"The impact they made on my pregnancy was profound"

I attended UHD for antenatal care throughout 2024. The care that myself, my partner and my baby received was brilliant.

Antenatally I was looked after by Laura and Faye. I had anxious tendencies before conceiving but these were exasperated in pregnancy. They kept me informed at each appointment as to how my baby was growing and educating/signposting information that would help me understand more about my pregnancy, baby and labour. I felt able to talk to Laura and Faye and they provided me with support, which included the listening service. Sarah, who I spoke to a few times, is great at what she does and encouraged me to speak about my thoughts without judgement. 

I went into spontaneous labour in August 2024 when my waters had broken. I met Linda, the midwife in EOU, upon my arrival at UHD.

As a first time mum I was unsure how quickly I was progressing and anticipated that I'd be going home for a while, however my contractions were frequent and I was pleased when Linda told me I was 5cm dilated. Linda was excellent. She made me feel as though I was doing a good job and was kind and reassuring. Linda admitted me and I was taken to HFH (I was pleased  as it was my birth preference).

Once admitted to HFH my first midwife was Laura. She was wonderful. I laboured in the water for a while. Everything was progressing well and Laura was very encouraging. Once she finished her shift Katrina took over my care. She was supported by a student midwife called Irene. 

I moved to using the bed to lean on and laboured over it. During this time Katrina and Irene kept me informed on every BP, temperature and baby heartbeat checks. They constantly reassured me when I was finding things painful/mentally tough.

Our son was delivered by Katrina, Rachel and Irene. He was born unexpectedly flat and the emergency team were called. Our baby required CPR. This was very distressing to us and not what we expected to happen given a low risk pregnancy and a straight forward labour.

Dr McKeag ran from ED to HFH and cared for us. He cared for us throughout our stay in UHD and was exceptional. The team stabilised our baby and he was brought to NICU. In the meantime Katrina, Rachel and Irene cared for me physically, but also provided emotional support to myself/my partner.

Our baby had to stay in NICU and SCBU for a number of days with a suspected chest infection. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff there. The care we were given was above and beyond. 

When we arrived in NICU I was completely overwhelmed and very emotional. Nurse Emma reassured me and tried to put us at ease. 

Dr McKeag informed me that our son would need a lumbar puncture. He told us what this would involve and any risks. Every interaction my partner and I had with him was warm and compassionate. He also came to HFH to see how we were before we left. His bedside manner was impeccable. 

The nurses in NICU are otherworldly. I hoped to breastfeed and was well supported by the nurses in how to do this. When our son was making ques that he was hungry, Catherine called us to come up and try to bf. She was a great support. Over the next few days the nurses showed me how to get a strong latch and told me I was doing a good job. Michelle was particularly great at that and took her time to help me. That may sound like nothing, but after the days that had preceded, it meant a great deal to me. 

Jen was amazing. She cared for us across NICU and SCBU. She made a fuss of us and was just incredible at her job. I instantly felt relief when I saw Jen on shift. I think she understood how overwhelmed and anxious I was. 

When we were moved from NICU to SCBU were were cared for by Jen and Pamela. After a tricky night where it had been difficult to get a canula into our baby, Pamela took a lot of time to think of options on how we could make sure our baby was getting enough fluids. She knew I was very keen on bf and sat with me as she explained what was happening/what our options were. She's also very funny and lightened the mood when I felt down.

NICU is not where I thought we would be spending the first days of our son's life. If you're reading this and you find yourself there, please have faith that the people who work there are professional, compassionate and amazing at what they do.

While our son was being cared for in NICU/SCBU, we stayed in HFH. The midwives in HFH are AMAZING. Every person that we came in contact with was just so wonderful. Catherine and Ciara helped me express colostrum so that we could bring it to our son. Annie provided me with a happy face. She always made us smile and I'd often come back to my room to find a cup of tea waiting for me. Kim gave us many much needed laughs during our stay and really lightened the mood. Nicola, Claire and Beth made me feel great and were so encouraging of how bf was going. Sue helped show me different positions that I could bf.

My mum is a midwife so I know how hard the job is and that it is often without thanks. Please know that the impact you made on my pregnancy and labour was profound and will never be forgotten. The team at UHD Maternity really helped me through one of the toughest weeks of my life and I am indebted to them for making the experience the best it could be given the situation.