"The way I was treated in Ashgrove Ward"

I was traumatised by the way I was treated in Ashgrove Ward.

Sounds dramatic but I had my baby in July 2019 and suffered bad post natal depression for a while and with the current pandemic it made me think I would hate for anyone to be treated the way I was especially when people can’t have visitors anymore. 

I was put in the ashgrove Ward after having my son & I was in the tiniest corner as you come in the door to the room, I had just had a spinal & epidural and wasn’t allowed to get out of bed, I was in my room for 4 hours before anyone came to check on me & when they did it was a midwife. I asked her if she could help me with breastfeeding as I was having discomfort, she said she didn’t have time just now and would be back, half an hour later she came to show me how to express I tried to copy what she showed me & she moved my hand away & went “ NO YOUR NOT ROWING A BOAT!” 

& then started to do it for me but was really hurting me in the process which I had to tell her to stop, a few hours later I asked for help again from Her as she seemed to be the only midwife walking about the room, I couldn’t get my son to latch and she sighed after a while & went “ do you want me to show you where the milk cupboard is “ then came & gave me a little bottle of formula which I didn’t even want to do!  I was too busy trying so hard to breastfeed at the time it wasn’t until I left hospital that I thought of everything back and thought all this really didn’t help when I was really ill with preclamysia which I feel led to my post natal depression I managed to breastfeed my son until he was 10 months thankfully with no problems after leaving hospital!

I was in ashgrove for a week and no1 ever asked if I needed help or checked if I was ok as a young first time mum I was shocked! The only two midwives that were brilliant got my baby dressed and changed his nappy for me while I showered and I was so thankful for them on my last few days I wished they’d been there from day 1. Also one midwife wouldn’t take me on when I was at the nurses station to ask a question about my son coughing up mucus all the time a simple “ it’s normal it’s fine Itl pass “ would have took 2 mins but I stood there for ages with her not taking me on I said excuse me so many times & then when a midwife spoke to me she went oh sorry you are from my ward I thought you wasn’t that’s why I didn’t answer! One midwife was the most patient person ever and sat with me for ages one day showing me how to express with the machine & it was amazing! 

I’d also like to say when I was in labour in the labour ward my midwife was spot on when I first had her, I was really exhausted from being in labour for so long and I was on gas & air for hours but I began to notice everytime my mum & sister left the room she’d ask me really personal questions like why is the dad not involved ? Will he ever be? Then when my mum and sister came back in the room she’d always stop speaking or change the subject, then when the lady that comes in to check with the iPad asked me what names I had in mind this midwife laughed and said oh maybe name him after the dad! Which I thought was really inappropriate and it actually really upset when I was in labour and was so glad when the other midwife and her student took over!

They were absolute amazing!!! I loved them so much they came in at a bad time when I was all distressed but the after care from them was amazing! I wish I knew the students name because she was honestly the best I thought she was qualified she took pics of me & my son when everyone left and gave me a bed bath & showed me how to get him dressed couldn’t thank them enough! 

I had another amazing midwife a lady I kept forgetting her name cause I only had her for a while but she was the best when I was getting my epidural holding my hand & she literally done everything I asked of her! 

Theatre team also amazing! I know it seems a long time to complain but I always think about how those two midwives spoke to me and I always wish I said something on the day but I wasn’t fully with it at the time with being so ill I just feel that I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through the same as I did with them.