"Miscarriage and pregnancy"

During 2018 and late 2019 I suffered 4 miscarriages in very close succession. This was an extremely traumatic and worrying time for both myself and my husband. However, the care of the medical staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary made the experience a lot easier. I was amazed at the empathy of all the staff within the Rubislaw ward. The care and attention i received within this ward on all occasions was always of the highest standard. 

Similarly, with the services I received within the miscarriage clinic, run initially by Professor Cummings and then Dr. Shetty. Their expertise in this area was second to none and their ability to reassure and comfort really did make a huge difference.

In January 2020 I found out I was pregnant again. Dr Shetty was available at all times to answer my questions and attended my first scan at 7 weeks where, for the first time, I had a healthy heartbeat. Dr Shetty seem to understand the anxiety this could cause after so many miscarriages and it was a huge comfort to have in the room. 

My care throughout my pregnancy really was fantastic. Even with the Covid pandemic I felt I was treated as a priority. My anxiety after so many miscarriages was high but the team allowed several reassurance scans. This made a huge difference to my pregnancy and really helped me through. The ultrasound team never once made me feel like a burden. Similarly the midwifery team at Inverurie were fantastic and never questioned my numerous concerns about reduced movement, which I believe were driven by anxiety more than anything else. 

In addition, I had access to Shona who really helped on the mental health side. I can honestly say Shona helped me turn a corner with my anxiety throughout my pregnancy. I was extremely anxious and negative at the start, even having to be signed off from work. Shona worked with me on a regular basis and really helped me feel more positive and even excited - something that is hard to feel after so many losses. She helped with everything from dealing with the huge sense of loss from the pregnancies that ended all the way through to helping me deal with anxieties around giving birth and beyond. I didn’t realise there was such a service but her support was invaluable and I know I would have really struggled without her.

As I’d had a section with my previous daughter I opted for one again. I could not believe how ‘slick’ the process was. From the meeting and guidance with my consultant through to the set up on the day, I was amazed by how efficient everything was. My daughter was born on the morning of the 2nd October 2020 and although I can’t remember the names of the surgeons, midwife and anaesthetists i will always remember their huge level of skill and professionalism. They were all truly fantastic at what they did. 

I opted for one night in hospital which was due to feeling ok to go home. Whilst in  hospital all staff were very attentive and dealt with my every need....even cups of tea in the middle of the night. 

As with all my daughters the Inverurie based community midwives were fantastic and even with Covid managed to visit me on a regular basis. My care has now transferred to Gail, health visitor who i already know and find her to be beyond helpful, attentive as well as extremely personable. 

I really do want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with both the miscarriages and the pregnancy. I was shocked by how affected I was with the miscarriages and how this affected my mental health. However, having the fantastic support do the NHS really helped me get through an extremely difficult time. I have so much to say thank you for and I really do hope that everyone within the Rubislaw ward, miscarriage clinic, wider maternity unit, Shona, the Inverurie midwifery team, the ARI scanning department and the health visitors really know the value that they add and how appreciated I am of the services they deliver. Thank you.