"Maternity experience"

Earlier this year I gave birth to my first baby. My waters broke at home. I was assessed that evening at CAH and told to return the following day to be induced if my labour didn’t begin (due to the risk of infection).

When I went to the induction bay, I was examined and told because I was 2cm dilated I needed to go to the delivery suite to be put in the drip, but there was nowhere available for me. (I should add I had been 2cm dilated for over a week at this point- and when I was examined the night before they knew I was 2cm dilated).

My husband was sent home that evening and I spent the night in the induction bay, developing increasing contractions as the night went on. This was an extremely fearful time for me - I was going into labour on my own, and knew there was nowhere for me to go if it kept developing (in fact, the midwife on the desk told me they were diverting people to Daisy Hill as there was no capacity in Craigavon, and that I was top of the queue when delivery suite became available). 

I was checked on once during the night and told the midwife how distressed I was feeling about the situation. Frankly there was no care given, I felt I was treated as if I was being dramatic and exaggerating the pain I was in. 

After a few hours of this my labour stalled- no doubt due to the distressed state I was in (as a side note- the induction bay is the most in-conducive place for the development of labour I can imagine- surely it should feel homely if the production of oxytocin is to be encouraged). With hindsight I wish I had gone home to spend the night there, at least I would have had my husband with me, and could have used the bath etc for pain relief. It was very worrying being told I needed to be induced due to the risk of infection and then being left on my own in a room for hours with nothing happening.

Eventually I was brought to the delivery suite to be put on the drip. When examined I was 5cm dilated - which to me was a relief as I felt vindicated that the contractions I had been experiencing were very real! I should add that the care from this point in was exceptional- our midwife did a fantastic job of supporting me through labour.