"Midwives appear rude and don’t listen"

Gave birth here in October 2018. It’s taken me 9mths to feel comfortable to talk about my experience at this hospital. The midwives failed to listen to anything I asked and pushed for what they believed would be best. Figures here must be high for natural births because they refuse to assist with any other medical interventions. Having a young girl who has not had the joyful experience of child birth herself stand at the end of the bed telling me repeatedly, whilst rolling her eyes “I am doing well” is demeaning. Having another midwife tell me that if I have pethidine my baby could come out drowsy and need resuscitation, in between and DURING contractions is just an appalling way to put someone off having any medication to help them. I understand there are discussions around this but there are also other points that can be made, like the benefits! There was plain refusal of an epidural and they purposely delayed taking my bloods to stop me being able to have one at any point during my labor. They believed as this was my second birth it was going to be much quicker so they refused and delayed any medication from the moment I arrived. Sadly After giving birth I was in extreme shock. This was not picked up either. I was left to sit in my own blood and waters for 5hrs after giving birth. The sheets were only changed when a new shift of midwives came on. I understood that this hospital has checks completed and reports had changed to reflect that they now did listen to the needs of the patients. They sadly don’t. I was handed a questionnaire as I was leaving on my experience giving birth here. I advised the midwives know best. I was not comfortable in writing the truth as I was desperate to leave. I genuinely believe this hospital made bonding with my son more difficult. I felt fear and anxiety for months. I personally never wanted a natural birth but that didn’t matter here cause they did. They need to start listening and showing care and concern to the mother during labor and after, because what happens during the labor can truly affect the relationship that a mother can have with her child. It can be the most beautiful bonding experience or the most terrifyingly traumatic.