"My birthing experience"

I gave birth to my daughter on 2nd December 2024. Please note that the times below are approximate, though I understand my birth notes contain the accurate records.

I attended the hospital early December 2024 for a scan at 36 weeks pregnant. During the ultrasound I noticed some leakage, so I was sent to triage for advice. A test confirmed that my waters had broken, and I was placed on a monitor. At that time, I was not dilated and was transferred to the pre-labour ward for monitoring and to discuss treatment options (steroids were mentioned). This was around 17:30.

Almost immediately after the test, I began experiencing contractions, and an hour later these had become intense. In my birth planning discussions, I had previously opted for a caesarean section due to severe anxiety surrounding childbirth. Despite this, I was advised to wait and see how I progressed, which I initially accepted.

By 20:00, my contractions were regular and extremely painful. I repeatedly asked to be taken for my planned caesarean section. My mother and partner—who were both with me as birthing partners—also asked staff to check me and offer pain relief. Unfortunately, I felt that my requests were not listened to. I was told several times that I could not be examined again because there needed to be a 3–4 hour gap since my waters test.

I fully understand that hospitals have procedures and guidelines, but I felt completely dismissed. I strongly believe that if I had been examined earlier, staff would have seen that my labour was progressing very quickly. Instead, I remained on the pre-labour ward, surrounded by other women who were not in labour, with no privacy at all. This experience significantly heightened my anxiety, especially as I had planned a caesarean. I felt ignored, embarrassed, and degraded.

Within an hour, I told my mother I felt the urge to push. She called urgently for help, and a new midwife came to assess me. They immediately checked me and found that my daughter’s head was already visible. They questioned why I had not been moved to the labour ward earlier. I was then rushed to labour ward and gave birth naturally to my daughter not long after.

My initial midwife came across as rude and very dismissive. I felt as though they believed I was exaggerating or being dramatic, when in reality I was progressing through labour rapidly. As this was my first child, this treatment left me feeling traumatised and unacknowledged.

Once I was moved to the labour ward and handed over to my night-shift midwife, my experience changed completely. They was absolutely fantastic— listened to me, made me feel heard, and provided the reassurance I desperately needed. Although I only knew them for about 30 minutes before my daughter was born, they restored some dignity to what had been a very distressing experience.

Overall, I feel deeply disappointed with how the first part of my labour was managed. I believe my concerns were ignored, my needs were dismissed, and I was not given the care I required or had planned for. I am still processing the experience and feel traumatised by it. I strongly feel that if the shift change had not occurred, I may have ended up giving birth on the pre-labour ward, in front of strangers, which would have been even more traumatic.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as I would not want any other woman to feel as unheard and unsupported as I did.