Birth Truama: Poor maternity tolerated as normal, inquiry says

[IwantToRetire]

An inquiry into traumatic childbirths has called for an overhaul of the UK's maternity and postnatal care after finding poor care is "all-too-frequently tolerated as normal".

The Birth Trauma Inquiry heard harrowing evidence from more than 1,300 women - some said they were left in blood-soaked sheets while others said their children had suffered life-changing injuries due to medical negligence.

Women complained they were not listened to when they felt something was wrong, were mocked or shouted at and denied basic needs such as pain relief.

A new maternity commissioner who would report directly to the prime minister is a key recommendation in the inquiry's report, along with ensuring safe levels of staffing.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said she was determined to improve the quality and consistency of care for women.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the experiences outlined in the report "are simply not good enough".

It is estimated that 30,000 women a year, in the UK alone, have suffered negative experiences during the delivery of their babies. One-in-20 develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Article continues at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4n1jv7xxpwo

Also published today:

Fact Check: Our analysis finds one in nine maternity services ‘double downgraded’ since 2022
https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-our-analysis-finds-one-in-nine-maternity-services-double-downgraded-since-2022

💐 that sounds like a horrible experience. I don’t see how making patients walk into the operating theatre like that can be considered a good idea. Like a lot of the stories on this thread, it seems to be a callous attitude towards the patients.

Absolutely. As a result of the morphine overdose I was given during the procedure and my subsequent poor experienece of care in the aftermath, i made an official complaint to the hospital.

During the interview with the staff panel I did mention what an awful experience that was, and how it was not conducive to a relaxed patient experience. The Head of Nursing took that on board, and hopefully they will change this particular procedure going forward.

The Head of Nursing was what I'd call a 'proper nurse'. Very professional - which is more than could be said for quite a few others.

Well, it seemed to me that you came over as a little entitled and slightly whiney and I realise this is the result of trauma, just as many on this board have had trauma to do with birth (and other things - doubt many would like the bunch of traumas I am currently dealing with). But I did not mean to be unsympathetic, we are all in the same leaky boat as everyone else on this one and you were not kindly treated. Sorry. Like Boxer, I will work harder.

Why shouldn't I be entitled to a bed bath and clean sheets?
Or to ask about a blood transfusion when I felt like death, had blue lips in pictures and evidently needed fluids.
Or because I'm a woman should I know my place and give birth then shut up because I didn't die?

This is exactly why we have a problem.
We damn well should be entitled to good care.
I might want more than 1 child if the whole thing hadn't scarred me for life.

@Grammarnut A woman posts on a thread discussing birth trauma about post partum, life-threatening blood loss and you scold her for coming across as “entitled and whiny” - thereby negating the apology you gave her yesterday for your lack of sympathy as well as exemplifying the very problem that women have been describing here: during labour and birth, we’re often expected to “suck up” dismissive, shoddy treatment.

I don’t know why you clicked on this thread.

I had aromatherapy, to my great surprise, and it was the one homely touch, made a difficult experience more bearable.
Hugs to you all.

From personal experience, if you decide to give birth in same hospital you already did.

A) Contact PALS to explain your last birth
B) put together birth plan written like legal document (point 1.0, point 1.2... point 2.0 etc. Focus on what you consent to, what pain relief you want and what language and level of information you want to be used)
C) put PALS contact at the top of your birth plan together with yours and partners. Highlight it.
D) Make sure if you have birth partner they push BP in face of anyone comming your way. Have several copies.
E) If you don't have birth partner do it yourself.
F)Demand. Be difficult. Challenge. Talk shit back. If you can hold phone, take photo of name badge or let your partner do that. Keep notes. Make them aware you will chase them back for shit.

And good luck.
There are some really good staff members out there!

I'm another who had a traumatic birth - I was treated appallingly during labour and almost died (multiple times) during birth and the following weeks due to decisions made by midwives. I feel sick thinking about it. I sadly didn't meet a single midwife who seemed remotely competent or who wasn't horrendously rude. It affects me to this day, over ten years later - the fear of bleeding to death, what if the bleed opens again etc.
The near-death experiences led to my husband refusing to contemplate a second child (which we had always been intending) - better an only child than children with no mum, he said.
Sending my thoughts to all women (and partners) who have been through traumatic births x

Honestly this is so depressing.

And so sorry for alll who have had posted about their shocking experiences.

Am begining to think women should come together and go on a pregnancy strike or something!

I know the NHS is under huge pressure but it really does seem that somehow women giving birth are seen as not valued as human beings.

Probably shouldn't have read this thread at almost 29 weeks pregnant, but it's comforting to know that I'm not being unreasonable in my concerns for the upcoming birth - one of my largest fears was not being listened to, being rushed, being infantilised etc. So it's good to have these resources on hand so that my DH knows how hard he may have to advocate for me if I'm not being treated appropriately. I've also outlined my concerns and preferences in a birth plan, which hopefully gets adhered to.

So sorry to hear of the traumatic births upthread, it's so sad how women are so easily dismissed and how it's almost expected that we suffer and accept pain.

It isn't that long ago, and referenced in some many novels etc., that many women died in child birth, and babies too.

So even though we now have the benefit of modern medicine, and mostly a more healthy life style, there is nothing to say that the same problems that caused difficult births have gone away.

So surely logically, until proven different, each birth should be seen as being / likely to have issues, rather than (illogically) that all births will be easy and untroubled, which means that intervention happens too late, taken quickly etc..

History (and our foremothers stories) clearly show that even with the best laid plans, health, etc., something could go wrong.

Provision needs to start from that possibility.

I am not advocating an over medicalised birth, but some more consistent monitoring by well informed staff of what to be aware of.

Too much observation can itself impact the process. Monitoring can really impede a woman's ability to labour. And most deaths were due to post-partum infection, iirc, which is solved by hygiene measures and access to antibiotics after the event.

Bear in mind this is a thread about trauma. You are reading all the very worst experiences gathered together!

I've had one horrible time giving birth and one excellent time - all births are unique.

Great you have your DH on board as birthing partner to advocate, and a birth plan is great, too.

Its totally natural to be apprehensive, but please remember that thousands of women give birth every day. Labour is hard work, and can be challenging but you are strong and capable and able to do it. Wishing you all the very best!

Well, yes. I am surprised you did not get a bed bath, but neither of us know what else was going on in the ward that day, and we both know maternity was and is understaffed. My DSD trained as a midwife and gave it up because the work load and the stress were horrendous.
I did not say you were not entitled to a bed bath, just that you came over as a bit entitled, which means something entirely different and really pertains to your writing style (yes, I know that shouldn't matter).

Well, mainly because I am appalled by the state of maternity care in the UK and I have myself suffered what is now called birth trauma, but at the time seemed like saving my life (very bloody and prolonged miscarriage at 3 months). What appalls me is that midwives seem more interested in getting a natural birth than listening to mothers, and getting the best outcome: healthy baby and healthy mother. This worries me severely.

Because of my work I hear dozens of birth trauma stories every year, some truly horrendous. I realise that of course I am not hearing all the happy outcomes, to balance that out, but still the pattern is so so depressingly familiar and nearly always involves women not being listened to at one point or another. The idea of a "natural birth" being the shining goal is complete bollocks, should I have gone for a "natural appendicitis (outcome certain death)" because it is "natural"? Or maybe my dad should have had a "natural heart attack" instead of having his stents inserted?

I said upthread that I never considered giving birth in an NHS hospital, even though I am a lifelong NHS employee. I can also say that I never considered a vaginal birth for a moment, but that should be every woman's choice, of course. But it should be made with full counselling and discussion, not having a midwife tell you that your body is "made for it" and making you feel defective if you don't want it. The amount of women I have spoken to who were convinced to have a vaginal birth against their real wishes, and regretted it terribly afterward, some for absolutely tragic reasons, is really upsetting and makes me very angry.

Sadly I have heard of a cancer patient being abused by nursing staff. I think it is caused by stress. The staff can't cope and take it out on the patients, and "othering" the patients helps them cope with seeing them in pain and distress. I think it happens more on maternity wards because they are more short staffed.

My mother was abused (cancer). Amongst other things, staff told her she was a bed-blocker taking up space and resources that others needed. Some nurses treated her dreadfully, ignoring her requests for assistance to go to the toilet or for some water (I'm sure they were trying to 'catch her out' as fit enough to do these unaided). She was so unwell she didn't want us to complain for fear the treatment of her would worsen.

She had exploratory surgery to 'prove' there was nothing wrong with her (essentially). It was very short as a few minutes inspection showed she was riddled with metastases from her primary cancer. Who knows who had been reading her scans that were supposed to be 'clear'.

She died within weeks.

I'm so sorry, Stick.

That attitude ran through the case that I'm familiar with. Utter disdain.

I didn't say constant monitoring or interferring!

I used the word observation because i meant someone checking in.

Many of the distressing stories on this thread are about women not being listened to, which had they been and responded to professionally, could have saved later trauma.

Not sure why you referred to deaths, as the thread is about traumatic experiences.

I referenced deaths that in previous centuries had been more common for women in childbirth as an indication that clearly child birth in it self can be dangerous.

So sorry for those who have seen or known cancer patients being abused.

deep breath, don't swear

Entitled and whiney... Entitled and whiney?!

I do not have the words!

I don't think you actually would care, but do you realise how bloody awful you sound? And apparently you are also some kind of snob because apparently you think the PP is "entitled" because... she is articulate about her truly awful experience?

IIRC I'm pretty sure I've seen your username about, and I'm also pretty sure you aren't a troll, but quite honestly I am a bit gobsmacked (which doesn't happen often to me here) at your attitude towards this poster.

I think you really need to sincerely apologise and then go away and have a bloody good look at yourself for your responses to @Klingfilm - you do not come across at all well here!

(Edit: to remove a stray "that")

I wish I could say this is a surprise
It’s not
I’ve worked as a nurse and midwife. I wanted to make a difference as I’d had less than ideal care with my first baby, leading to PND. But as I was told, hey at least he’s ok. What should have been the best time of my life is overshadowed by memories of being ‘left’ when I didn’t know what to do, or what was happening, or snappy pot-natal ward midwives with their ‘have you fed this baby today?’ ‘Why haven’t you gone for breakfast yet’ (or lunch etc)
I vowed I’d treat my patients better.
It did make me a better midwife. I gave ‘my’ women my best care. I had some brilliant mentors to learn from and I felt very proud of being in a fantastic team.
One senior midwife said to me once- “you love this job don’t you? I can see it on your face”!!!
Many night duties were spent cuddling a baby while mum had some sleep as I wrote my reports. This wasn’t unusual at the time.
In more recent years though, care has become more complex; older mums, mums with raised BMI, medical issues, higher c/s rate etc but without the extra investment that this requires, but all we get from governments is that they’ve put more money into the NHS than ever, more doctors, nurses, midwives etc. Absolutely sick of the rhetoric.
Advances in neonatal medicine demand more cost. And all of this is right and fair- we’re in 2024 after all. It should be the best time in maternity and obstetric care.
I don’t want to say ‘oh we’re so busy you know…’blah blah etc etc and I acknowledge that there are some health professionals that I wouldn’t want care from but truly, many of us have gone home and had sleepless nights over events. And cried.
There are some fabulous midwives out there who really care, honestly and I’m so sorry that so many women have had such traumatic experiences.
I didn’t want to make this post a big whinge fest- I know it’s not all about me and the midwives; I agree things need to change and fast. I just wanted to say I get it, I really do. And I’m sorry

Thanks, Owlhandbag. There are many wonderful midwives.