"My sister's mixed experience of maternity care"

My sister began having contractions in early January 2013 at 8pm. We went to St Mary's. Firstly the nurse was rude didn't speak to myself, but at her. She then said she was only 1cm dilated and needed to go home and would be sent for a scan on the Monday. Over the weekend she was in a lot of on and off pain over the weekend but made it until Monday morning

She went for scan and they believed baby's cord was wrapped round his neck so they sent her to be induced. She was told to be at St Mary's for 8pm but when we got there they didn't know she was coming so she had to wait for a bed (the midwifes on duty were really nice) it was 10pm when they found her a bed.

She was put on a heart rate monitor until 11pm and didn't get induced until 1am. By 1pm the same day the thing had fallen out over 8 times, so rather than try something different they made her go through this uncomfortable process again and again. By 2pm on the Tuesday she was told she has an infection in her blood, but no one could tell her what. And when she was sleeping a nurse came in to check her but didn't wake her just poked her head in and left.

On the wed baby's heart rate kept dropping but they didn't do anything. On wed afternoon my sisters waters had broken. We told the midwife and said they would take her to delivery to put her on a drip and help get her contraction going, but they took the wrong person so my sister was left again until Friday morning, when baby’s heart rate dropped dangerously low.

She was rushed in for an emergency c section where luckily her son was born, but had to be treated for the infection. On the ward the staff didn't explain anything to her, just poked and prodded her.

I asked where to sort baby's milk out, as my sister couldn't walk at this point due to being numb still. The midwife didn't tell me, just walked out. The only people on the ward I couldn't complain about is the support workers as they were lovely.

My sister discharged herself on the Sunday as she had had enough. The hospital itself was dirty. I'm now pregnant and definitely will not be having my baby in there.