"We had a fantastic experience"

We received an outstanding level of care from many people in various wards during our labour and delivery.

We were admitted to the community Midwife Unit when I called to report that I had a lot of pain and we were met by Rachel. She completed an exam and whilst I was only 2cm dilated she then completed a trace which raised some concerns. We were taken to another room to continue the trace and get a drip. During this time she was very reassuring and remained vigilant throughout.

When we asked questions about what was happening/our options/anything she was so informative and reassuring. When we left her care she was so positive about seeing us again in the labour ward that same day and we did! We were back after around 4 hours and she started our labour ward experience. She was so positive and so friendly we loved her care.

One of the midwives we met on the labour ward was called Debbie and we saw her a few times throughout our time. Most notably when I was in the recovery area after attending theatre and she helped me begin my breastfeeding journey. I was overwhelmed with everything that had happened but we worked together and I am still successful in my breast feeding journey and owe a lot of this to the time spent with Debbie.

I was kept in overnight and had a wonderful midwife called Allison come in to help me. The first time I requested her help was to assist with getting my baby to latch and the second was to assist in feeding as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the events that had taken place. Allison was so patient and very supportive of me. She brought me the breast pump machine so that even though my baby was receiving a bottle I was still getting the stimulation. I felt very comfortable in her care and trusted her.

I had a visit from a physio called Gemma, who covered what had happened to my body, what to expect and what would happen in the coming weeks. I found her very friendly and again was able to ask all questions I needed. I feel like all new mums are worried about their bodies, particularly if like me things don’t go to plan, and Gemma’s treatment of me and care was so reassuring.

Whilst on the post natal ward I was looked after by Jemma. She was also very friendly and really helpful. She checked my stitches and also explained the medication I needed to take over the coming days. On a day I was feeling very vulnerable and nervous her treatment of me helped me relax and be prepared to leave the ward.

Overall we had a fantastic experience and would be really happy to recommend the service to any expecting mother. I hope all the staff know they make such a difference to our lives and with them we have walked away from this smiling every time we reminisce about our time in RAH.