"I couldn't have done it without them"

I gave birth at Crosshouse hospital in Kilmarnock, in June 2018. The midwives were amazing: they were patient, kind, encouraging and extremely competent. Specifically, Lynne, and her student midwife Julie, got me through a long labour and kept me calm and focused when I needed to be. They explained everything clearly and really helped motivate me to get through the experience.

When I tore, they jumped into action to solve the problem and after everything had calmed down they explained clearly what had happened and how they had treated me. In short, they were exceptional, and we couldn’t have done it without them - thank you so much!

After the birth, I spent a night on the maternity ward. I wanted to thank a particular maternity care assistant who assured me that although breast feeding was best, it was okay to give my baby formula if I wanted to, until I could produce milk. I was exhausted, the baby hadn’t eaten for twelve hours, and I was feeling very frustrated and alone, given it was the middle of the night and my husband had gone home. This member of staff really reassured me, let me make the choice myself without any pressure, and fed baby for me as I couldn’t even hold my own head up. At a time when I was feeling particularly vulnerable, she was an absolute godsend. 

Overall, I had a very positive birth experience at Crosshouse. They took very good care of both me and my baby and I can’t thank them all enough.