who do I ask to see my notes from hospital from when I gave birtj? head midwife? and how long do they keep them for? thanks

[mrspicklepants]

Oops that was my question!

I think you have them and take them home for the community m/w. I did with DC2 which was fairly recently, maybe this is just in my area.

Not sure specifically but when I was in hospital last year for a back operation (8 years since giving birth and totally different dept obv) they left my hospital notes/file on the table next to me while I was waiting to go to theatre so I read them and all my labour notes were in there still!

You can apply direct to the hospital. There's a department who arrange for your records to be copied and sent to you. Fill out a form being very specific as to which notes you want - ante-natal, labour, post-natal etc. send it back and they send the notes. There's a fee which is quite small; I think I paid £15.

ive been wondering exactly the same thing just lately - I had a hard time and asked about it at the time but didn't really get satisfactory answers. I keep thinking about it over and over and wonder if they had acted differently the outcome would have been better - I ended up in hosp. for over a week due to complications but all seems fine now with both me & baby. I don't know if I should just let it go or ask some more...

The notes go home with you briefly but the community midwife takes them away when they discharge you. I photocopied mine in this time although you can apply (and pay the fee) anytime up to 25 years later (I think that's correct-it's to give the child time to access them as an adult if they want to sue re. birth injury etc...)

Your hospital will have a records department you can apply to. You should find info about how to do so on their website. You should also be able to request to either go and view the notes in hospital or have actual photocopies made, or both. The former is free but there's normally a small charge for the latter.

Does the hospital keep separate notes from the ones we have in our "yellow books" or whatever regional variant? The midwives seemed to be writing loads during my labour but there wasn't very much there when I looked.

Yes Tarka - the notes you take home are post natal notes plus a summary of the birth.

I'm keen to find out how to arrange a birth debrief with my prenatal and labour notes - I have a number of questions including which type of forceps were used - it said mid cavity on some parts of summary and low on the other.

Apologies for hijack but how do you go about arranging a birth debrief? And do all hospitals offer them?

Thanks brave.

Could PALS help with maternity stuff?

PALS will help. Otherwise write to the Head of Maternity. All hosptals have some sort of website now with contact details.

You should be able to go up to the hospital/health authority offices to look at them for free, or pay for a copy. My health authority had a time limit in which you could get them free and then after that it was about £30 for a copy or free to go and look.

The AIMS website has some really useful information about getting access/ copies of your notes: AIMS.

Some NHS trust have a "birth stories" plan. An experienced midwife will meet with you and go through all your notes with you. Like a birth de-briefing. I found this very useful as I was so traumatised by the first birth, I couldn't cope with the thought of the second. Having this meeting also meant that my worries were taken seriously, and when I turned up for 2nd birth, the mw was already aware of my history.

I've just asked for mine from Homerton hospital. I wrote to the PALS address on their website. They've said I have to fill in a form, pay £50 and it can take up to 40 days! I had my DD there 3 years ago.

Your notes are kept for around 25 years due to giving the child that was born and grew up a chance to use them in any legal case if they are suffering any problems due to their birth

my notes got left at hospital and the midwives just sent me home with a few notes stapled together saying about the birth and basics

The notes I had throughout pregnancy came home and we coped them as the midwife takes them away eventually but there was a much thicker pile of notes where the labour suite midwives wrote everything that happened..she explained she wrote the time and duration of every push etc...these get kept 25 years apparently but I never got to see them!