"I can't speak highly enough of the staff"

Antenatal care - I had a wonderful antenatal experience at Inverurie CMU, it’s a fantastic facility with wonderful staff, and we felt so fortunate to have this on our doorstep. 

I saw my assigned midwife Sophie at each appointment and really appreciated that she went to the effort to ensure this continuity of my care. I looked forward to my appointments with her and found Sophie to be a reassuring figure during my first pregnancy. Sophie was so lovely; I really felt like she knew me, took her time to do all the checks and chats, and the clinics always felt relaxed and not rushed. If I have any more children then I’d hope to be assigned to Sophie again, I had a really enjoyable pregnancy and I’m sure my positive clinics with her contributed to that.

I also met many of the Inverurie midwives as I’d had some episodes of reduced movement, on each occasion everything was fine but I appreciated the swift action of the midwives no matter the time of day or night. On the third occasion it was the early hours of the morning and we were told I would have to have an induction that week and without fully knowing what this involved I was booked in for that Thursday. Upon discovering I would no longer be able to have my midwife-led, planned birth at Inverurie, both my husband and I were upset. I was always going to be flexible about ‘the plan’ knowing birth is such an unknown, but to have that option removed was devastating, particularly when the consultants in Aberdeen started talking to us about stillbirth risks. We were upset and bewildered, but as a compromise, the consultant offered me a sweep and said if I went into labour naturally within 24 hours I could go to Inverurie, which I really appreciated.

The birth - spontaneous labour didn’t happen, unfortunately, but I was already 2-3cm dilated so was called to the labour ward at AMH not needing the full induction.

I was extremely nervous and started crying; my assigned midwife Chelsea picked up on this straight away and gave me a big hug, and asked if I was quite an anxious person in general. The fact she sensed this put me at ease straight away - I felt really safe in her care and was so reassured at how caring and compassionate she was, and I honestly don’t think I could have had a better, more positive birth experience at Aberdeen. 

I needed the oxytocin drip, but Chelsea kept me informed at every step, explained everything and consulted with me on every decision made, at every point my husband and I felt involved and reassured. 

The whole experience was very relaxed, and when active labour did begin I was able to choose my own pain management, and when I was unable to communicate myself, my husband acted as advocate and was listened to at every step. I was lucky enough not to have a prolonged labour, and Chelsea and another midwife helped me with the breathing through the delivery and ensured the safe arrival of my baby boy. I was monitored so closely throughout and afterwards too, I had complete trust in the team and they turned what I feared would be a painful, negative experience into a positive one. I did need stitches, but Chelsea did a brilliant job of these and they are healing well. 

I can’t speak highly enough of Chelsea - what a wonderful midwife she is and an absolute credit to the profession. She has confidence, compassion and knowledge beyond her years and I was so happy my son arrived before her shift ended so she was the one to deliver him. Chelsea seems like a truly lovely person and a real asset to the NHS - I hope she enjoys a long and successful career.

Postnatal care - We were taken to the Summerfield Ward afterwards, where we continued to receive excellent care. The midwives and student midwives were helpful and there whenever we needed them. In particular, Jade and Kasia were fantastic, they helped me establish breast feeding with my son. I was amazed at Jade’s knowledge and the way she mentored the student midwives in her charge, while I appreciated Kasia’s hands-on approach to helping my son latch on.

My husband stayed over with me and although this isn’t encouraged, I appreciated that he wasn’t told to leave. I really felt like I needed him there for that first night and although I wouldn’t expect any facilities for the dads, a reclining chair at the bedside would be good for dads/birth partners as it was an uncomfortable night on the chair. In hindsight I wished I’d stayed two nights rather than one as I have struggled a bit at home. 

The Inverurie midwifery team have been beyond brilliant in their support and scheduling in extra visits and calls during the 10-day period. I’ve found the lack of sleep difficult to deal with alongside anxiety at nighttime, as well as the exhausting frequency of breastfeeding. I cried several times during visits but was assured I could call the unit at any time if I wasn’t coping. I appreciated being asked how I was feeling each time as I generally find it difficult to speak up for myself and say how I really feel.

Last week we were asked up to the unit when I was having a particularly bad day and Hayley was just fantastic. She is such a kind, caring and patient individual, she took us to the quiet room and observed me feeding my son while making helpful suggestions as to how to improve the situation. I was very upset but Hayley reassured me I was doing a good job and brought us tea and biscuits, making sure we were comfortable and that I felt secure. Again, I can’t thank Hayley enough for being there during a particularly tough moment, she was intuitive, compassionate and knew exactly what to do to make me feel better. She has a wonderful manner and again is a real asset to the profession.

I know it’s not practical in terms of resources and staffing, but I really wish the postnatal midwifery care could continue for two weeks after the birth rather than 10 days. I struggled more than I thought and didn’t feel ready to be discharged from midwife care on day 10 - as daft as it sounds, I felt as long as midwives were checking in on me I knew that my son was doing okay. It’s testament to the excellent team at Inverurie that I felt so reassured by them in the days after birth and I will miss seeing their friendly faces.