"My labour experience"

End of May I was admitted to Wishaw with reduced foetal movement.

I was 1cm dilated with water breaking at 9.30pm 

Initial overnight Care was great, pain management was ongoing .

Daytime care I felt was abysmal.

Initially a bishop score of 8 advised at 8am, I was awaiting a bed at labour ward for induction, heart monitor for baby checked, observations obtained. No further intervention was advised, obs due at 12 these where late and  baby heart monitor did not get reviewed again until late afternoon.

I was placed in a 4-bed bay with three other women. The reviewing doctor attended all three of them and not me. Meanwhile I had been contracting all night. No one has reviewed me, assessed my cervix or attended with a plan considering I was due for induction at 8am.

 The Midwife taking care of me, who I have absolutely zero confidence in as a health care provider attended bedside and advised that they were going to review and check how my waters were doing, I had to inform them that in fact my waters had broken the night before, as afore mentioned and I was concerned as to why I was not in the labour unit being induced as instructed by the consultant on call the previous night.

Their reply to me was that” the workload was too busy and this would not be happening. They had  a very flippant attitude which was entirely unsettling for myself and my partner.

The Midwife then Advised she was going to check my cervix and assess see if the waters were still there. Once again I advised my waters had indeed broken the previous night. They returned to carry out procedure again,  reflecting back this was without aseptic technique, which was also witnessed by my partner and we did not realise this was to be aseptic until returning to the hospital later that night and it was highlighted that it was required to be aseptic, due to increased risk of infection was now possible

Post assessment I asked how far dilated I was to be told

"Well I can get 1 finger ideally I’d like to get 2" again asked therefore, how far dilated I was due to finger not being accurate if someone with larger fingers would find different

They appeared flustered. and could not answer and appeared to guess at 1cm.

They then advised that she reckons it was only a small amount . With regards to my waters breaking, even though it was noted it was a  large gush and a substantial amount. I asked regarding antibiotic cover  due to my waters breaking, as the midwife had assured me from the nightshift, I would receive antibiotics if no change by 0930. I was again miss advised and misinformed by this midwife "That when we say 24 hours we mean like 24 hours plus, like the next morning so it will be fine for you to come back at eight in the morning and you won’t need antibiotic cover",

When questioning why I was receiving different guidelines from 2 midwifes they again could not answer and I therefore asked for further advice from medical staff for clarification due to taking no risks in regards to my baby’s health.

when I asked why all women in the room had a consultant review and I didn't, i was advised again by the midwife that I was not a priority concern,  that they did not have any concerns regarding me needing a review although I was the 1 patient within the room having contractions all night and in extreme pain.

I challenged this considering a consultant had admitted me and requested hormone drip.

A student returned to remove baby’s monitoring, this was at 2.20, I asked for pain killers. I also overheard the conversation from outside my room between my midwife and her colleague. Who were discussing that they had completed a bishop score and had now scored me a 6, although previously scoring an 8 and now over 17 hours later I was reduced by 2. The midwife they were chatting with was disregarding and commented, what was my problem that the score is as good as the last VE  from whoever undertakes the examination.

Meanwhile I was still awaiting painkillers further buzzed a CSW attended and again advised she would inform midwife. I have waited over an hour with discussing my pain with several staff. The midwife dealing with me never returned to my bedside, so where is the consistency of “care”?

A different midwife gave me painkillers  nearly  two hours after I originally asked for it.

The Midwife returned to advise that a doctor reviewed my notes from outside the room still not reviewing me independently and suggested it was ok for me to go home without antibiotic cover and return at 8am the next morning 3 hours after originally asked for further clarification.

In the meantime while waiting for painkillers and review we had the room door closed on us, nursing station was full of laughter  To clarify further that upon my return to the ward the following evening I was given antibiotics as a matter of urgency.

The care I received as a human being, far less a mother or a woman was disgraceful. We are in a pandemic and the midwife found it appropriate to examine me without taking proper precautions meanwhile my partner is at the corner of a room adhering to all covid guidelines to keep your staff safe and I am being treated like this.

You may look at my notes which are completely recorded on the system so there is no chance they can be misplaced. And what type of retraining is going to be offered to the midwife and they're immediate superior for allowing her to be so passive regarding a situation which quickly became emergent. And her clear disregard for proper protocol when being sanitary and clean before touching a patient. Something I am disgusted to even write.