"A disappointing experience"

I had my daughter at Victoria hospital in July 2025. The support of the doctors and midwives, especially a student midwife, was wonderful despite a bleed leading to an induction and the need to give birth on the consultant led ward rather than the midwife led water birth I had hoped for. I can't fault the support I was given throughout this scary experience! 

I did feel that things were not always fully explained and I have been left unsure whether I experienced a partial placental abruption or not. However the biggest impact from my time in the hospital has been the negative impact on my breastfeeding journey. Due to various factors I have later learned about during the birth and my baby's tongue tie, this did not go as hoped initially and my baby required formula supplements from the first day. I had thought that due to this I would need to use a breast pump however when I asked to borrow one (as I had learned was possible at the antenatal classes), I was told categorically not to use one. I took this as correct and due to this and the delay in getting the tongue tie dealt with, we missed out on the crucial first days of milk removal and I have therefore been unable to breastfeed successfully. 

I was also advised to remain in hospital to help establish breastfeeding, however the staff I saw on the postnatal ward were so busy (due to no fault of their own) that no support was really available. I have found this experience disappointing, particularly when I think back to the significant push to breastfeed during NHS antenatal classes.