"Maternity and labour ward"

I gave birth in Paisley in March, I'd hoped to attend the midwife led unit but was induced so was on the labour ward. Most of the care was great, some parts of the induction process could have been better.

Induction started around 10pm after delays getting admitted, I was on a noisy ward and was on continuous monitoring and for a good few hours making it impossible to sleep. Labour pains started around 3am, I'd brought hot water bottles for pain relief but the hot water machine was turned off. One small lukewarm heat pack was available and paracetamol. Access to hot water would be one small way to improve being able to manage pain.

It wasn't really possible to stay moving to help with labour pains as it's a shared ward and the space is small. I understand space is limited etc but a sleepless night on a shared ward wasn't a great start for labour. I was put back on continuous monitoring later in the night and started to vomit due to the induction medication - it was impossible to move, to get water etc while attached to the machine and I was continuously ill. It took ages for anyone to respond to the bell to get water, tissues or a bowl for sick, it was the other women on my ward who helped me during this.

I was eventually given anti-sickness medication but it didn't work and was later told I could have been given better treatment for this. Small things like helping women get rest, have privacy and space, understanding that you don't have a birth partner present so have no assistance when spending hours on monitoring while having contractions without pain relief would help women have a better start to induced labour.

In the morning, I was told I was dilated enough for the labour ward and my partner was able to come in.

The care on the labour ward was fantastic, I had a super midwife. She changed the anti sickness medication and I got something that worked. She talked through the pain relief options and I started with a bath. She got music on, nice lighting and was really supportive. It was a massive change from the maternity ward and was a really calm and happy environment. Due to concerns about the heart rate, I had to stop with the bath and then used gas and air, after a few hours I took an epidural and labour then stopped progressing. It was suggested by a doctor on the ward that I take oxytocin, at this stage I wasn't sure what to do, it had been 14 hours since labour began, I hadn't slept the previous night nor the night before as I had had the balloon induction before that. I was exhausted and asked for time to think about the options. My midwife and the doctor I dealt with were really helpful in allowing this time and after half an hour or so they reassessed whether labour had progressed at all, how the baby was doing and the options available.

At this stage, I decided on a C-section, the baby's heart rate was causing some concerns and I was worried I was too exhausted to continue with labour. The team providing the c section talked through what would happen and explained what everyone would be doing. My partner was able to be with me during the surgery. I had really hoped to avoid a c section but the way my midwife and the doctor handled it helped me feel happy about it afterwards. I felt it had been my choice and the right choice in the circumstances.

They tried to allow me skin to skin contact after the baby was born but I was really sick again, I hadn't realised the sickness could be so bad. The baby also needed to be washed as she had passed poo in the waters while still in the womb. My partner got to hold her shortly after birth and have skin to skin contact first in the recovery ward. I was able to hold her after about an hour, we were given plenty of time and privacy on the ward and most involved in the delivery came out to meet the baby.

Back on the maternity ward, I got assistance during the night as I couldn't lift the baby yet. The staff were all kind and supportive. I stayed in the next night too, I got support with breast feeding which was great as the baby cluster fed. I was shown how to get mucus up as the baby had this after being delivered by c section.

I have wondered since if I might have avoided the c section if I hadn't been induced or hadn't been as exhausted from induction. Recovery from the c section was tough, I couldn't do a lot which I'd assumed I'd be able to do with my baby and I later got an infection. I know there is no way of knowing what the outcome would be without induction but I think if I'd waited for labour to start naturally or if I'd been able to rest or manage sickness and pain more the night before labour, I would have had a better labour.

But overall the care was really good and it was a positive experience.