W Channel would love to hear your stories/experiences about being on the maternity ward

[AbbiCMumsnet]

This activity has now closed

Childbirth can be an incredible time, filled with a host of different emotions for all involved, including the midwives who help many get through it all. Each person’s experience on the maternity ward is unique to them, which is why to celebrate the launch of the second series Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, airing Mondays at 10pm, W Channel would love to hear your heartwarming midwife stories from your experience being on the maternity ward.

You can watch the trailer at the top of this thread. App users please watch the video here

Here’s what W Channel has to say about Emma Willis: Delivering Babies: “Last year television presenter and mother of three, Emma Willis, spent 10 weeks working on the frontline of a busy maternity unit. Now, in a brand new eight-part documentary series for W, she’s been given the chance to return to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex to complete her training.

Over the course of 16 weeks she will immerse herself in the role, supporting the hospital’s charismatic midwife team. From elective caesarean sections to natural births, complicated theatre procedures to water births Emma will share the pressures, the fears and the joys of bringing new life into the world.

Don’t miss the return of the award-winning series Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, new and exclusive to W - Sky 109 | Virgin 125 | BT 311 | TalkTalk 31”

Perhaps you have a funny story about your partner’s reaction to you giving birth? Or perhaps you are the partner and have a story to share about being on the maternity ward, watching your loved one give birth? Or maybe your midwife did something that really put you at ease or had you uncontrollably laughing?

Share your stories on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnet user will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

The whole experience was terrible from start to finish. No one cared, no one helped me, lots went wrong as a result. Never again.

Not what W want to hear, but the midwives when I had ds were dismissive and uncaring, especially when I went to postnatal without him as he was on SCBU. And the community MW was so horrid that I transferred my care to the MW led birthing unit so I'd get away from them - but had to go to the dgh as ds decided to appear at 35 weeks.
In fact the only positive interaction was one of the SCBU nurses who actually treated me as a human being who was having a traumatic time.

I have 5 DC and so have had various experiences with midwifes. The times that stand out for me are when midwifes have treated me like a friend/family member and made me feel heard, respected my dignity and helped me to feel safe. This hasn't always been the case sadly, I've also felt humiliated, undermined and scared.

I went in with my First after 12 hours of regular contractions at home. Midwife thought I couldn't be in established labour as I 'looked so calm'. She suggested I went home for a bit longer so I asked her to check and I was 5cm and my waters went all over her! Luckily she saw the funny side and quickly changed her mind and I didn't go home. Baby born 4 hours later with hell from a lovely student midwife.

The less said the better about the midwives who were with me whilst I was in labour. However the midwife who took over our after care was amazing, really kind and caring but best of all she spotted a possible sign of infection in DS and got him into scbu.

A couple of days later as I was walking through the corridors pushing DS in his cot after he had been given the all clear and allowed to come to my room I saw that same midwife, she stopped to look at DS and made some kind comments. I had no idea who she was, it had all become such a blur. But when Later I realised who she was I was really grateful to know there are lovely, caring midwives out there.

I found the midwives involved in my DC's deliveries to be very caring but having said that I cannot remember anything about them now. I recall that the post-natal ward experience, short though it was, was not good and I couldn't wait to get home.

I went into labour six and a half weeks early so without any antenatal classes or previous experience! I was all over the shop and suffered from really bad pins and needles. My poor partner was on foot massage detail and my midwife went off duty and then came back as she wanted to see how things worked out (I gave birth 6 minutes after her shift ended so she didn't have too long to wait). To be honest the whole thing was a bit of a blur - I was in terrible pain afterwards and it was difficult getting pain relief. There was a slight feeling of abandonment once our son had been whisked off to the NICU......

I don't really remember much about the midwives from the delivery room but I had no complaints and the aftercare I received was fantastic. The most important thing was that I felt listened to and respected. The general atmosphere was very calm and supportive.

My midwife was amazing
My biggest fear was pooing while in labour. Which I'm pretty sure I did but was quickly wiped away so I never really even noticed.
I did notice 10 mins later throwing up all over her, but she took it like a champ, quickly cleaned up & bought me & my daughter safely through.
I will be forever grateful to her for still making feel like I had dignity.

First pregnancy I had a terrible experience. My husband and mum were sent home because they thought I wasn't going to deliver quickly. In the end I had a very quick delivery alone and on the maternity ward and not delivery. After care was awful.

I was worried about second baby due to the experience but the midwife was amazing. She made sure we stayed on delivery suite and again I had a quick delivery but everything was perfect.

Midwives during my very long and painful labour were very rushed, uncaring and dismissive, I hardly saw them, they just left me to it.
In the end I was rushed to another hospital as my baby was back to back and the agony was unbearable. I think I'm still traumatised by the whole experience sadly.

I used to really admire Emma Willis but now this awful invasive TV show of hers just makes me want to throw up. It’s massively triggering. I can’t believe that once again, vulnerable women - in pain - and often naked with cameras recording their intimate moments is somehow classed as entertainment. If Ms Willis wanted to play midwife, I’m sure she could achieve her “dream” off camera. Child birth should not be a spectator sport. Shame on you Emma.

I have had the most amazing staff, I've had staff I've put complaint in about, and some that I probably should have done.

I think bounty should NOT be allowed on the wards! If absolutely necessary then there should be a little room outside the door to the ward where they stay and the option is yours as to whether you approach them or not rather than the other way around

The midwife I had with my second DC was lovely, she just had something about her that was just so calming. Just having her there would instantly calm the room down. I think it was that she was softly spoken but very clear and knowledgeable in what she was trying to get across. She had 2 DC herself so she understood from the patient side of it and it just felt like you could ask her anything and she'd take it seriously and give you the best and most reassuring answer she could, even if it was something stupid. She must have been rushed off her feet but it felt like she had all the time in the world for you and you were her only patient. If I could have paid to have her as my midwife for 1st and 3rd I would have done! I was gutted when I was pregnant with DS and found out she'd moved hospitals as I'd hoped to have her for my 3rd after how amazing she was with my 2nd

My midwives and the whole team were fantastic, couldn't fault them.

With my second DC, the midwife said she was just going out for 5 mins to grab her lunch but would be be back in plenty of time.... of course 2 mins after she'd left the room, baby was born!

With my birth last year, the midwife really didn't support me sufficiently. She was out of the room for 45 minutes at one point (baby arrived within 90 minutes of me arriving on the ward) as they were short staffed, and we reaaly didn't bond. The staff on the postnatal ward were lovely but my DC had a tongue tie. By my count, she was seen by 7 different midwives in hospital and in the comminuty after birth, and I told every one she was struggling to feed. None of them checked her mouth or diagnosed her. I did that via the internet and a BF support group. Were we let down by the NHS? Yes. The baby had no routine as I was feeding for 18 hours a day to try and get calories into her. Probably not what you want to include on here though.

I don't have any story that stand out my my friend told me that the thing that really made a difference to her was that the midwife took the time to talk to her about her fears and explained everything calmly and carefully especially when she was panicking about having to have a ventouse delivery.

Birth number 1 - Partner nearly passed out! He tried to mop by brow with a wet flannel and I nearly knocked him out haha!
Birth number 2 - quick hour job... can't remember much about this one
Birth number 3 - Another quick one....
Birth number 4 - Attempted a home birth but complications arrived and I was sent to hospital..... waters broke 15 mins from hospital and very nearly delivered George in the car. Was rushed straight in in a wheel chair with one shoe on and no hospital bag! Arrived with cord round his neck and a knot in it!
Birth number 5 - Saved the worst till last - back to back! Much longer than the others and couldn't have the water birth I wanted.
I had fab midwifes all along! They were so caring and really looked after us.
The biggest problems I had was with the feeding, three tongue tied babies.... had this have been sorted at birth I might have been able to successfully fed them myself :(

Midwives in the hospital I can barely remember. I didn't have one specific midwife and feel like they worked as a team instead. The midwives didn't connect with me on a personal level or make the attempt to know much about me beyond medical needs - which when your in hospital for nearly a week is a bit pants.

Community midwife was friendly and generally consistently the same. Did a good job in a short appointment time.

My midwife with DD1 was wonderful. It was a very stressful, high risk, medicalised birth when I had hoped for the whole water birth, mother-nature experience.

She advocated for me so wonderfully through the whole time - she kept the room dark and quiet as much as possible; she gate-kept and had extra doctors and nurses waiting outside the room until they were needed instead of hanging around inside; she listened to everything I asked for and stopped touching and talking to me when I needed her to.

I'm so grateful to her for making what could have been a horrible, traumatic experience a very calm and positive one.

I had 2 terrible birth experiences. Both times felt dismissed by midwives who did not believe I was in labour. Consequently first was born at home with just me and my partner to deliver, because I'd been repeatedly told over the phone not to come in. Second baby was born in hospital (just) because I'd again been told I wasn't in labour, don't come in etc, despite having regular contractions. Women in labour should be trusted, not treated as children who don't know their own bodies. Only helpful midwife I came across with my second was a student who quietly supported my wishes

I was concerned about the hospital I was due to give birth in as they had been recently investigated for a high percentage of neonatal deaths but I honestly can’t fault the care I received.

I went in for what was a routine midwife appointment only to be told that there was a problem with the placenta and I had to be induced that day (was a fun conversation with my boss as I was due to return to work that afternoon). I was very worried but everyone helped put me at ease. The birth ended up being an emergency situation but the midwifes and consultant got me and my baby through it unscathed.

My aftercare was second to none, I had to stay for a few days on the ward due to complications but at no point did I feel unsafe or neglected.

2 lovely midwives with me for labour, one was a student, both called Laura. Loved them both...apart from at the moment where student Laura was asked to pull the emergency cord and she couldn't find it 🙄

My experience each time was 'go away, go away, go away' which culminated in me giving birth outside in public to the middle one. Same dismissive attitude the third time with a massive back to back baby, having been in labour almost a week. I'm very, very lucky there were complications and the women portrayed in the tv programmes are very lucky all their care is on film.

No complications*!

1st labour - bit of a mess, should have been induced but it was NYE and my midwife went off shift and forgot to transfer me to anyone or tell anyone about us. Eventually get seen and taken to delivery, baby was rushed out and born with an infection due to not being induced. BUT had flawless and caring aftercare.

2nd labour was perfect. I was anxious after my first birth but my midwives barely left my side and were so kind and reassuring. After being in labour for 16 hours or so and still being 3cm dilated, I jokingly said I wish I could break my waters to speed things up, and my midwife said she would! I then went from 3cm to pushing in 25 minutes and got to have the perfect water birth I'd dreamed of, and felt in control of my labour experience because she'd listened to me and helped me. Also had a wonderful student midwife by my side who got me through the labour really positively.