Anyone else having a baby in East Kent?

[ohidoliketobe23]

Name changed for this as obviously outing in location...

I'm pregnant with my second baby and due to have them in QEQM.

I had an ectopic in August and could have died had I have followed the 'care plan' from the consultant at QEQM. Fortunately, a friend who works in the NHS forced me to complain and I was ok.

This experience, on top of the news re avoidable infant deaths over the past 5 or so years, has given me little faith in EK trust to deliver my baby safely.

Is anyone else in the area? How are you feeling about it? Anyone considering a doula or independent midwife to account for the lack of care?

👋🏽 I am! Second baby due in June at QEQM.
Not looking forward to it at all, but will be self advocating and questioning everything!

Same here, I'm in Kent, we've hired a doula (who was an independent midwife for 15 years). I feel safer birthing at home than in a hospital - they don't have the time or resources to give people the attention they need. If I have to be transferred to hospital, I'll be grateful for the help, but also very anxious - hospital transfer would be a last resort, worst case scenario for me.

On a seperate note, the more I read about childbirth the more sure I am that the NHS can't provide the right environment for birth. Because of this, labours don't go smoothly, then they are quick to use interventions that further complicate the birth.

It's not just East Kent, it's the NHS and our medical system generally which medicalises birth where it doesn't need to be, then doesn't have the time or resources to deal with ACTUAL medical emergencies which do sometimes happen in pregnancy/birth.

That's my feeling, appreciate not everyone will agree, but that is the plan we have decided on.

@JazBag how was your experience with your first there?

@Persephone1985 we're looking into finding a doula too. I wish I had it in me to have a homebirth with an independent midwife but DS was premature and I have a long list of other factors making me more high risk, so I just don't think it would work for me (both mentally and physically).

But this also makes me feel forced into the care of the hospital who have historically let me down and put me at risk.

Agree the whole maternity system isn't fit for purpose, but I do think East Kent is particularly worrying after the scandal that followed the report in 2020. See more here www.gov.uk/government/publications/maternity-and-neonatal-services-in-east-kent-reading-the-signals-report

So many avoidable infant deaths, I feel terrified tbh and don't know how to get past it.

@BananaHammock23

Not great - I was low risk standard pregnancy.

Went into natural labour for 24 hours, I felt something was off and they wouldn't get me in to check despite contractions being five mins apart- so I lied and said I hadn't felt the baby knowing full well they'd see me.

Turns out I had preeclampsia and my waters had gone so they went into panic mode.

Rushed me round to delivery as was well into active labour- our midwife was great and got me an epidural sorted asap - I hadn't planned on this.

Fast forward an hour and was rushed for cat 1 c section where terrified in theatre I had to listen to the surgeon and anaesthetist ARGUE and I mean argue about whether to knock me out or top up the epidural. The consultant screaming that they needed to get the baby out.

Thankfully we were ok but it was a shit show and both scary and unprofessional.

Afterwards we were abandoned on the delivery ward for three days, hardly a check or anything - they actually commented that we were "self-care" on discharge, I'm not sure what that meant!

Surgery- shockingly unprofessional behaviour from consultant
Hospital itself- rundown, dirty, mouldy
Aftercare- pretty awful, ended up with repeat wound infections

I considered ashford but tbh I think it's just as bad!

Check up on Kemibirthjoyjohnson she's in London she's on Instagram and has a website

I'm not but I do know amazingly kind midwives at QEQM :) Good luck

We recently moved to east Kent and I’m planning a c section out of area…

Hey, I'm a doula in Kent. Agree with was pp said : look up kemi birth joy Johnson

Have a power hour with her - she is incredible
A trained midwife who has now distanced herself from the NHS and is now a birth keeper

My ig is lucygriffiths.birthphotodoula (also a photographer).

Also look up Kent doula collective

And lastly. Family by the sea in ramsgate. So many free resources and an absolutely awesome community

Xx