"A fantastic experience during which I..."

What I liked

I was worried about being on a ward with 5 other mothers when I had my daughter as I assumed the midwives wouldn't have enough time to spend with each of us showing us the basics. Thankfully, I was proved wrong!

All the staff (night and day shift) were fantastic - I was on the ward for 4 days following a bleed after delivery and the staff were always helpful and patient. During my pregnancy, I was afraid of being left alone with the baby and not knowing what to do when it cried (first child bear in mind!) but the staff always responded promptly whenever I used my buzzer and had amazing levels of patience with me whilst I was learning the ropes (including my complete meltdown when the baby had an explosive poo and then vomited all over, taking out the blankets and cot mattress).

Lastly, I was determined to breastfeed my daughter and again, the midwives were so helpful when it came to tackling latching problems, sore nipples and encouraging me to keep trying. The initial problems with breastfeeding were also part of the reason I was kept in longer than intended. The midwives wanted to help me become more confident feeding my baby before I went home and I'm glad they did! Still going strong after 3 months!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. The midwives on the delivery ward were amazing, the theatre staff that stitched me up after a minor tear were great and of course, the midwives on the Labour ward itself were all a credit to the profession.

Anything else?

I gave birth at a time when the Labour ward was full to bursting, as was the delivery ward. Nonetheless, I wasn't cast aside, forgotten about or made to feel unimportant. I was treated with the utmost respect and dignity during my stay and all hand-overs between night and day staff were done in a thorough manner so nothing was missed.

A truly great experience!