"Overall care was incredible"

Overall, the care throughout my second pregnancy has been incredible. My community midwife Lisa (based in Dingwall) was excellent throughout, taking lots of time along the way to discuss mode of delivery. I was advised after a previous birth to have a c-section due to shoulder dystocia and Lisa happily discussed this with me at length to make sure this was the right decision for us this time round. Post-natal, everyone who visited was great - Emily, Eilidh, Evelyn and Lisa. We had issues with jaundice and weight loss but they were all very supportive and helpful.

I had to attend Raigmore twice for ferinject and, apart from a long wait on the first occasion, everything was great. Staff were friendly and apologetic about wait times. 

When it came to the c-section, the team were all brilliant. Jenny the midwife & Sarah the MCA who accompanied us were great at keeping us informed about what was happening before & on the way to theatre. Once we were there, Mike the anaesthetist was absolutely brilliant. He made a very nerve-wracking experience so much easier with his kindness and good humour. It would be so easy for staff in theatres to forget how big a deal it is for their patients but the team we had certainly did not and did everything they could to put us at ease.

Back on the ward, Jenny did a lot of my care in the hours after surgery and she was brilliant and reassuring during this. Sarah was also part of this care and was so chatty and kind. The following day, nursery nurse Rhona was a ray of sunshine after a sleepless night. She has such a good manner about her and is excellent at giving you a much needed boost whilst making sure baby is well looked after too & you have any help you may need.

Daoine, the IFSW, has also been fantastic. It's such a great resource to have and if it wasn't for her I would have had to give up breastfeeding less than a week after my daughter was born. 

The one bit of my care I was a little disappointed by was the input from the registrar & consultant that I met with regarding the decision to deliver by c-section. The near me appointment at 17 weeks was of little use. I had really hoped to have a proper chat to help me make the decision re mode of delivery & have time to think about this, but the registrar could not have got me off the call quicker if they tried (despite being 10 minutes late for the call, with no meaningful apology). I then had an appointment with the consultant at 34 weeks and again, it felt like they didn't really have the time or inclination to have a full conversation. I was very much made to feel like I had just chosen a section, not that it had been medically advised by both the SCM and the doctor who delivered my older daughter and freed her shoulder dystocia.