"Awful maternity care"

I had planned to give birth in Perth, and on going into labour called the unit there to be told ‘that we have no staff. It was so dismissive and seemed the midwife couldn’t wait to get me off the phone.

It was 10am and there obviously was staff but they told me since it would be that night that I would give birth I couldn’t go to Perth and should phone Ninewells later. This was not the supportive call I expected it to be.

On going into Ninewells the attitude of the staff I encountered was terrible.

Nobody listened to me or my husband, everything took hours to happen, and we basically felt ignored. I wanted a pool birth and was told no without any explanation given. When we got to labour suite my husband noticed the room with a pool was not being used.

I asked for paracetamol and the midwife in labour ward seemed to mock me by saying that paracetamol is hardly going to help. Again, so dismissive.

I felt forced into getting an epidural because it seemed that’s what the midwife wanted me to have so I would be easier to care for (I suspect). This was something I wanted to avoid, and in the end I realised the midwife just didn’t care to support me. All they were interested in was the fetal monitoring and me being more still so they could read it better.

Our baby was unwell on delivery and was taken away from us immediately for resuscitation. I was left alone with nobody to explain what was happening. The care on ward 38 afterwards was completely rushed and I didn’t even get to know any of the midwives names because I didn’t really see them.

The healthcare workers were the ones who did everything it seemed. I had to ask for something for constipation 5 times before it was even given to me.

It was a relief to get home, I would never want to go to this maternity unit again.