Why are the midwives doing this to me?

[StarlightOverJuicy]

Okay, so I had a traumatic first birth in which a SHO delivered Ds using fundal pressure. This was not recorded in my notes.

As a result I had a very defensive and prescriptive birth plan for no.2 based on distrust and anxiety of hcp's. I had an amazing birth an I suspect that being the same PCT that were on the verge of having to deal with complaint paperwork, my care was planned to be excellent.

I'm on number 3 now and having reviewed by last birth plan became quite startled myself and embarrassed at how prescriptive it was, feeling, at last that generally much of it was unnecessary as Mws are good people, properly trained and will listen.I have removed the contents page and plenty more. I am in a new PCT.

Unfortunately, looking just now at my notes I see that despite requesting me to fill in a form about past births, for which I reported Ds born, assisted delivery, fundal pressure, they have actually recorded it as spontaneous vaginal delivery.

So I'm back to being scared and mistrusting of their ability to listen, believe me and record accurately, resulting in my defensive birth plan being reinstated and an increase in my anxiety.

I know fundal pressure isn't supposed to happen, but that is no reason to deny it, and report I accurately or even able to take it into account when planning my care.

What I don't understand is why they have done this. My whole PTSD (Undiagnosed) is linked to not being believed and denying my experience.

You have my sympathy, DD's birth was so badly managed (basically ignored) that my mum delivered her in a monitoring room, the midwife had her back to me and was putting on her gloves, we hadn't seen her for over an hour despite DH repeatedly pressing the call button and asking at the midwives station for help. I had an APH which they forgot about and was very lucky that dd was ok. They told me there was no space on postnatal and sent me home at 1am with a 5 hour old baby.

Oddly enough when I complained they'd "lost" all my notes.

I'm sorry to hear that Happy!

It's just that I was really getting better with it and becoming more trusting, and then......

I know that the way Ds was delivered was poor practice, but why deny my experience. I woukd have been a bit pissed off if they'd said 'mum reports that' but at least I'd have the confidence that my perception and reality was being taken seriously even if they weren't certain themselves etc.

Royally pissed off now!

Did you challenge them on it? When is your baby due?

I'm going for a homebirth this time. At worst it'll be the same (me, my mum and DH) at best I'll get two midwives. My consultant isn't happy because I get GD but I had that last time and they took no notice at all. I found the community midwives lovely and the hospital ones just wanted to sit down with a biscuit.

If it's anything like where I work they will have set options on forms, section, spontaneous vaginal birth and assisted vaginal birth (which means forceps or ventouse). So they wouldn't put assisted birth down as it wasn't a forceps or a ventouse.

Can you talk to your comm mw and ask for a mention to be put in your notes about the fundal pressure? Tell her that it's important to you that it's acknowledged.

wips, I haven't challenged them because I have only just noticed that that section wasn't my form but their own computer print out.

I have a mw appointment tomorrow though. Baby was due on Sat.

Viva yes, I suppose I could do that thanks. Is there really no 'other' box for these things?

Afraid Viva is correct with the documentation issue. Any place I have worked, UK and overseas, the types of delivery are documented as one of:

SVD
Vacuum
Forceps
Elective or Emergency LUSCS.

The details of episiotomy, tears,shoulder dystocia manoueveres, indication for interventions and delivery of placenta are detailed beside or in a sub section (especially with computer programmes).

SVD covers a birth that did not require instruments but could still include a tear, episiotomy or shoulder dystocia. Unfortunately in your case it included dangerous fundal pressure but there will not be a "box" for that. It may well be the further details are documented in a different section which hasn't come up in your print out.

I'm sorry this has upset you and hope it doesn't set you back but it really doesn't necessarily mean the MW's weren't listening or taking note. Of course you may have felt otherwise after being in the room with them but from what you say here don't give up on us all yet.

Thank you viva and traffic. I feel much better for your posts.

Bloody systems!!!

I agree with Viva and Trafficwarden - it seems like it's a form to record the very basics.

It's the problem with putting things into boxes I think - the bigger picture is often more complicated, less black and white.

I think it really is worth (if you feel that you can) talking to your CMW or consultant about it - it's important that your experience is acknowledged so that you feel supported.

Also, don't feel embarrassed for having a prescriptive birth plan - I think birth plans are a good way of facilitating discussion over your wishes, ensuring that your wishes are acknowledged and adhered to during your birth and could also open the channels of communication if the midwife who is caring for you hasn't met you and isn't fully aware of your history. I don't think it's a bad thing at all.

MissR That's the trouble with the current system though isn't it? I have. Mw appointment in an hour but have no idea whether I feel I can discuss things with the mw yet. The likeliness of her being a midwife I have ever met before is minimal.

Having said that, I 'think' it might be the one I last saw, because she phoned me to ask if I needed an appointment long enough for a sweep, and because I replied no, and she's a senior mw, I think she actually wants to see me herself iyswim.

I hope so, because I have a lot of confidence in her. She is obviously policy led, but I know from my last appointment that she is very thorough and knowledgable.

It really is. The current system is really quite poo for everyone involved.
If she's a community midwife, and you don't see her today, you could call the CMW office and ask if you could see her, perhaps?

Okay. Notes sorted. She apologised, confirmed that it was a pull down menu but that there were other places to record things that weren't black and white and that she woukd personally ammend the records and I believed her.

We're now having a bit of a dispute about dates but doesn't everyone who goes over?

According to her I'm 41+2 and baby still free. I'd prefer 40+5.

But she went through my 'different' birth plan and whilst I've no idea if she is happy with it, made it clear that she understood and questioned me enough to be clear where I was coming from and why, which gives me the confidence to be a bit more flexible on the day if needed as I feel more understood. She's sending a copy to all on duty.

With I expect, a long email about me

Glad you've got it sorted and that she's amending it.

P.s. It doesn't matter what she thinks about your birth plan - What matters is that you're happy with the plan and that you're being listened to.

Glad you got it sorted. With my first labour the midwives kept trying to take blood from me because i had a temperature so they wanted to check for infections (hello i was in labour!!!) i kept telling them no and they tried anyway not once but 4 times and still couldn't get the blood they wanted!!! (i have veins that are awkward and collapse once hit by a needle in most cases) so i was left with four massive bruises on my arms and hands! i couldn't understand why when i was saying no they were still doing it?? surely they aren't allowed to do something i refuse unless my life is at risk which i hardly think is likely from a temperature bearing in mind i'd come from the december cold at midnight outside into a rather warm small deliverly room!