is it normal to bleed during labour?

[aloha]

Am getting up energy to write a letter of complaint re my treatment in labour - ie completely ignored and left entirely alone and my dh sent home, despite being in agony and having had a previous c/s. I was also bleeding and this scared me as I had no idea if it was normal or not. The midwife on duty overnight seemed to be able to completely ignore me quite happily so I never got an answer from her. I got the impression that she didn't believe me and kept saying it was just a show, despite the fact that I'd had one of those nearly a week earlier. Anyway, just trying to find out if it is normal or not.
Also, any tips on who to complain to would be welcome. Thanks.

Cooperoo - I agree that the mum should probably go home if possible but sometimes women are too scared to go home in case something happens and so are hospital staff. Prelabour can be very painful and women are often upset by the intensity of the pain they are experiencing. Where there is a single room available I think partners should stay. However, in ward areas it is not fair for other women to have men present in the wards.
Sometimes we have women in the labour ward who are not in labour but have had an injection for pain relief. I much prefer the partners to go home when that has happened because the women do not sleep when there is someone there talking to them. They settle and sleep when they are on their own and it also means their partner can get a sleep at home in their own bed instead of snoozing in a chair at the bedside. Means everyone is not totally exhausted when labour does eventually start.

Thanks for your reply Mears. What you have written certainly makes sense. It makes me realise once again how fortunate I was and I certainly agree that everyone needs their energy when it all starts in earnest.

I can understand the current policy in most NHS hospitals outlined by some of the midwives, but it's a funding issue driving the status quo rather than best practice, IMO.

Whilst I can understand the benefits of a good night's rest for the early-labour mum, if there was enough enough space and facilities (extra single bed / double), then it would surely be preferable for dh to be around - they'd both get some kip then too.

Finally, some people don't like sleeping on their own full stop. Sleeping on their own when they're feeling scared / in pain / anxious for them would be v. horrid indeed.

I'm certainly not planning on leaving dw if at all possible.

Definitely going for a home birth again if we have another. Aloha, I think you should take mears advice FWIW and ask about the complaints procedure. If you don?t follow this through fully it will always be in the back of your mind wondering and feeling annoyed. It could colour your precious memories of those early minutes with your child. I think the advice about writing the letter now while all fresh in your mind and leave it a couple of days to read through and check the tone and clarity is brilliant.
Don?t leave it, you were clearly left feeling ignored and upset which is unacceptable and your letter may help them take a look at procedure and change things in the future. Hope you are getting your sleep

Good question, KVG.

My mum thought being around other mothers would be preferable, but from what I've read, the noise / disturbances / exposure to umpteen hospital staff etc. can be annoying, and I think we'd go for our own room if that was possible and not exorbitant.

KVG, I had mi first baby in Epsom, where I have one of these private rooms. It was a very good thing. I remember when we would hear the other babues crying on the ward we were so happy we could just close our door and shut them out. The same visiting hours applied, but because we were on our own, I think they forgot to come in and ask my visitors to leave on a couple occassions. And, I am not interested in having my boobs or any other body part on display, so being in a private room help there too. Oh, and to have my very own shower was very nice.

If you can afford the room, I would definitely rrecommend it. I am going to Queen Charlotte this time where rooms are more expensive, and I've hear pretty good things about the ward. So I will probably go for the ward. Will have to get round to that hospital tour before a final decision.

I think it depends a lot on your personality. If your comfortable with group breast feeding and really want someone around to chat to all the time, then the ward might be good. But, if you just want to recover from the birth in peace, then maybe a room is best.

With DS I was in a ward room with other mums and I stayed in for 4 days as I was young and breastfeeding, DS was very quiet but I was kept awake by the baby opposite who cried and cried!

With DD I was out of hospital less than 12hours after giving birth so didn't mind where I was!