"Giving birth in Antrim during covid"

I was induced at 40w 1 day due to a large baby, back in March 2020. When I was induced I was told my partner would be allowed in. Then the rules changed that day but they would let him stay as he was already in.

However when my waters broke and I was in full established labour he was sent home despite me being told I was going to the delivery suite an hour earlier at 7pm. I was distressed and in a lot of pain.

A midwife came and took the gas and air off me and my mobile phone that I was using to communicate with my partner and told me to go to sleep even tho I was in full labour. I don't know how long it was before another midwife came to check me and gave me back my pain relief.

I texted my partner at 1am to tell him I was going to delivery. At 5am I was finally moved to delivery. I'm not sure what drips were attached me, neither is my partner as he was not present. I know I had gas and air and diamorphine as pain relief. I think I got pitocin as my contractions were stopping and starting. I was then given Remifentanil, which I did consent to as I was in so much pain.

I had been pushing for 2 hours. Baby's head was in an awkward position plus he was large, so a decision was made to use forceps. They injected the perineum with anaesthetic and immediately cut me, but the area was not numb. Then brought the forceps in.

I was held down in the bed as the pain was unbearable. I'm not sure if this is a correct procedure or should this have been done in theatre with appropriate pain relief? There was no immediate danger to baby or myself as far I was aware.

After giving birth my contractions stopped and I had a retained placenta which needed to be removed in surgery. I then got a spinal block and ended up numb from the chest down.

When I returned from surgery I was cleaned, dressed and sent to postnatal less than an hour after. My partner wasn't allowed in. I was still numb and didn't have the correct care. I remember my baby crying and I reached over to bring him to me to soothe him as I couldn't take it any longer. I dread to think what could have happened if I dropped him or fell out of the bed with him.

I was discharged the next afternoon with little information on aftercare and zero information on what happened in surgery. Aftercare was virtually non-existent. I suffered with postnatal depression after giving birth and needed counselling.