"I want them to improve for the next mother"

This wasn’t my first baby, it was my third and unfortunately was not the first bad experience I have had. Especially with postnatal care.

For some background to my previous experience, with my first when in labour, I felt the need to push too soon. The staff member with me at the time referred to their senior midwife, who said it's their first baby, they don't know what they're talking about. My baby was stuck and it resulted in urgent action being taken when the doctor came to see how I was getting on. Staff at the time forgot to recheck my bloods after a blood loss and I became very unwell for months because of this and I believe that this caused or was part of the cause of postnatal depression.

My second baby, I was almost sent home again without my bloods being checked, even when I kept asking. As I was packing they came in to tell me I needed a blood transfusion.

This pregnancy - my third pregnancy and the one this is mainly about - was by far the worst experience. I wanted to have as natural a birth as possible however due to previous weights of my babies, it was a balancing act and resulted in growth scans and frequent hospital appointments to discuss said growth scans. A plan was in place for weeks. At my last visit, this all changed when I was informed that they could not locate my notes from my first birth. Somehow along the way, it had been communicated that something had occurred in my first birth that had not, and which I said had not, but I was advised to book in a c-section because they didn’t have my notes. I refused because it happened to me and I know what occurred and wouldn’t be forced. So I was booked in for an induction after them suggesting I would likely be killing myself and my baby! Their mannerisms were disgusting. This went on for a while longer, no notes, nobody could find them. I went in for my covid swabs and myself and partner were covid positive and so my induction was moved - which at one point had been deemed medically necessary to be carried out at that stage.

I complained to the lead clinician after a phone call with a consultant surrounding this which caused a panic attack and having to hand my husband the phone. The consultant was entirely unreasonable and rude. When I made points they agreed but still would not change my date that was cancelled. A point of note - all NHS provided at home COVID tests were negative. So following a complaint to the lead clinician, they then begin to try and locate my notes (my personal data) again and book me back in a couple days later. Some time later, I got a call and my notes had been found. What I had said did not occur, indeed did not and telling me I was risking my life and that of my baby had been entirely uncalled for. The panic and upset that caused was for nothing. Aside from anything else, not having my notes and the NHS not being aware of where these were is a data protection issue as well as being potentially harmful to my health if something had been missed because of not having those notes.

I must say, when in for my induction, throughout labour and then the emergency c-section, all staff were fantastic. Those in the operating theatre especially (who by the way had not been told about the previous positive covid test which was discovered when the anaesthesiologist came to check on me on the ward). I had not at any point through labour been treated as covid positive. I was then moved to ward 8 and put in a shared room. I text my husband to tell him where to find me, he arrived and then I was given a mask suddenly and swept away into a private room where we were not told about why we had been moved. My mother in law had visited and left, and my partner went home to check our dogs. At that point a midwife came in and said I could not have visitors, after the fact. I queried about my husband and was told he wouldn’t be able to come back. I was in a locked off private room alone after a section with a newborn, how would anyone feel? My husband called to query and complain. After this, he was allowed back and again we could have visitors if we wanted.

The main nursery nurse I had was rude and not at all understanding of the needs of a mother. When my baby was crying and my husband not there one night and I needed help, nobody came and i was not comfortable calling for them. Nobody brought me any water until the morning and I was beyond thirsty and began drinking horrible tasting tap water. A health care assistant at one point entered my room in full PPE and put my crockery and cutlery into a clinical waste bag, throwing it in. In front of me with my newborn present. I have worked for the NHS. This is not acceptable but the staff have denied it occurring. Why would I make this shocking behaviour up? Actually the staff have denied all, including ever placing me in a shared room and claim there is no documentation of this. Apparently it's been noted that we were very happy with the visiting conversations - which we were not. They should have call recordings to this effect. Apparently I was offered support numerous times and this is documented. I'm aware from working in healthcare that some staff document they offered assistance to tick a box when in-fact they did not. I am devastated this happy time was ruined and genuinely feel traumatised by the whole thing. All I want is an apology and for them to recognise where they went wrong and improve for the next mother. I felt like an alien.