt his feelings and find these type of conversations very embarrasing. I am thinking of writing a letter. Can anyuone give me some ideas as to conent?