Do you think this would get to the right midwife/midwives?

[GoooRooo]

This is a question for midwives really.

My DS is nearly three. I had a very very long labour (3am Mon waters went, 9am Tues induced, 9.10pm Weds DS arrived).

I went through seven shifts of midwives while I was in hospital and several of them came up to the maternity ward after he'd been born to see the baby and make sure I'd actually given birth finally!

The last midwife, who was there for the delivery and stayed ten minutes past the end of her shift to help me deliver, was particularly awesome. A no-nonsense women in her 50s who gave me what for and told me to get on with it (which I really needed at that point).

A couple of others also really stuck in my mind.

After his birth, I had every intention of sending a thank you card to the hospital but a few days later DS was very ill and ended up in HDU and had to be resuccitated and all sorts. I was beside myself with worry and tiredness and I never got round to sending it.

I feel quite bad about it! They helped me through a long and difficult labour and I wanted to say thank you.

If I sent a card now, saying the date and my name and DS's name, would they be able to work out who delivered him do you think? Is that a weird thing to do after 3 years?

Her name will be in your notes. It might stand more chance of reaching her if you get the name. Otherwise there is a risk it just ends up on the wall without anyone having the time to research who it was for.

I think it is a lovely idea.

Oh! How do I get hold of my notes from that birth? I am pregnant again (which is why I'm dwelling on it I think) - if I ask my midwife at my next appointment will she be able to tell me who it was?

Probably not on the spot. Though at my booking for no.2 they had all my notes from no. 1 (same hospital).

She will be able to tell you how to get hold of your notes or find out the information though. Pregnancy is a really common time for women to ask to see notes of previous births, so it should be a fairly easy question for her.

There can be a charge for notes, though if you explain why and you just want the details she might offer to look it up for you. It could be initials and a code, which might mean nothing to you but they'd know who it meant.

Congratulations!

Thank you - I'll ask her and see where that leads.

And thank you!

You don't need to find your notes.

Send in a card with your name and baby's date of birth. The basics of every womans delivery will be on their computer records and will include the midwife there for delivery. Though probably not the ones who were there before. But if you mention them then they may well pull your paper notes to see.

Not an odd thing to do at all.

Thanks Viva. I bow to your greater knowledge. My hospital didn't seem to know that off the computer.

I'd still probably hand it to the mw at your ante natal if she works up at the hospital though. I always think that if someone takes 'ownership' of a card it stands a better chance of reaching its destination than something that has to go through a massive mail room with no name on But I'm cycnical

I could always take it with me when I give birth next time I suppose - and insist they track her down while I'm having contractions

I guess every hospital may be different.

Good plan Gooo. They do say it's good to have something to distract you

You can request a copy of your notes through PALs (patient advisory liaison or something like that). But, as mentioned, they'll most likely have your previous notes sitting right in front of you at your first appt this time around. Ask The MW to have a flick through to look for name/s.