"Birth Experience"

My waters broke at home and as there was myconium in the waters. I was advised to get to the birth triage unit. After testing my waters for an hour or so, I was admitted into the birth unit. After being admitted into the birth unit and having an epidural, I initially had a very positive experience for around the first 20 hours. My midwife at the start was great and then handed over to a couple of others when their shift changed, who were really nice.

However, when it came to pushing, I was doing OK but the midwives wanted to give me a bit of a break and told me to stop pushing. They then left me while they gathered in the corner of the room with new midwives, as they were carrying out a handover as it was change of shift again. However, I was completely left for around 15 contractions whilst still not pushing and the pain was unbearable. A doctor then came rushing in, having seen the baby's stats on a screen outside, and shouted at the midwives, asking what they were doing leaving me and the baby in that state as by now the baby was in severe distress. It hadn't turned properly so the doctor tried to turn it using their hands, which was agony.

I felt they made me sign a consent form for a caesarian, whilst I was now in extreme distress, so didn't read what I was signing. After topping up my epidural which stopped the pain, they rushed me to the surgical room. This was all extremely frightening. I didn't see the new midwives again but my original midwife was starting their shift again and saw me being wheeled to the surgical room. They stayed with me which was lovely.

The doctors in the surgical room were amazing, they appeared from nowhere in an instant and I very quickly delivered my baby by forceps. Total labour time was around 26 hours. However, he was not breathing when he came out and had to be resuscitated. I wasn't really aware of this but my husband found this very traumatic. They then put my baby and me on antibiotics straight away, as I had a bad fever and thank goodness they did as my baby later tested positive for strep B.

Me and my baby were then admitted into wheal fortune and we had to have a lumbar puncture and treatment for 11 days. I was very upset at first but found it easier to deal with when I was given my own room. The staff on this ward were brilliant, I can't sing their praises enough. So helpful and supportive, especially when it came to breastfeeding. However, due to the covid rules, my husband could only visit for 3 hours a day which I found very difficult to deal with.

Overall the staff, including my first midwife, all the staff at Wheal fortune and the doctors in the surgical room were amazing, especially the doctor who saw our stats and came rushing in. I credit them with saving my baby's life. However, I am deeply concerned that me and my baby were left during a shift change, at such a crucial moment and for such a long time, allowing my baby to get in such a distressed state, which wasn't noticed in the room.