"Awful Maternity experience"

Russells Hall Hospital Maternity Unit June 2021. After speaking with a midwife about my feelings and mental health struggles with people I don't know and the fear of men I was told I was able to stay in a single room with my baby to recover until I went home. I stressed that for the past 12 months my issues with domestic violence with my ex partner and having to shield because of covid being repeatedly made aware to stay away from groups of people and to stay in my home because it could have an impact on my health if I were to get covid, gave me extreme social anxiety on top of already complexed mental health issues, to the point I never left my home or had contact with people apart from immediate family.

I was moved anyway to a bay of 4 with other people and became distressed very quickly. I had no understanding from the lead midwife or other members of staff only judgement and humiliation. I felt I had to leave hospital before I was ready to in pain that I struggled to manage. Other patients were able to hear everything and made remarks to make me feel even worse. I overheard staff tell a lady in the next bed I was having a psychotic episode which was untrue as I was not in psychosis and had tutting from both of them. No one had any compassion to the distress I was in or to why. Not a single member of staff demonstrated any training on how to deal with someone who was in mental distress.

I was made to carry my own bags and baby in a heavy car seat after having a c section no one offered to help or let my sister in to help me. This is a disgusting way to treat someone especially someone in crisis. This will be taken further by myself and family if no action is taken. I believe your staff need training and compassion.