jeremy vine today discussion about the appalling lack of care during labour/postnatal care......

[snowing]

Did anyone listen to this.......

I was appalled to hear some of the stories. My personal expereince was horrendous, being left alone for hours on end during labour, having to have dp wash me down, because the midwifes did not have time, and I had already had 1 bed bath that day Not caring wether I had passed urine, following a dense epidural where I could no move for 24 hours, then to top it all off, I was left alone to bf and when I asked for help, was told thay where all too busy to sit with me
This was 14 mmonths ago, and I WISH i had done something about it, but was too wrapped up in my newborn dd to be bothered at the time, however listening to this article today, I was gobsmacked at how similar other peoples experiences where.
Do you think this lack of care is more commen than we think, or do you think I just had a bad time?

I didn't hear the show but did have a crap time 2 years ago. Not enough midwives basically. I did however write and complain

I actually thought they were trying to kill me and my babies at our local hospital - the care was so horrendous. My husband felt the same, as he looked on - we are both in the medical profession too. Again not enough midwives. It was so frightening that I would not consider having another baby again in this county. It seems that this is not unusual having heard other new mum's experiences, but of course few of us complain as when you get home, with twins in my case, time is so limited! I think I am suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result - any one feel the same?

the postnatal ward was awful for me with ds1, 20 months ago.
not so much the staffing, but rudeness!

When I had my dd 3 years ago the care after the birth was awful but this was purely down to the fact that there wasnt enough midwives.

The birth of my ds was alot better. I was never left alone in the labour room and I felt really looked after. However when I was moved on to the post natal ward it was alot different. There had been alot of births the same time as my ds and just after so PN staff were run off their feet.
The head MW even snapped at my mum and dh about my dd being there

Its terrible that MW's should be put under this pressure. They do an amazing job.
If I ever had another (very unlikely) I'd have a home birth.

to gorge and anyone else who is traumatised by a bad birth experience, please contact

sheila kitzinger birth crisis

or

birth trauma association

for help and support

have another even.

I got the rudeness too, I was in a room on my own, and had to buzz as I could not move of the bed, and honestly I hardley buzzed at all, but always felt like it was a bother to them.

Oh I forgot about the rudeness! I was told that I ended up with an emergency section after 3 days of labour because I had a defeatist attitude!

Has this ever been discussed on mumsnet before? it must have surely. if so can we not all get together and create some sort of petition to get things changed?

I couldn't bring myself to listen.
I've had bad hospital experiences regarding non existant aftercare. Just after I'd had my second child I had a cathetar in place and no one bothered to change the bag The bag got full up and burst my wee all over the ward floor, lovely.
I had my last baby at home and (god willing) I will have this one too.
The staff at hospitals are just so overworked and dispirited. The midwives can't care for women the way they want to.
The government are such tossers in the way they have cut back and cut back. The knock on consequences will be dire .

yes, it has been discussed many times

the problem is , IMO, the lack of midwives, the profession is around 10 000 short....that is a big lack, with it being felt most keenly in London and bigger cities....

the government are paying lip service to it, but birth centres are being closed, there are job freezes in many maternity departments, midwives are overstretched and burning out, and there is no-one to replace them

terrible situation, i personally would love to train as a midwife, but cannot commit to it, (when the kids are older) , if there is no job at the end of it....i know several others who feel the same..

it is a really hard situation , for the midwives who are left in the profession, to provide good , continuous, compassionate care for every woman who presents in labour

FWIW...all teh midwives i have had contact with have been great....it is a slippery slope to tar an entire profession with the same brush..but when you have had a horrible experience , i understand it.

god I did not want to generalise and tar ervyone with the same brush, god forbid, my community midwifes ante and post natally were fab, and took really good care, and were disgusted at the lack of care. I know its prob due to staff shortages, but I also feel that the old fashioned way of nursing should be resurectted with matrons patrolling the wards.
I know there are some great mf hope did not cause offence to anyone

no , no , i realise that, was not directing that at you....

Both my dd's births were awful
Meant to complain
Forgot about it all really qulckly though when the sleep deprivation kicked in!
So never did complain

I ended up in the maternity ward during New Year thanks to an emergency c-section due to pre-eclampsia. I felt so sorry for the staff, despite feeling so ill and having dts to deal with the staff were so over-stretched (fnar) and, apart from one or two grumpy ol' witches, were brilliant.

They didn't have time to help me breastfeeding and I wanted out of there so gave up which I wish I hadn't. It also didn't help that the bf room was out of bounds on New Years Day so some MP/MSP tosspot could have a tour without seeing anyones boobiedos. Heaven forbid. Had I felt better than I did I would have gone in anyway and sod the VIP!

One midwife was in tears after a ward manager made some stupid comment about the women on the ward being "happy patients" and she shouldn't say she was in a hurry! She had about 20 new mums to look after, I'd have smacked the manager a good one across the chops. They were in a hurry because they were trying to do the job of about 3 nurses!

Lack of care is common to the point it is probably normal for everyone. I just wanted to get home with my dts.

I listened to Mr Vine's show on that subject yesterday and it brought back many memories of my appalling post natal "care" (I use that term advisedly).

I was placed on the post c-section ward (termed as the "problem cases area" by the midwives) and we were each treated as a nuisance. I will always remember one of the midwives standing at the head of our ward and looked at us all saying, "oh some of you will be back in a year's time".

Well I never returned.

It was so hot in there as well you could boil chickens.

I complained verbally about the treatment I had received but wished I had written in as well.

I always remember too a midwife (whom I had never seen before)coming to see me at home - on seeing me she asked, "What happened to you?" in a querrelous tone and then on looking at my stitches and said, "what type of stitches are these?!!!". As if I knew!. We showed her the door very soon after.

mine was so feckin awful I did contact the birth crisis centre

then I felt guilty because it wasn't so awful because I got a healthy child.

Hard, innit

I do think that these images and notions of radiant glowing serene mother resting languidly on freshly plumped pillows with her family around her bed and a white starched capped matron looking on approvingly is a CROCK OF SHIT and women would be better served if they were told: Post natal stay in NHS Hospital - fend for yourself, grow a very thick skin and don't expect too much.

have read thread through now and agree that it's not midwives as such, but the staff shortages and over stretching of staff squeezes the milk of human kindness out of the equation like a floor mop.

Don't get me started on the state of the floors at The Whittington.

Matrons would be a great idea

see this sad news

regards thr rudeness, i was told it was no wonder my baby was sleepy and not feeding after being 'pumped full of narcotics' and then was asked if the baby would take my surname or his fathers?

i had a water birth and dh and i are married.

she then proceded to pick up my notes and scoff 'you had a 9lb baby naturally? i dont believe it!'

the last straw camw when she attempted to latch my baby on reeking of fags with yellow fingers!

i wrote my letter of complaint in the end and took it to the head midwife personally. said nurse no longer had a job by the time i went back to have ds2.