"Unplanned Caesarean Section"

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff that helped to safely deliver my son at 36 weeks gestation.

I had attended maternity assessment as I had became concerned that my waters maybe had broken. I was seen quickly by the midwife Amy and put under observation whilst we waited for the doctor to attend.

Amy was so kind and reassuring and kept checking on me to see if I was doing ok. She came with me to the pre op and checked on me post surgery. I really appreciated this.

Dr Gordon was the first to assess me and after examination confirmed that my waters had broken. She treated me with dignity and respect and compared to previous examinations it was painless. Due to previous infection she advised that I would need to deliver my baby within the next few hours but the consultant would come to chat to me about what the next steps were. She could tell that I was upset at this news and anxious, and she really took the time to reassure me and understand what my concerns were after my previous birth. She asked me how much detail and explanation I wanted throughout the procedure which I appreciated. She also came to visit me the next day in the post natal ward to check how I was which really meant a lot to me.

Dr Scott was the consultant on duty and he explained the urgency of the section this time vs my previous birth and how much time we would have. I had already completed the form for a planned section but had to go over the risks again as this was unplanned. He was very professional and took the time to reassure me that although this was an unplanned section again we still had some time to pause for thought if we needed to or had any concerns. He would rather we took time now to assess the situation, bloods etc than make any quick decisions. He also reassured me about my sons gestation and although he was early at 36 weeks this was still likely to have positive outcomes. I felt like I had complete trust in him and confidence in his decision making. 

The anaesthetist Dr Wallace was fantastic and was a constant source of reassurance for me throughout. She came to meet me in pre op to explain what would be happening. The epidural was painless. She asked me before the surgery how much detail did I want to know, explained how long it would take, she asked if I wanted them to shout boy or girl, if I wanted to see the baby over the drapes etc. At one point during the procedure I even asked if I could hold her hand which she happily obliged. Any questions I had she would answer promptly and she never made me feel that I was bothering her or that it wasn’t valid. She is fantastic at her job and I am so grateful to her for keeping me calm.

There were two midwives who attended the section with me and looked after me in recovery/transfer to my ward (one was a trainee). I am so sorry that I can’t remember their names but I wanted to thank them for the care they showed me before and after the operation. They treated me with dignity and respect and were so reassuring.

Although this was my second unplanned c section , the difference was night and day. I felt listened to, respected and reassured by all members of the team. Please pass on my thanks to all the staff involved. I will never forget how they made me feel and I have felt much more positive this time about the whole birth experience thanks to them.