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

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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

I delivered ds2 at home but had to go in to hospital for a drip as I was bleeding a bit. That finished at 11pm so I stayed the night in the postnatal ward with DH in the chair next to me. I have to say the staff were lovely and rustled up a sandwich and coffee for each of us despite it being near midnight and since I hadn't eaten since breakfast I was starving.

The ward itself was horrendous though. Noisy and hot (I know they keep it warm for the babies). I sent DH home to get some sleep but I honestly didn't do more than catnap on my horrible plastic sweaty bed because there was so much coming and going of staff and husbands and a crying baby whose parents had left to go for a fag. The MWs were fairly unimpressed with that one.

I was glad to be discharged at morning rounds and was home by 10am.
But the admin was rubbish as my own community MW stopped in to see me while she was in the department after I had gone and it wasn't recorded anywhere in the computer!

I was in labour at night so my husband was sent home and I was left on my own, it was only when I told the midwives that I felt the urge to start pushing did they do anything, then I insisted on waiting until my husband arrived.

I was the only one on the maternity ward that night!

My 1st experience was at a birthing centre, it was fantastic, all the staff was brilliant and we had our own private room, toilet & bathroom which was really nice.

The 2nd & 3rd experience wasn't as fantastic, there was no birthing centres near to me as I have moved to another area so I had to settle for a hospital instead. After giving birth I was moved to a busy ward where all the beds were separated with just a curtain, did not have as much privacy as 1st time, staff was still pleasant but it was a lot busier. The 3rd time I almost had my daughter in the car park, she came out 20 mins after we reached the hospital 😱

In for 1 week with DC1 and hated it, no sleep. Out within 6 hours with DC2, much better!

Busy ward, but all the staff were so kind. I can't fault the NHS, even though it is terrible overcrowded. I did feel rushed out of hospital as they needed the room, but I was keen to get home so didn't complain!

I had some negative experiences, but one positive experience was with dc2 when I had to stay in for 6 days so she could have antibiotics,
I was very affected by hormones on day 3/4 when my milk came in and became very upset, sobbing and had a Sort of panic attack. It was hormones coupled with exhaustion of being on the ward for a few days with noisy neighbour and getting no sleep.
After that the midwives took special care of me and took the baby for a few hours and instructed me to rest. One midwife in particular was on nights that week and literally ‘tucked me in’ - the other people in my bay had gone home and she said she’d make sure no one new came into the bay so I could get some proper rest. She also took baby to the midwifes station in between feeds in the night so I could rest.
She was so kind, makes me well up now thinking about it!

I recovered so well after my c-section with my twins in the 80's that I was up and about making the whole ward cups of tea! I'm still friends with a couple of those ladies!

I have had two births at different hospitals 10 years apart. The first one was like a dungeon and the hospital was falling apart!

The more recent birth was in a new hospital and everything was so modern!

I was induced at 39 weeks and it did take 3 days but the actual birth only took a few minutes. My fiance was trying to be supportive through contractions at the end and egging me on, but i ended up yelling at him to shut up! His voice was making me so angry lol.

Lovely caring midwives both times.

I had positive experiences with both of my two children who are three and 8 months. The first was a horrendous labour which ended in a 5 day hospital stay but luckily we had a side room to stay in and my partner was able to stay with me the whole time which was a massive relief. The midwives were so lovely and helpful despite being rushed off their feet. With my second i was lucky enough to give birth in the birthing centre and had the waterbirth I had hoped for with my first.

My daughter was a transverse lie and treated my womb like a trampoline park. She was due early January but I was admitted late December because she was still moving all over the show. On the evening they admitted me my hubby was sent home as they were going to monitor me and see how we went over night. By this time she was laying straight across my stomach. A midwife asked if I would be willing to have some student midwifes examine me - said no problem. 2 came in complete with clipboards and had a quick feel. First question : Is it twins? No! Oh! Well it could be breach they said - are you sure it's not twins? After asking at least 6 times if it was twins they settled on a breach birth but they weren't convinced. They were joined by a 3rd trainee who I again had to convince I definitely was not having twins! She went with the breach birth theory but had another one! I was - she declared - having a two headed breach birth (she was serious!). She actually wrote this down on her clipboard! I would love to have seen her trainers reaction! I found it hilarious but know some 1st time or panicky mums may not have fond it so funny.
Baby kind of turned and was induced next day - a healthy 7.5 lbs.

I had one lovely midwife and one who was a right cow. She was so nasty both in labour and on the ward, that when I needed help in the night with feeding, I was afraid to call for help in case she came and shouted at me again. I should have complained but didn't. I sat there crying until the lovely midwife came along and helped me with my screaming hungry baby.

I only had the 1 child due to a difficult pregnancy and birth and the way that I was treated by some of the midwives. My consultant was lovely.

I have the utmost respect for midwives - they do the best they can, however, the care I received was not like what is displayed on TV. When I was giving birth the first time, I contracted sepsis and also had a post dural tap headache. I was discharged several times whilst suffering with this (once the sepsis had cleared) and returned as I was very very poorly! When I was suffering with sepsis my husband had to keep chasing for medication as they kept forgetting to administer it. In the end he just asked for the schedule and then reminded them! They said it was because September was their busiest time and were short staffed. When I was giving birth the second time the midwife who was delivering my baby did not care for me properly at all. She also said I coudln't have a water birth, then later on in my labour her supervisor asked if I would like one. By that time it was too late as I was fully dilated. The supervisor also had to tell the other medics in the room to quieten down as it was turning into a lecture. The aftercare wasn't great either - I was very anemic, which wasn't treated when I was pregnant (which they said it should've been) and required blood transfusions. I was just made ot feel like a nuisance. My son was also in the nicu so it was an emotional time.
All that being said there were some GREAT midwives who gave the best care, but overall I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth!

Very lengthy first labour, and I was fairly incapacitated due to gas & air, sleep deprivation and generally being out of it. Sitting in the birthing pool and my husband decides he needs a snack so nips out to get a bag of crisps. He proceeded to sit and crunch and rustle them so loudly that if I had been able to move I would have cheerfully strangled him with my bare hands. As it was I just had to try and communicate to him that it was making me murderous through the gas and air tube. Didn't work and he munched on happily but I have been telling him pretty regularly ever since....

It was terrible. I was abandoned for hours and when i was finally checked over I was virtuslly giving birth

The midwives were great during labour - good balance between the right amount of support and space.

My only complaint would be no food or drink either time after delivering - I was starving but they were very busy. In the end my DH went to a supermarket to get me some supplies. Also I remember the post natal ward being boiling hot and constantly feeling dehydrated! Could not wait to get home.

Rather not have to go through all that again as labour time 44 hours ;o(

The midwives on the maternity ward were fab both before and after my sons birth. Really helpful with showing me how to express, one did give my partner a bit of a talking too when he said my c section had not been too bad, rightly pointed out that wasn't his place to say :D

All the staff involved in my section were caring, the surgeons were listening to the Begees and staying alive was playing as my son was delivered :p

Midwives were fantastic, couldn't fault them, maybe we got lucky!

We've had 2 and not once been on the maternity ward until after they were born (prem) all happened so quickly. It wasn't a pleasant experience though as my wife was in the ward without mine as they both spent their first few days in SCBU.

I had baby number 3, nine months ago, and my experiences as with 1 and 2 were totally different and unique. The midwifes I had were caring, professional and told me off when I needed telling off. They were caring, observant, and when DS2 heartbeat started to slow moved my to a new position. put me on close observation, took the gas and air off me and he came into the world, healthy, pink and ready to feed.
They need to know about, and deal with so many issues that affect society, safeguarding issues for expectant mums who do not put their babies health first, babies who are born 'sleeping' and deal with things that I know I could not understand - midwifes you are all angels among us.

I wouldn't let go of the gas and air mask. After a struggle with the midwife I let go and must have had more than I should as I started talking gibberish. Fortunately it didn't last too long..unlike the 10 hours labour!

I was on the maternity ward for a week because of high blood pressure. The screams from women in labour scared me to death, the food was awful but you could not fault the great staff.

Our amazing daughter came very quickly, about 7 hours after getting to hospital. THey didn;t think I was ready and tried to send me home and gave me paracetemol (!) then after that it was too late to give me anything stronger than gas/air (which just make me feel sick) so it was a vaginal birth with no relief - hard core! The midwife stayed with me even after her shift had officially ended and saw me through the entire birth, even coming it to check on us later too. She kept telling me to keep up the pushing and how to direct it through each and every contraction, she basically talked me through the whole birth and I'm sure it would have taken a lot longer without her incredible support.
They needed us to stay in overnight and, one by one, all the other new mums on our wing were sent home until it was just me and my precious new baby. I only had about 1/2 hour sleep in all, the rest of the time I was learning how to hold her, change her, just gazing at her in wonder and once everyone else had gone I sang to her - "All of My Life, I have been Waiting" by The Carpenters. It was such a magical night and I was so pleased in the end that we had that time.