report on the "Industrialisation" of the NHS experience for many women- best not look if you haven't had your baby yet

[suzywong]

I found this article from the Observer very interesting, certainly rang a few bells with me.

I don't want to bash midwifery, this article brings up the general way maternity wards are run rather than the standards of midwifery, particualry with regards to after care immediately after the birth

I felt Isolated, uncared for etc

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caroline flint was my nct teacher! she was the mw for whom my friend remortgaged the house.

intended to go with her for dd - but then met another lovely mw... who also charged £2k less - worked out the value added for the extra £2k and concluded not worth it - for us i hasten to add - e.g. we knew we wouldn't be interested in using the birth centre, wanted homebirth and if there were complications, would be in hospital anyway...

also, couldn't quite get over a niggling and probably irrational nugget of resentment that she hadn't prepared us well enough for ds's birth (through the nct classes) - that's probably really unfair...

there is a thread on this thought process somewhere!

she is a really lovely person.

Have to say I had a great experience last week. Left alone in delivery room for about 2 hours after the birth, except to have toast, tea and sandwiches brought to us. Spotless room with kitchen and bathroom. Then moved to private room, again spotless, with bathroom and kitchen. Plus, had teh same midwife I'd had all teh way through ante natal care.

What concerned me about this article was the suggestion of compulsory minimum stays in hospital of 12 hours. I had a 6 hour stay and would have been quite upset if had to stay longer.

Oh me too Tinker - I was out within 3 hours for my 2nd and 3rd births.

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No, oops. In South Manchester (Stepping Hill) and I'm sure that makes a difference. Also, Cup Final last week, which may also have made a difference (very quiet day)

Actually, what I did think when reading this was that they should seriously reduce the number of visitors people are allowed. They were what really disturbed me first time round.

oh lord i could right a book on how awful the hospital i had dd in was....

they sent my birth partners home (15 miles away, i may add) when i was in established labour.

i was given paracetamol as pain relief, when i was in established labour i was in too much pain to argue, or even talk, just accepted at the time.i was on the ward, and pressed my buzzer as i was in so much pain, i waited 5-10min and nobody came, pressed it again and the cleaner came and saw to me

i was put i a private room, on my own and left to it, on the postnatal ward, i.e babies crying, there was 1 midwife covering...me...normal delievery postnatal ward, ...CS postnatal ward, and ladies waiting to be induced or with probs.

just before dd was born, there was a shift change, i found out (by pure fluke one of the "midwives" lived near my SIL) that i had 2 students delivering, no qualified midwive.

the midwives didnt tell me to pant when the head was coming out, i had no idea, was still pushing very hard...when dd shot out, almost dropped by the midwife, and i suffered a awful 3rd degree tear (split right through to my bum! and slightly inside too)

my baby after delivery was put in a cot at the end of the room, my mum gave dd her 1st bottle (not me? surely it was a bonding thing?) and i never held dd for 2 hrs, even though she was in the room.

i was going to be stitched in theatre (had a spinal block), but then it was decided i would be stitched on the bed covered in blood still from the birth, in the labour room.

i was taken to the post natal ward, and finally got to hold my dd, and was left to it, had to ask another new mum where the bottles of milk where kept.

dd was born at 7.53am, that night a midwife said she would take dd so i could get some sleep, she did, but when i went to get dd after having some sleep...they tried to give me a boy?!? i said to the midwife...thats not my baby, i had a girl!!

i had no help or support really while in hospital (was in for 2 days, felt like 2 weeks) and was made to feel a nuisance for asking for help to give dd a bath (i had never bathed a new born before)

so...all in all, pretty horrendeous really, mind you this is the same hospital that i have had all the probs with dd and her foot! think if i have another baby, i will have my baby anywhere but here...

it heartbreaking but oh so common. and it exactly why i am quitting my job as a maternity care assistant. our hands are tied and staffing is a real problem everywhere.

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oops, thats awful heart rendering actually, that you were left. that was the only thing on my side...dd never cried,well hardly ever. i think if what happened to you, happened to me..i would have lost the plot.

the postnatal ward is there for support in the first few days, and to me it felt like a burden to be there, and the thing was, i had no clue about babies, never really had been around them, i remember when pg i had nightmares that i wouldnt know what to do then you have your baby and are marooned on a ward, with other babies that are crying etc. i had fully intended staying in hospital for as long as they would let me, as i was clueless, luckily everything clicked into place,and the motherly instinct took over...i stayed 2 days and it was a relief to leave tbh.

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we must have been so lucky - and it has been interesting for me to compare UK and Aus standards. Having had the 2 c-sections also made comparing helpful.

Dd1 was born at a local hospital in Essex. We knew she had her heart defect and ds before she was born. The day she was born I had gone in for a routine scan and a little while later she was delivered by emergency c-section. The staff in the clinic were brilliant - the midwife who had to bring me up to the high risk labour ward was wonderful - so calm and reassuring ( mind you all I could think was that they would induce me send me home and I could go and pay my bills and do some last minute shopping !! D'uh)

The surgeon and anaethetist were brilliant. Again taking care to explain exactly what would happen etc. The surgery was fine - again a really lovely atmosphere in the theatre - calm, relaxed. Dh got to cuddle dd1 before she was whisked off to ICU - I got to see her as she was taken out. Despite this being very traumatic - Dh and I both remember it as a positive time.

I was lucky enough to be given my own room and ensuite - benefit of having a seriously ill baby. The room was spotless as the the ensuite. The nurses aide ( if that is what they are still called) was fab when she came to help me get sorted. Dh had popped out to tell his staff he would not be in work. The care I recieved whilst staying there was fab.

For what could have been a very very traumatic experience we were very lucky with the midwifery and ob/gyn staff. I only really had exception with a couple of SCBU nurses and a registrar but everyone else was fab!!

It makes me quite sad to read the experiences of others who have not been so lucky. It also makes me a little angry that it should not be about luck - those high standards should be present no matter which hospital you chose to have your baby at.

God it is s frightening to hear such negative and sad stories.
I had ds at Kent and Canterbury before it became a birthing centre, and I had great anti natal and post natal care. After very long labour and then rushed into theatre to have an emergency cs, they decided they didn't have time and so we ended up with forceps delivery, and I had a third degree tear.
I was taken to the post natal ward and given a private room and really looked after well, by kind and compassionate staff. The mw were great with helping me latch ds on, and given the trauma of the birth I felt they were all really supportive.
Next baby is due in 2.5 weeks and I am really sad about the fact that I cannot have it at K & C, as I have to be at a hospital with the 3rd degree tear. I am also very nervous about what is going to happen at William Harvey, Ashford, however, most reports I've had are reasonably possitive. The one good thing is that you can request to have postnatal care back at the birthing centre, which I will definately do if I need to.
As so many have said on this thread it is not good enough that one of the most important experiences of your life is left to luck.

I haven't had time to thoroughly read every post but tried to skim all. Just wanted to add the American perspective. We have a really terrible problem over here with health care, I guess everyone knows that by now. I am lucky enough to be able to afford private insurance but it doesn't cover maternity. Because of that, and because I wanted a birth with as little medical intervention as possible, I went with a midwife group here in Tennessee. It was, in a nutshell, horrible. Ds could easily have died because of their mistakes. He was saved by the OB who came on duty 30 hours after I checked in. Most births here are done by OB's instead of midwives and, after my experience I would have definitely gone that route to begin with.
I think everyone has private rooms here now, except maybe in the charity hospitals?
It's so hard to say what is best. A lot of times we (Americans) envy your system of healthcare. But then I think of my secretary who had her baby on medicaid and had a private room and wonderful care and I read about the NHS and think, "Is it really better?"
I don't know. I'm rambling a bit as it is 12:30 am here and I'm about to drift off...

No coverage for maternity? I'm glad I don't live in the US anymore. TBH, for all my bad experience, at least I wasn't saddled with huge debts on top of it for something as common as having a baby.

I really need to talk to my consultant and midwife at my 23 June appointment. Cuz this time I'm going to plan a bit differently.

Last Septemper I emerged from Westminster tube station to find 100,000 people near rioting infront of Parliment over the proposed ban on hunting. People were blocking the roads, one lady had driven down from Yorkshire to be there, some people were near hysterical in their outrage about the issue.

Of course, I don't want to turn this into a debate about hunters vs. animal rights... my point is....

Isn't what this thread is talking about more important (or at least as important)?

I have difficulty understanding why people are so moved to action for causes like the hunt ban, but are content to just mumble about filthy dirty hospitals, barbaric treatment, and a dearth of support for something as important as maternity health care.

I truly just don't get it. Maybe if the thousands of angry traumatized mums did march on Whitehall things would start to change.