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 tried for the midwife led unit at my hospital but DS was stuck and I had to be transferred to the maternity ward. I then ended up with an emergency c-section. Very frustrating as he was very overdue and I'd been planning to ask for an elective c-section. On the day of the planning meeting he started to come anyway so the decision was out of my hands. I was absolutely shattered and I asked to be discharged as the ward was noisy and I didn't feel looked after at all. I had blood all over my sheets until my husband asked for them to be changed. I really felt that if you didn't have a partner there you would have been neglected. For my DD, it was at a another hospital and I had a planned c-section. This was a completely different experience. Recovery was much easier and the midwives were able to look after me.

My second stay in hospital after an EMCS was horrible. I had a drain fitted in my wound for excessive bleeding so was less mobile but had very little help with any tasks. I asked repeatedly to get clean sheets as I was bleeding so much but couldn't even get clean mats to put down. I was in a room with four beds and one woman had her husband staying there all day, every day. He used to stare whilst I was breastfeeding, I complained but was I told I neede to get used to it if I planned to continue. It was shit.

3 births in the same hospital all very different experiences. No1 24 hour plus labour loads of different midwives, was frightened of asking for pain relief had no idea what was going on. No2 9 hours epidural all very calm. No3 literally popped out while I was paying a visit to the maternity outpatients clinic.

I was classified high risk' so didn't have a choice about where to give birth. I went to my local hospital, the care was efficient but not nice if it makes sense.

I had great hospital births and firmly believe that women should have the right to still choose this option if that is what they want. I know about home births and midwife led units and I STILL wanted a hospital birth with all the consultant expertise and equipment to hand. I think there could be too much of a push to encouraging home births and mw led units when actually some women feel safer in hospital. Yes, they’re the most expensive kind of birth but they can be the ones women want

I had great care at the hospital when my son was born but it was over 20 years ago! I really didn't like the appointments though, where everyone seemed to arrive at the same time and then wait and wait...! But when the time came everyone was great and I was relieved not to be kicked out too early! The time was right!

With DC3 I recieved the best treatment I could possibly have wished for my community midwife met me at the local maternity unit when I went into labour at about 1am and as agreed I was able to use a suite with a birthing pool in, I had been in the pool no more than five minutes when DC3 made his way into the world with minimum stress, it was perfect, we were then able to be back home again before DC1 & DC2 even woke up and realised they had a new brother

With my gorgeous fourth boy I just about made it through the door before giving birth! Nearly had him in the car park!!!

Great tea and toast after and a fab friendly midwife

I have had first class care from Epsom Hospital for both of my miscarriages and the delivery of my now 6 month old.
The EPAU was well organised with plenty of appointments. Staff were kind and caring. I had a natural miscarriage the first time. The second time I opted for surgical management under local.

The ward was completely separate from the labour/maternity wards. I was well looked after and the surgeon was lovely. They let me stay as long as I wanted, until I felt ready to go.
When I fell pregnant again, the EPAU offered me a series of reassurance scans, every 2 weeks if I wanted.
The antenatal care did lack continuity as my midwifes clinic was so full I only saw her twice, but all the midwives I saw were knowledgable and professional.
I attended labour ward with reduced fetal movements and all the staff were kind, calm and reassuring.
When I went into labour, I was very well cared for. I didn’t have time for any pain relief as it was a quick labour. The delivery suite was spotlessly clean.
I can not recommend the maternity services at Epsom Hospital highly enough.

I was given details of the options for where to give birth in the third trimester I think, and part of that was booking a tour of the hospital. We had a look around both the MLU and the consultant led ward (same hospital), which was nice as it meant whichever way things went I knew what to expect. I was classed as low risk so planned to go to the MLU.

I made a birth plan but didn't get to follow it as I was too far along when I arrived at hospital (I had wanted a water birth) but despite this I felt well supported by the midwifery team and all went smoothly.

After my son was born there was a complication at his neo-natal check, which meant we couldn't go home as planned and had to stay and wait for the consultant. The medical team we're all very nice but to be honest it was a very scary time as we didn't really know what was going on and what the implications would be for my son. we were moved from the midwife led unit to a side room on the post natal ward (to give us some privacy because of the nature of the complication). My husband was able to stay with us (which I hadn't expected as I don't think it was usual practice over night) and that made it much easier. Eventually we were seen by the consultant who reassured us that the issue could be followed up in the community and we did not need to stay in, however as it was late evening by then we were told it was not possible to be discharged until the next morning. We ended up having to hang around until early the following afternoon just because we were waiting for the paperwork to be completed.

So all in all I think the midwife team were great, the medical team made a difficult situation a bit easier to deal with in some ways (by offering a private room) but maybe more difficult in others (looking back I think they over egged the worse case scenario which I don't think was necessary, and was very frightening to a first time Mum). the delay caused by paperwork meant we were blocking a bed unnecessarily for over 12 hours (maybe closer to 18 even).

I had my little girl at a midwife led birth centre, best experience ever! Was looked after amazingly and had my little girl with no pain relief as my midwife went through breathing exercises for hours. And was offered to stay a extra night if I wanted ( not at all needed)

I had my son at my local maternity ward, it was led by a consultant. Because I’m diabetic I was led to believe all the way through that my only choice was being induced at 38 weeks, even though I have really good blood sugar control. I wasn’t warned about the risks of induction, the pain relief available to me or the possibility of it ending in an EMCS.
The 36 hours of induced labour were horrendously painful because of irregular and strong contractions. I asked about pain relief and whether this was best for the baby but I was told I was “just having twinges” and to get on the birthing ball.
Then his heart rate started dropping with every contraction, I only got to 4 cm and his scalp scratch test was inconclusive so I was rushed in for an EMCS. I just wasn’t prepared for it and I wish I had had some say or choice.

My second child was born at the only hospital we were offered (we are quite rural) which was failing at the time. I waited 3 hours to be stitched and then had to clean the bath myself before I got in. Within a week I'd developed post-partum septicaemia and almost died. Spent best part of three months in hospital and didn't get to breast feed, further it took several more weeks to convalesce and I really missed out on early bonding with my newborn.
If I was going to have another child I would read the QCC reports very carefully and would take heed.

I had high hopes of a natural birth following my birth plan. My waters broke in the morning, but I did not go into labour until the early hours. The midwife led unit at Calderdale Royal Hospital were lovely but very rushed. I pushed my son out, tearing inside and out. I had to wait for a doctor to come and stitch me up. In was so out of it I did not care. It was a long recovery, 'walking like John Wayne'. Several weeks later on my midwife follow-ups, I had to have a repair, as the wound had not healed as they expected. My joy on having a beautiful healthy much wanted son was the only thing on my mind.

I was extremely fortunate. I went to a midwife led unit, they were lovely, supportive and give my good instructions on when to push and breathe. I had a 2 hour labour, just gas and air, no stitches and home for 6 that evening, Could not be happier.

Two DCs.

First experience was awful. Long 24 hour labour, with 5 different midwives. Epidural failed, DS became distressed, had to have spinal block, ventouse failed, so had episiotomy and forceps delivery. DS badly stuck, so huge amounts of pulling to get him out. I tore as well as the cut, so required large amounts of repair work. The male registrar who did it insisted on asking DH if he wanted to admire his handiwork. Persisted until I started to cry, asking if DH could not have to do that. Was left in a room on my own afterwards, which I think was supposed to be a bonus, but I was paralysed from the ribs down and after DH went home, it was just me and DS screaming in a basinet that I couldn't lift him out of. I rang the bell for help so many times and no one came. It felt like there was no help and DS screamed like a banshee. In the end I had to pick up the corners of the sheet under him & hoist him up like a sandwich in a hanky. No one explained to me when sensation would return to my legs, my bladder etc. No one helped me in any way at all, other than to do medical checks. DS wasn't feeding properly and despite asking for some help, no one ever came. No one washed DS, or showed me how to, so when we eventually left hospital the poor mite was still covered in blood. 6 months later I was diagnosed with PTSD from it all.

Second experience was much better because DD arrived so quickly, so I needed next to no help & was able to get up afterwards myself. The most upsetting thing was being told by the midwife, when I was so taken aback by the very rapid onset of full blown labour that I said 'fuck' that she would refuse to help me if I used foul language!!!!!!

I have had 2 children. In different hospitals but both midwifery led birth units in a hospital. I was quite happy with giving birth there although I don’t think I would’ve gone for a home birth I was surprised not to be offered/ asked about it especially second time round after a straightforward and relatively quick labour with dc1.

I had 2 amazing births thanks to Hypnobirthing but had to fight not to be induced after 8 days with my first. It was only because I’d done lots of research myself and read the AIMS leaflet about induction that I had the confidence to decline the stretch & sweep and induction. I really feel that mums to be should be made aware of all the options and given a balanced view of the benefits & risks of induction vs waiting.

I always wanted a nice water birth, i pictured it all serene in my head. Then when i went for my scan i found out i was having twins, so it knocked all my ideas on the head as i was a high risk pregnancy. My boys were 9 weeks premature. It seemed like there was about 20 doctors, nurses, anaesthetists in the room whilst i gave birth with an epidural i was floating. So all in all it was quite traumatic, didnt get the water birth i wanted but i did get the pleasure of forceps and a massive audience I suppose you don't get that everyday!

A lowlight was getting a call from a Community Midwife asking me to come to an appointment earlier as the woman before me had just had a miscarriage

Because I was high risk I had no choice as to where I gave birth really. Every midwife and doctor I dealt with during labour and then an EMCS was absolutely amazing. Once I was released into the postnatal ward that mostly continued apart from one nasty midwife! Overall I was happy with the experience (though not the labour/emcs in general!)

We had our first at home. The standard 'at home' midwife was ill and so we had a stand in that normally worked in a hospital. While medically she knew everthing she lacked some pratical knowledge and DH was terrified by the whole experience (I wasn't in a state to know/care/notice). We had our second in hospital and was perfect.
With hindsight and having done both, I'm not sure what posessed me to choose to have a home birth. I'm sure I know what the baby would choose.

My experience was mixed. I was very ill and ended up in High Dependency. The care given there was excellent, but the care before and after (when I was still not fully recovered) was quite bad partly due to insufficient staff patient ratio.

I give birth in a midwife led unit. They were about to close in an hour but said they would examine me anything and i was 9cm so baby due. I had her and out within 2 hours. To me they were amazing but i did have the option of ambulance to another unit if i wanted but declined