Arco: I had my DD at the Homerton 2 years ago... As with most hospitals it's a bit of a case of the good, the bad and the ugly. Brace yourself, this is going to be a long-un.
The good:
? We were referred to the Homerton after our 12 week scan showed several soft markers for a severe chromosomal abnormality. The FMU was brilliant, gentle supportinve and reassuring. We felt in the very best of hands.
? The midwives I had with me throughout my very long labour were all, without exception, fantastic. Supportive of my desire not to have a C-section and helped me to find techniques to keep my labour progressing. Kept my spirits up when I was feeling like giving up. Reassured me when things got a bit scary.
? My DH was permitted to stay with me throughout the process - many of my friends had their DHs sent home and were left to labour alone - this was never even mentioned.
? I did manage to avoid a C-section which was my very ardent wish - I think many hospitals would have put me under more pressure to have one, I felt I was given time to progress and the opportunity to have the vaginal birth I wanted.
? When they finally decided that DD needed to be delivered, right then, in theatre, by forceps or whatever it took, (she'd passed Meconium) there suddenly seemed to be loads of staff around, anaesthetists, extra midwives, paediatricians etc. I really felt like my baby would be a good hands.
The bad:
? Antenatal check-ups friendly but brisk and perfunctory. No real opportunity to properly discuss concerns. I only realised how it could be now that I'm at a different hosp. for this pregnancy and have appts. which last more than 5 minutes and midwives able to spend the time to talk through issues properly.
? Very insistent that I be induced when the 2 weeks allotted overdue time was up. No if buts or maybes.
? I was very concerned that DD was big - I looked huge. This concern was never taken seriously - midwives kept saying "on the small side of average". DD ended up at 9lbs 8oz... considering I'm a small-framed 5ft 1in it would have been helpful to all if I'd been able to have a later scan (as I repeatedly requested) so we all better knew what we were dealing with.
? Consultants efficient but very unfriendly... I felt like a cow, not a person. Would sweep in, do a very rough internal say "You're STILL only 4cms" or whatever and bugger off...
? When things kicked off as mentioned above, I really didn't feel like anyone was talking to me about what was happening and it very much felt like it was being done to me, rather than with me... This sounds like a minor thing, but actually it was quite distressing.
? My cathetar was wrongly inserted, so no fluid was draining from it... They kept saying it was because i wasn't drinking enough, depsite the fact that was was drinking litres of water as instructed. No-one noticed that my whole body was filling with fluid and my legs were rapidly become the size of elephants... My edema lasted 3 weeks.
? Post natal ward was bloody awful. Despite the fact that I'd been in labour (and awake for three days and had a lot of damage) no midwife checked on me or how I was doing in the entire 24 hours I had to endure until I could get out of there.
? Got shouted at for bleeding on the floor, when, having had my catheter removed at 2am (and despite still not having feeling in my legs) I tried to get myself to the toilet. I asked for help and a midwife looked up from her station and said "it's over there". I said I was scared (has had extended third degree tear amongst other horrors) and she said "you can get a jug from the cupboard from the hall to pour water on yourself if you think it's going to sting". Think it was going to sting?!? I though my whole bloody insides were going to fall out and was terrified and sobbing. I was still bleeding a lot, and when she noticed there was a trail of blood following me she SHOUTED "For God's sake use a maternity towel - I'll have to clear that mess up!". I had been awake for 3 days, had a traumatic birth and could barely stand, let alone notice if I happened to be bleeding on the floor...
? NO breast-feeding support available... I was woken again at 5am and told I needed to feed my baby, but no-one actually showed me how or checked I was doing it right or anything. I was very lucky in that DD and I managed to get the hang of it on our own... Throughout the whole of the next day I was concerned I wasn't doing it right, but was told there wasn't anyone around who could help.
? Was given only paracetamol for the pain I was in - HV managed to get some stronger stuff for me a couple of days later, when it was clear I wasn't coping.
? In short couldn't get out of there fast enough... horrible, horrible post-natal ward... The only midwives who showed any concern were two of the ones who had been with me in labour who popped in to see how I was doing on their coffee breaks... They were honestly the only ones who spoke to me.
The ugly:
? Now this is REALLY serious. I was induced using an un-licensed drug called Misoprostol (usually used for treatment of ulcers and for terminations). I wasn't informed of the risks, or that it differed in any way from the normal prostins other than that it is given orally. I have since discovered there are some serious concerns about the off-label use of this drug for induction of labour. I do not feel I was able to give proper 'informed consent' because I wasn't properly informed of the risks of this drug.
I was given two doses and after the second my waters broke and everything really kicked off (had been having moderate contractions for several hourse before that). Managed for about 6 hours on gas an air, breathing and moving through them, but then I experienced what I now suspect was some kind of uterine hyperstimulation ? as in there stopped being any breaks in contractions depsite the fact I was only 2cm dilated. I don't remember much about the next 4-5 hours but my husband spent this time trying to get someone to find out what was going on and get me some help. Eventually this came with a change of consultant, who saw something was wrong and got me down onto the delivery ward to get something (IV) to control the contractions and an epidural. Things were more manageable after that but I had to labour with the eipdural for another 18 hours.
DD passed significant meconium sometime after all this, possibly due to distress, and apparently this is also more common with Misoprostol than other forms of induction.
I've since found out that Uterine hyperstimulation is more common with this drug than other forms of induction. Given that I'm quite shocked I wasn't more closely monitored and that DH had to fight so hard to get me some help when things were clearly not right.
Given that uterine hyperstmulation can be very bad for both baby and mother, I feel both very blessed that we both survived with so few after-effects, and very angry that I was given the drug in the first place and wasn't closely monitored after I had been.
I think this is inexcusable and won't be going back to the Homerton again.
I appreciate this is a very specific set of circumstances, but just wanted to give you as full a picture as I can. I think possibly if you have a 'normal' labour and delivery then the Homerton's midwives will probably ensure your birth experience is a very good one.
I don't know if the prescription of Misoprostol is standard there, or if I was just unlucky, but I thought it important that you be aware of the practice, should you end up going for induction there.
There's no bloody excuse for the post natal experience though. None whatever, IMO.
Sorry this is so long, hope i haven't scared you too much... I think, in reality there are probably tales to tell like this from every maternity unit in the UK... Still, wanted you to be as fully informed as possible. If it's your closest hospital why don;t you try and discuss your concerns with them the next time you go along? Things may well have improved in the last two years.
db
xx