"Lack of midwifery care during labour"

I had my daughter at Medway Maritime which I chose especially after researching and finding their great reviews and awards. 

I’m so thankful that I had a healthy baby because the care I received whilst on the labour ward was minimal. If there had been anything wrong with the baby I do not trust that it would have been handled well. I came away feeling like we might as well have gone to Premier Inn to have the baby as I basically was put in a room and left to it.

This was my second baby and I had always planned to have an epidural for the birth - when I called ahead I told them this.  As soon as I arrived at the hospital having contractions I told the midwives I'd like an epidural - they looked at each other blankly and then went off to a staff area whilst I stood there at reception having painful contractions.

Eventually I was taken to a room, checked and told I was 3cm dilated. I really think this is unlikely as I was 3cm dilated 2 days earlier at my midwife check up and now I was heavily contracting!

Anyway that was it - me in this room in so much pain, with my husband, and I thinking I sure hope the anaesthetist gets here soon. My husband had to keep going out to find the midwife to ask her for any updates. She would come into the room and just say "no sorry he’s busy in surgery" and then just stand there watching me have a contraction silently and then leave.

She never checked me again and I had to ring the emergency alarm when in all honesty I thought I was going to poo! I told her this when she came in and she stood there with her hand cupped under my anus whilst I bent over the bed in pain. At no point did she say, you’re actually having the baby now, let’s get you in position.

Another midwife came in, who I'd never seen before, and it was her that said why don’t you get on the bed so we don’t drop the baby onto the floor and that was when I knew the baby was actually coming! (This was an hour after being told I was 3cm dilated and left then alone.)

I was not supported one bit - not informed about what was happening to me let alone given any ‘you’re doing really well’ or ‘it’s time to push when you feel the contractions’. I feel that I did it alone, with my poor husband helplessly watching the shock on my face.

After the birth I sat in a blood soaked gown on the blood soaked bed for two hours waiting to birth the placenta. I don’t know why I didn’t ask for the sheets to be changed but I was quite shell shocked by my experience. 

When it came time for a shift changeover the new midwife came in and said oh dear let’s get you cleaned up and change these sheets. She was very lovely and I wish I’d had her for the birth.

I had a beautiful baby girl who was healthy and passed all the tests and we were ready to go home by 1pm. We didn’t make it out the door until 8pm because we were waiting on the results of a final blood test for me, which it transpired they lost the blood sample for and had to do again.

If I have another baby, I would NEVER go to this hospital!