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 desperately wanted to give birth at the midwife led unit but it was fully booked because it was so popular. I had to go to the local DGH instead. I wanted a water birth and it was all planned but when the time came there wasn't a midwife on duty who was qualified in water births, so I opted to go in the bath instead. However, the baby became distressed and I had to get out again. I had not wanted to use pain relief, I wanted to use the water but I found myself in a position where I had to use it. However, because the baby was distressed they didn't want to give me anything, in the end I begged for some gas and air and was given it and a small injection. The baby was delivered after 12 hours but was very small and jaundiced. I lost a lot of blood and had to have an infusion. I had also had to have an episiotomy as I was so knackered at the end I couldn't manage. I strongly feel that if I had had a water birth many of these issues would not have arisen because I would have been relaxed. Obviously my baby would still have been small, but that was because he was 2 weeks over due and my placenta had packed up leaving him with very little nutrition. So all in all I would say it was a pretty bad experience. What with that and the nurse suggesting I might have wet myself when I told her my waters had broken, and another nurse expecting me to breast feed my baby without help whilst a blood transfusion was running in my strapped up arm, I can honestly say it was not an experiI would ever wish to go through again.

I felt really fortunate to have a water birth which is what i wanted with my second child. But with both labours i arrived on a shift change and was left for over an hour without any checks when i arrived. And whilst i got my water birth no one listened when i said I didnt want cord cut straight away and I could hear the midwives laughing when I was in that crazy stage of
labour and was asking to go home. I still feel sad about that now. I also wanted to go home that night but they insisted I stayed in.
My midwife on my first birth was amazing and i think i would have had an emergency c section if she'd not been so good.

I did the 1st 4 hours of labour at home alone (thought I was coming down with a cold until my waters broke) I couldn’t get hold of my mom, she slept through phone ringing, so I called my oldest friend. She took me to hospital where they told me there were no beds. I wasn’t too fussed by that point & proceeded to give birth in the corridor & hey presto they found a bed!

My daughter was carrying identical twins and they developed twin to twin syndrome which was at a dangerous stage but the staff at St. Michael's hospital bristol were brilliant with her and monitered her throughout the rest of her pregnancy resulting in 2 healthy little boys,
eternally grateful to the staff and consultants

With my first child it was all very traumatic as I was sent home multiple times to only have to return straight away, the midwives were rude and had me in tears, my second child was another story in at 9am, had her at 3pm and home drinking tea by 7pm!! Thoroughly recommend a water birth, had these for both of mine, how anyone has a child flat on their back I don't know!

Both of ours were prem and VERY quick deliveries. The 2nd of ours was born within 15mins of us arriving at the hospital where waters broke in the consultation room. I had no fears though as the staff were magnificent and really came through for us. Our SCBU team were awesome and we regularly donate to BLISS to try and make a little difference.

I gave birth in hospital. I love the thought of giving birth at home but I personally don't think that I am brave enough. Although I know a friend of mine gave birth at home when I was pregnant I wasn't given any information about home birthing and the information is scant unless you go on the internet and search it out. It would be nice if more health care professionals would give home birth information so that it would seem more normal and less scary.

I had both my girls in hospital which was a very happy experience, I was lucky that I had easy deliveries and lovely midwives

I received great care when I gave birth to all 3 of mine but some of my aftercare on the postnatal ward felt rushed, as though I was part of a conveyor belt. I had an difficult pregnancy 2nd time and after an emergency section I was physically and mentally drained. I got a real telling off from a MW because apparently I pressed my call bell too many times when I needed assistance with breastfeeding.

I went for a bog standard hospital birth in a London hospital - it was not the best. They were very over worked and I was left without much support until I begged for an epidural and then I had some decent one on one care. The loos had cockroaches so I got out a couple of hours after giving birth.

I had my first baby in hospital which was a bad experience so decided to have a home birth second time around which was a much more relaxed experience.

I really wanted to go to a midwife led centre but I had to be induced which meant I had to go to the local hospital which was a horrible experience!

All of mine were born in maternity units at hospitals that were local to us at the time. Having had pre-eclampsia the first time around (and receiving excellent care) I was monitored carefully the second and third times and had to stay in for at least 48 hours after each birth for that reason. Overall I received good care every time although my youngest couldn't be born at the hospital in our town due to it only being a midwife led unit by then. Weirdly I was taken to a larger hospital 20 miles away for the actual birth, which was at 12.30am and then allowed to leave in a taxi with the baby about 12 hours after he was born and go to our local hospital where I stayed another night. Seeing as I was only there due to the pre-eclampsia risk I was a bit alarmed that I only had my blood pressure taken once in the 24hours+ I was there. As this was my third baby I was used to having it done many times a days while in hospital so found this a bit disturbing.

My first child I was put under consultant led care at our local hospital. He was born at 27 weeks due to a freak medical condition, and nearly didn't make it. It was a good job it was a large university hospital with a level 3 NICU.

Due to this, my second was born at a university hospital elsewhere, as I was put under consultant care again. It was a good job - she stopped growing and had to be delivered at 37 weeks. Thankfully, no SCBU stay that time.

So, I didn't have a lot of choice! But I was perfectly happy with all my maternity care - all that matters to me is that my two were born safely and well looked after.

I had my first DC in the midwife-led centre at Nottingham City Hospital, and I had a great experience. I felt really well cared for and felt like I had my own private space.

2 babies in the last 4 years. Both not bad experiences at all, back to back Labour with the first, so required more assistance as a longer pushing phase. Unfortunately needed quite a few stiches and didn't get to feed baby for quite a while, by which stage shift change and a baby that wasn't interested in feeding. Ended up on a ward for a few days with different midwives popping in for regular checks and each giving different advice on how to breastfeed. Ended up back in hospital 2 days after discharge as baby still wasn't feeding properly and lost too much weight. Then they helped with pumping to stimulate milk whilst using formula top ups - but only as I was adamant I wanted to feed. Second son was born within 4 hours of arrival and within half an hour of waters breaking. Until that point we'd not seen much in terms of midwives as I think they were busy. All very pleasant but not really there - so probably lucky it wasn't our first experience. Home later than day, although a lot of waiting about not knowing when someone would be free to do checks etc. It was a maternity ward of a hospital and all in all I can't complain. It's hard when you don't know what to expect, can't say how your labour will progress and how you'll cope post birth. Very much down to luck, not too busy shifts and sometimes the fab few who go out of their way to try and look after you and give you the best experience...

My care was amazing and I couldn't fault it. Credit where it's due to the NHS and the lovely midwives

i was quite firm in what i wanted from my birthing experiences and happy with how they went mostly. It was obvious the hospital was under staffed and busy though which did affect the care we got

I had my daughter at home as I was in my late 30s when I had her. I would have preferred to have had her at home but a hospital birth was recommended. I can't fault my midwife nor any of the staff at the NHS hospital - they were all truly amazing.

Ive had all my children in hospital. baby 1 was overdue so i was induced and eventually had an emergency c-section as he was stuck. he was 10lb 1.
Baby 2 i was booked in for a planned c-section but went into labour the night before so my planned section almost turned into an emergency one. she had a true knot in her cord. she was 3 days early and 9lb 6oz.
Baby 3 was a planned section 3 weeks early as she was already quite big and the year before i had a miscarriage at 18 weeks due to placenta attaching to c-section scar tissue. She was 8lb 3 oz
Im glad i was in hospital each time as if i had been at home my babies would have been at risk due to the complications

Due to living in a rural location, I didn't have a choice of where to give birth which was a shame. However I cannot fault my local hospital at all - I felt well cared for and listened to. Support post-birth was a bit poorer, but they did the best they could with the resources they had.

I am currently pregnant with my first child. I would say I am not able to currently able to make an informed decision about where to give birth due to lack of information available.

I was asked today if I would prefer to give birth in the MLU (no mention or discussion of other options) I asked if there was tours of the MLU or labour ward but I was told that they don't do them as they are too busy. Instead there is a two minute video on the hospital website which offers extremely limited information and zero reassurance. I have not been given any information about what is available to be to be able to make an informed choice. They don't seem to realise that some people have never been in hospital before or MLU and therefore need more information than one 2 minute video!

I went in for an induction, DS2 decided to come after a sweep, I started having a waterbirth, but his head got stuck and then his shoulders, a midwife and DH helped me out, then a midwife eased his shoulders out. It was the most positive birth experience I've had, but DH still talks about how incompetent the midwives were when DS2's shoulders got stuck.

gave birth in hospital - christmas eve - christmas day was surreal for me and the family

With my first child, I had an emergency C-section - when I came out of theatre they tried to put me in the lift to take me to the ward but the lift broke. I ended up in a side room, that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The midwife was rude and unfriendly.

With my second pregnancy, the care was a bit better but I didn't get the midwife come to the house as they were short staffed so I had to drive a while each time to see them at the hospital. I saw a different one each time. It felt less personal. The hospital experience was better though.