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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

calling all midwives for advice- I want to see my birth notes??

35 replies

JoBaz · 09/09/2006 20:58

Had my DS 11 mths ago & had a horrid time. he wa sin the back to back position when he was born by emergency episitomy & forceps as his heart beat dropped really low & they had to get him out. I still lay there thinking about what happened... why did no one tell me he was in this akward position & to this day I know my episitomy was big (as at gp postnatel 8wk check she said it was a very large scar)but I dont know what degree tear it was or anything.. I was so shell shocked after the birth & I just feel now that to read my birth notes would be the best therapy? why do they take them away & is there anyway I can read what actually happened to me & my body??surely?
even after the birth when I had pains all down by my bottom on the left side, no one told me it was cos the episitomy is cut back & then to the left into leg muscle..

Thank you for your help
Joanne x

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Belo · 09/09/2006 21:06

I'm not a midwife, so can't help. All I can say is that from waht you've said I can really see why you want to see your notes. Sounds like you've had a horrible experience. Have you spoken to your GP about this? Maybe they can put a case forward for you to see your notes. I remember reading a whiile ago that a lot of women suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Sydrome after giving birth. Maybe you have to a certain extent as 11 months onwards you sound like you are still feeling bewildered by the whole experience. It sounds like you need some form of 'closure' (don't like that term - but seems right here) and a full explanation to help you get over your horrible experience. Best of luck to you. xxx

Original poster

JoBaz · 09/09/2006 21:11

yes I think that is what I need.. I mean, dont get me wrong, Im not devestated by it or anything, as I have my lovely DS to look at... but I just hate not really knowing the details of my birth & know when I next get pregnant again I will worry non stop as I dont really know what went on in the first labour... unless I know the details of the first labour I think i will worry worry worry about the second one..not wanting them to stop monitering the heartbeat & thinking the worst.. I just think all women should get to read it if thay want to, I think it would help them move on from the labour & give them... closure

OP posts:

southeastastra · 09/09/2006 21:12

don't you think you would worry more if you saw your notes?

CountTo10 · 09/09/2006 21:12

I'm not a medical prof but I do know you have the right to access your medical notes at any time - spk to your GP about gaining access to them.

anniediv · 09/09/2006 21:13

JoBaz, under the new 'freedom of information' act, if you request in writing to see your notes, as I understand it, the hospital has 28 days to respond to your request. I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will be along soon to correct me!

Beauregard · 09/09/2006 21:14

With my last pregnancy i had unanswered questions from my first so my midwife left my notes out for the consultant to go through with me when i saw him.

Original poster

JoBaz · 09/09/2006 21:14

Im a strange sort of person, I will worry more not seeing them than seeing them.. Im quite medical minded & would love to see what happened to me.. it would help me be rational for the next one as I could hopefully see that what happened was a one off etc.. & even research the things that happened to me.. NOT knowing what happened is far worse for me to be honest.. maybe im strange

OP posts:

hitchcock · 09/09/2006 21:24

at my local hospital, if you apply in writing before 40days has lasped after you were last seen by the hospital, you can do 1 of 2 things
1, apply in writing and either go in person and read them with someone from the hos to transcribe or
2, apply in writing and have all your noted pregnacy,birth,aftercare notes copied and sent to you.

if you apply after 30 days like you the above still apply however you'll have to pay up2 £20.00 for photocoping

hope this helps
remember if you are applying make sure you also apply for all blood,scan and all investigation notes that they have on you and also include baby when you apply as he/she notes maybe dif from yours and if you are going to apply you might as well apply for all of your notes.

Original poster

JoBaz · 09/09/2006 21:27

Thanks hitchcock- I presume you are a midwife & thankyou for your help.. I will do that....im now not v happy with the midwife that came round after my DS was born.. as I asked lots & lots of questions & actually said to her I wanted to read my notes & she just said I couldnt as they are hospital property now?

OP posts:

hitchcock · 09/09/2006 21:52

well actully she shouldnt have said that as its your "right" to see them! no not a midwife.

Rachel2707 · 10/09/2006 08:27

I work as an Independent midwife and we photocopy all our notes and give them to our mums after discharge as a keepsake and reminder of their childbirth journey. We write loads more than the NHS so its like a story of events but making sure we include all the medical stuff of course! Labour notes can be quite fun to read as we do comment on the funny things said during labours or what you were watching on TV and things like that. A nice thing to show the child when they are old enough to understand.

ProfYaffle · 10/09/2006 08:52

I can totally understand where you're coming from. DH had a major op a couple of years ago which left us both shell shocked with a few unanswered questions. We ordered a copy of all his notes, scans etc from the hospital (cost about £20 I think) we pored over them for hours and found it really helped. I also obsessively watched medical programmes about any similar conditions for ages.

For us it was part of normalising what happened and really helped us move on.

vitomum · 10/09/2006 09:00

JoBaz i think you should definitely pursue this if you think it will help. i can relate to lots of what you said too. I also had a very long OP labour with an epi that only worked down one side and eventually and episiotomy and a forceps delivery. All i was told was 'you've had a lot of stitches' and 'lost 2 pints of blood'. I have often thought about getting my notes as well as it is important to know what happened to our bodies. good luck

pupuce · 10/09/2006 09:05

You definitely have the right to see them and even have a copy... though some trust charge up to £50 ... a complete rip-off!
AIMS (www.aims.org.uk) is a good place to ask how to apply for your notes they have very good /helpful advice.
Don't let them try to talk you out of having a copy (by over charging). AIMS once said you just turn up, ask to see them... and GO and photocopy them yourselves... I think they can't stop you but they might well be extremely annoyed.

kittywits · 10/09/2006 09:51

I've now got full copies of all my children's antenatal, birth and postnatal notes. I just rang the hospital, spoke to the appropriate person
( eventually) wrote off, paid a fee and got them.

Tutter · 10/09/2006 09:59

i understand where you're coming from. last year i got copies of my hospital notes from 2003 when i had surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. although it is hard to decipher some notes (handwriting, terminology, abbreviations) it has helped to see exactly what happened.

i'm an information freak, and would also like to see the notes from ds's birth last year - may ask for them.

CarolinaMoon · 10/09/2006 10:33

what a horrible experience Jobaz.

You deffo have a right to a copy of your notes, and did before the Freedom of Information Act too.

You can get them through the records dept of the hospital you were at - if you ring them they will prob send you a request form and tell you how much they charge.

I read my notes in the hospital before I was discharged with ds and it was interesting (although I didn't understand a lot of the medical stuff towards the end, just before my cs).

You might also want to check if your hospital offers any kind of 'birth afterthoughts'-type service, where a MW will go through your notes with you and explain it in layman's terms.

shhhh · 10/09/2006 17:48

You do have a right to see your notes following the birth. With dd I asked to see and read my notes the day aftre she was born. I wanted to read them it's confirm things for myself and also to see how I did as being on g&a amde the birth seem "rosey" iykwim..!

I was told I could read them without any problem and I could have a copy although it was at a cost of around £25.(I think). I just settled for a read of them and once hope wrote in my diary all about the experience.

The hospital keeps your baby's records for arou7nd 21 years as this is the time scale you have to sue or have investigation if required following your birth..ie Medical problems that have occured since the birth or any issues with baby. Your hospital needs to keep your notes as it's their only record.
BTW this is what I was told so not sure on it's acccuracy. TBH it may or may not help you to read your notes as it may birng up painful memories...I would suggest seeing a mw councellor as this would help to get your fears out and to discuss why things did/didn't happen. Your notes may not be able to answer your questions where as a health professional may be able to.

I hope you get the help and answers you need. Remember no 2 births are the same. Good luck for your future xx

feedmenow · 12/09/2006 13:38

Hello. Haven't read all the posts in this thread so might be repeating some of this. I recently requested my notes for both births. All you have to do is call the hospital and get put through to someone in the medical records department. Explaing to them that you want to see/get a copy of your notes and they will send you a form. I had to pay to get copies of my notes, £10 for one hospital and £15 at the other. But be warned, even when I had posted back my completed form and payment it took them a fair few months to actually get them to me! Good luck!

PrettyCandles · 12/09/2006 13:47

I had a distressing birthing experience with my first child, and when I was pg with my second I went to see the Liaison Midwife at my hospital (the same hospital for both chidlren). She spent a couple of hours going through all my notes with me, discussing the labour. She was completely unjudgemental towards me and I was able to talk as openly and as emotionally as I needed. She gave me full freedom to talk, and explained why things happened and what my notes meant. Also what should or could have been alternative consequences to certain things that had or had not happened. Most important of all, she effectively gave me permission to say "No" to anything that I felt uncomfortable about the next time around. It was a wonderful experience and I really felt my anxieties eased for the forthcoming labour, and my anger about the previous one accepted and let free.

The second labour was vastly better than the first. I did say "No" and I did say what I wanted, and my wishes were entirely respected. And the memory of the 'good' labour has totally over-ridden the memory of the 'bad' labour, and I now have no fears about my forthcoming 3rd labour.

I would highly recommend doing this, as it made a huge difference to my emotional well-being and to my confidence in my ability to give birth.

biglips · 12/09/2006 13:50

how long do they keep the birth notes? sorry to hjjack!

shhhh · 12/09/2006 14:22

around 21 years is what I was told for my local hospital. This is the timescale should you need to seek legal advice etc.

Seashells · 12/09/2006 14:44

I had an emergency c-section in May, and during the next few days in hospital was not coping too well with what had happened, a lovely midwife gave me my notes and I spend ages looking through them and it really did help understand what had happened, I think you should get them, it really helped me.

bundle · 12/09/2006 14:45

first time I photocopied them as the midwife had let me keep them at home. 2nd time I asked for them before i left the hospital and someone copied them for me.

dreamingoflamu · 12/09/2006 14:55

I also requested my notes coming up to my sons first birthday, I didn't have a bad experience but a year on and all the memories coming back I was really interested to see them.

I used a really useful NCT factsheet which even had a template of the letter to write. I had to address it to the data controller at the hospital, I requsted all notes relating to me and my son giving my name, date of birth, address and NHS number and the same details for my ds. As others have said it took a while to arrive - 6 weeks or so - and the photocopying cost £50 but it was a treat to myself to celebrate his birthday. Well worth it. Good luck.

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