Share your maternity care experiences with CQC - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

We are working with CQC (Care Quality Commission), who through a current campaign #yourbirthplan would like to make the public more aware of their inspection reports and ratings which can help women make informed decisions about where they give birth. With this aim in mind, they would like to hear your experiences of maternity care.

Here’s what CQC have to say: ‘’While women may have the choice to have their baby at home, in a midwife led unit or in hospital – we know that many are not aware. We believe that all women should be fully informed about the options they have regarding their choices over where they give birth – it is important that expectant parents are fully informed about the options they have available to them throughout their pregnancy and understand the benefits and potential risks of any choice they make – be this at home, hospital or birth centre.

There are multiple sources of information to help make a decision and our aim is to raise awareness including our inspection reports and ratings – as one of these sources, to help ensure they are fully informed of all the options available to them and have the best possible birth experience.”

Perhaps you want to share your experience of maternity care in hospital? Maybe you gave birth at home or in a midwife led unit? Or perhaps you want to tell us about your experience of how you chose where you gave birth?

Whatever your experiences are, share them on the thread below and everyone who comments will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

The CQC is responsible for inspecting all hospitals, including private hospitals, GP practice, dentists, care homes and home care in England. Its maternity service inspections include all services for women that relate to pregnancy, including ante and post-natal services, labour wards, birth centres or units and theatres providing obstetric related surgery.

Each inspection answers five key questions: Is the service safe? Is it effective? Are the staff caring and responsive to people’s needs and is the service well led?

I gave birth at the hospital, as planned although we almost didn't get there in time. The midwives were good, as were the doctors we saw.

My main frustration was the tendency for the triage people to dismiss you when you call to say you're in labour. "Have a bath and a cup of tea and call us in the morning" is what I was told 3 hours before baby arrived. My story is far from unique - I understand that a lot of people have long labours but there are too many near misses like mine.

I have four children and they were all born at the same hospital. I was classed as high risk so had consultant led treatment. On the whole, the care I received was excellent. I had a missed miscarriage and a miscarriage between my third and fourth children and was treated with dignity, respect and compassion throughout. A few issues

• when I had my first child I was really keen that my mum, who was disabled would get to see her grandchild as soon as possible. However the postnatal ward was on the first floor and the lift was out of action. When I was nearing the birth, as advised by the midwife during the day, my husband called my parents so they could visit. The midwife who had taken over in the evening told me that she couldn't visit. It really upset me but by the time my parents arrived she had relented and allowed them to come in for a quick visit. Ultimately, post epidural, I was stuck in the labour ward until I could walk anyway.

With my second child, I again had an epidural. The ward was incredibly busy and my son was born just after midnight. I sent my husband home about 1am. I was left in the delivery room with my baby in one arm and a sick bowl and drip on the other hand. It was so busy that I had to wait ages when I needed help putting the baby into the crib (feeling hadn't returned to legs and cot was in corner). When the CSW arrived, she told me that she would be back shortly to wash and clean me up post labour. I explained that I still needed to be stitched and she insisted that I had already been stitched. This went on for several minutes until she went and got the midwife in charge - they had completely forgotten to stitch me and this was about 3 hours post birth.

Same labour, once stitched, there was no bed on postnatal. I was moved to the early labour room (usually with comfy chairs and a TV) where they put three of us with our babies. There was not a curtain between us, no shower facilities and even the toilet was way down the corridor - one of the three of us was a 16 year old first time mother who was in a total state and crying most of the night. The other mum and I tried to reassure her but we had no bell to call for help. Next day, I had to wait for my husband to arrive before I could leave my baby to have a shower.

• With my fourth pregnancy, the consultant had agreed from early on in my pregnancy that I was not to be allowed to go more than one week overdue as my blood pressure always rose towards the end of pregnancy and with other health risks I ended up being admitted every time. I had been induced with my third child so thought this made sense. I had an ante-natal appointment at 40 weeks and 1 day and expected to be given a time/date to be induced. To my horror, the consultant was on holiday for three weeks and had never actually written about going overdue in my plan. The doctor I then saw refused to believe me and saw no reason to let me go to the standard 42 +5 weeks before inducing. Fast forward 4 days and I was admitted to hospital as my BP was so high. Two days later, I was induced and the following day I had my baby - at 41 weeks and 2 days.

Despite these problems during my labours, I would have happily gone back to the same hospital if I had had more children. The NHS may have many faults but I had confidence that I was in the hospital if anything went wrong and, should my pregnancy had resulted in a premature baby, they had the facilities (so long as there was room) to take on a prem baby.

Congratulations to @StickChildNumberTwo for winning the prize draw