Not informed about birth injury- is there a "full" version of medical notes to request?

[Frogglingalong]

Posting again about my postpartum bits...

Having finally got the hand mirror out three weeks after birth, and having had increasing discomfort in the vulva (pressure, rubbing, burning) I have realised I have a long, seemingly healed and maybe stitched incision or tear along the length of one labia on the inside, so several cm long.

Was not mentally present during a lot of birth, but husband recalls a lot of blood splatter during a failed ventouse, and I was told I'd lost a lot of blood, which was listed as postpartum hemorrhage on discharge notes, but I'm 99% sure I didn't hemorrhage after birth, and delivery of placenta was quick and intact....

Firstly, this is f-ed up, right? I feel pretty sick. If I was injured they should have told me, right? I was told about the episiotomy and told about looking after incision, but all the time there was a whole other bit of scarring to look after?

Secondly, will there be a more reliable record of this? I'm assuming there's a fuller record than the discharge notes of what happened when I was in hospital has anyone ever requested this, and if so how and what kinds of info did it have?

Sounds unpleasant, sorry to hear about the lack of communication from the hospital. I had an episiotomy and 3rd degree tears after my delivery although I did, at least, know about it before I was discharged. Like you I looked in a mirror about 3 weeks after and it looked, and felt, horrendous! I would have another look in about 6 weeks time or so. Mine looked significantly less bad!

I would definitely book a debrief even if its a few months away. I found mine very helpful. Also, book a 'Mummy MOT' with a qualified physio when you get to 6/8 weeks or so. They can teach you how to massage the scar tissue.

I had a traumatic birth with DD, OP. Ended up with spinal, failed ventouse and then finally forceps delivery. They permanently dented DD’s cheekbones with the force of it. Forever grateful that she escaped brain damage (although she has just had a ADHD diagnosis).

They botched my episiotomy. Long story short it took 10 years, an accident and an A+E trip to heal. NHS fobbed me off. Finally saw a gynae after 3 years, temporary treatment didn’t help. After 5 years they said there was nothing they could do without risking further pain/future issues with atrophy. I got a copy of my notes for my (private) counsellor. They protected the medic that made the cut incorrectly. It was hell. I only wanted acknowedgement. DD is, unsurprisingly, an only.

<side eye to the poster deriding female birth trauma and injuries.>

It's not a race to the bottom.

I'm very sorry about your baby, but OP has a birth injury that she hasn't been told about. She should have been told about this; it's her right to know. OP hasn't mentioned compensation either.

It seems so disrespectful to not inform patients of something that happened to them. I don’t have any advice but hope you can find answers soon.

@Frogglingalong well quite possibly they were struggling to get your baby out so had to use forceps to get your baby out alive. This is exactly what happened to me in my 2nd birth and I was a mess down below but at the time I couldn't care less about me I was just glad she came out breathing.
It's unlikely they covered anything up or did anything by mistake, more likely it was an emergency situation where there was a struggle involved. By all means question what happened during your birth, but slamming the people that saved you and your baby's lives seems a little unfair.

Sorry you went through this and you weren't informed about it. It sounds like your postnatal care was poor. Definitely worth booking a birth debrief and writing to PALS at the hospital to inform them of your experience.
Unfortunately an episiotomy won't necessarily prevent labial tears, it just prevents the perineum tearing. A curtain is put up as standard for a forceps delivery in case it fails and ultimately turns into a crash section.

Labial lacerations/tears are awfully painful, I had one with my first baby and was a non assisted vaginal delivery. Her head crowning just tore it and was so painful for a month or so. I put pure aloe Vera gel on mine and it definitely soothed it and prevented anything rubbing on it.

Really hope it heals up for you soon.