"Maternity care altnagelvin"

I recently had my second baby in 2 years at Altnagelvin, and to say I had a night and day experience would be an understatement. 

I was under the weigh to health programe which to be honest im not sure what the point of it was? I met the specialist midwive once in altnagelvin and she told me to wash my previous scar with unscented soap (?) and asked me why I'd put on so much weight after my first baby. Something I didn't think I had done if im honest and I had also just disclosed a history of postnatal depression and anxiety so I mean hardly the most empathetic language. 

This was the only time I met this midwife and I received no support other than my weight being recorded everytime i attended and being told they allow us to put on 2 stone as if I put on 2 stone 1 lb id be disciplined. It felt like a pen pushing, box ticking exercise to fane support for mothers who had higher BMIs (a separate issue entirely). 

 

The pros 

The entire team in theatre were lovely and so reassuring! It made a stark difference to an emergency section.

Lynn the midwife who looked at me in recovery after my section was so great and supportive and really brought a lovely vibe in a stressful situation. 

Ciara, Mollie, Audrey and Patrica were great on postnatal ward, even though they were working under extremely high pressure conditions. They were lovely and caring and exemplified the empathy and respect I feel all new mummy's should receive.  

The cons 

My baby was in NICU and when I was having to go to feed her in the night I was locked out of postnatal ward on more than one occasion as the main doors into the ward locked at midnight. The buzzer did not seem to connect to anyone so on 2 occasions in the early hours of the morning I had to wait until a member of the support services team was passing to let me in! Not ideal to be standing in a dark corridor in the middle of the night after major abdominal surgery! 

The postnatal ward seemed extremely understaffed or over occupied to the point were I had to remove my own canulas after asking for them to be either re-stuck or removed as they had become unstuck and were painful! I had been told I'd have my last IV medication and someone would remove them shortly, this went on after numerous enquires and 4 hours, I removed them myself and noone ever checked to see who or when they were removed. 

I was expressing colostrum for my baby and the morning after she was born, I was still in alot of pain and unable to walk a great distance so was waiting for my partner to be allowed to come in before he could wheel me to NICU. They rang and asked for more colostrum. A maternity assistant came in and said they needed more milk and asked if I was not going to see my baby today?" At 9am, in a shocked tone insisuating judgment. Even typing this now is making me so angry. She was livid she had to take the syringes over to NICU as I heard her telling her colleagues at the nurses station, as my bed was in the bay right beside it, and the shame and guilt I was made feel was horrible. The attitude and judgment I felt, no vulnerable new mother should ever have to feel! I had enquired about a wheel chair the day my baby was born and I was told there were none on the ward and my husband had to go on a wild goose chase to find one for me to be able to see my baby the day she was born. So not wanting to risk falling and being offered zero support from the staff I think this attitude was horrific. 

On a separate occasion a different maternity assistant seen me walking a family member up the ward and shouted at me to go back to my room I wasn't allowed out carrying my baby as she walked on past! I was horrified at how I was spoken to and embarrassed in front of family and another new mum who I knew and was speaking to. I wasnt aware of this policy. Here's a suggestion on how to handle this in future, firstly stop with the mum, calmly explain to them the policy and allow them to go back and get thier crib or politely say they could go back to their room. Also maybe think how YOU would like to be spoken to and employ that tone of voice. I dont feel being shouted at is acceptable in any setting let alone a health care setting where im supposed to trust you to be providing care for me and my new baby! Really, really poor form here and it really affected how I felt about my stay on the ward. I wanted out ASAP as I didn't trust some of the staff and didn't feel that they had any respect or empathy which is a horrible way to feel. 

This wasnt my first baby and in just 20 months the change in the post natal experience was shocking. It is seemingly a systemic thing and I dont believe the staff to be bad people. Just people who have been so desensitised to their working environment and the patient group they are dealing with. Maybe due to a lack of support and appropriate staffing levels? It makes  reasonable requests and expectations from patients seem like we're seeking preferencal treatment or being demanding. On occasion I felt a lack of basic empathy and unfortunately the bad encounters overshadow the good. If I'm totally honest, this only touches the surface.