How can i find out what happened during my labour?

[jojosmaman]

Sorry the title is a bit vague! I had my little boy 12 weeks ago now by emergency c-section and had to have a general anasthetic. I know it shouldnt really make a difference but I can't help but think about what happened and why I was wheeled in for a cs- I know that it was because DS's heartbeat had dropped but I was never told why it dropped. Can you find out by requesting your notes from somewhere? Or is this just something that happens and they might not necessarily know why?
Oh and sorry if this is not the right discussion area!

This is something I've been wondering about .. does the hospital send your notes to your GP? If so, you must be entitled to see them if you ask

The notes you were sent home with (white A4 where I live) for the mw up to day 10 visits should have had them, and IIRC these then go in to your doctor's notes.
I had a mad panic after a few days that I didn't have the skin to skin with ds that I had really wanted but after reading over my notes I realised lots more had happened that I had just forgotten about! The notes were very interesting.
Speak to your HV or mw or even amke an appt with your dr. HTH

it is really important you are debriefed on your labour, contact the head of midwifery, or PALS at your local hospital, they can advise you. It does matter,and it does make a difference, how your baby arrives, and a birth under GA is traumatic....you need to be clear on what happened and why

2 good links on birth trauma here which can help

yes you can definatly look at your notes. I you thing or write to your hospital you should be abole to sit and go through them with a midwife and get your questions answered. I nver did this with ds1 and so which I had. I think its really important when your gone though a traumatic birth.

Everyone has a right to see their hospital notes. You need to send a request to the hospital, in writing. They will probably charge you (I think a nominal fee of £10 - £25 ish) and there is a timescale within which they must reply.

The problem is, that you then have to decipher the hand writing and understand what all the abbreviations are! But it might give you some of the answers you want.

Having said all that, they may not know why the baby's heart rate dropped. I can understand why you want to know, especially after having had a CS under general. It must be a very strange feeling. HTH

i wish i had done this with ds2. had very traumatic birth but was never really sure what exactly had happened. i think if you feel youd benefit from findin out then definately ask for someone to go through them with you

X with everyone else. Going through them with a midwife would be brilliant. Definitely the way to go.

you can request your notes any time after the birth, i think they are kept for over 20 years. there is a charge after a certain time

also, there is no time limit on contacting any of the birth truama sites

Thanks for the speedy replies, I think I might try and speak to the MW at baby clinic and if I get no joy I will write to the hospital.

When I was being discharged from the hospital I was given an envelope with my notes in whilst I was BFing my son so they were put to one side. Then about an hour later (i was probably still feeding!!) another MW came in and gave me another envelope and I told her that I'd already got one so she took the first one away and left me the second. Anyway, when the MW came to visit me at home on the first day home she asked where my discharge notes were and I gave her the envelope but there were no written notes in there!! They must have been taken away by mistake so the MW said "it didnt really matter" and carried on with my visit.

I just think I have a need to understand. I feel a little gutted I missed out on my sons first cries and didnt get to hold him until later but at the same time I am glad that he arrived safe and well... except for a scalpel cut on his face.. we both have scars to show for our troubles now!

it is ok to feel like that!

hope you get somewhere, and that both of you heal ! x

I had a special de-brief session with a midwife after my first child, (my daughter was born by emergency venthouse after getting into distress, had breathing difficulties and had to go to intensive care, and I haemorraged). It didn't answer all my questions - mostly because the handwriting on the hospital notes was hard to decipher! However, it was good to clarify some things.

hi, there, sorry to butt in, but lulumama can i just ask, how long after the birth you can request notes, and how much is it??

I did go for a debriefing, and the notes I saw were the hospital ones, yet i would dearly love to have a copy and read them again 5 yrs on, to 'own' them, now that I am more recovered, and perhaps, rejoice a bit more in the positives

am not entirely sure, i;m afraid, pirategirl..i think the maximum you can be charged is £50 IIRC....might be best to contact PALS or local PCT

A PDF detailing how you can get your medical records but basically, phone your hospital, ask to speak to Medical Records Dept, ask them about their procedure to get your records, most likely they will send you a form which you will also need to have witnessed.

I applied last year to get both my birth records, from 1993 and 2005, they came very promptly and I wasn't charged! The maximum you can be charged is £50 and they have to respond to your application within 40 days.

I DO feel like I regained some ownership over my births but I have had to go over them again and again, every time finding something new! And that's the beauty of having your copy.

Yes. Ask to speak to the midwife liaison officer - they will come to your house and go through it all with you.