"Very Disappointed"

I was sent to DRI to be induced. On Labour ward, I was repeatedly patronised and ignored by the midwife in charge of my care, I was made to feel I was being dramatic but my induction ended in a Cat 1 C-Section so this was far from the case. My partner was reprimanded for taking up too much space while trying to sleep even though he was on the opposite side of the bed to where my obs were being taken. My obs were done over 2 hours late after I had buzzed for pain relief. I informed them that I was in constant pain only to be told that everything seems worse at 2 in the morning. When the shifts changed over and a different midwife saw the state I was in, I was in theatre within 20 minutes. On the maternity ward, I was left with the wrong dressing on my wound for a number of hours, I had to request twice that it was changed and when it was the midwife could not believe it had been left as it was. Throughout the night I was expressing milk for my baby who was in NNU, only to find out from NNU that it never got there. The morning following my C-Section, I went 7.5 hours with no pain relief, I requested pain relief 3 times and was told that my chart was at the pharmacy so couldn't have any. Later that afternoon I was discharged, my baby was in NNU so I had a room waiting for me upstairs. I was told I had to get there quick before they gave my room away. I was offered no help to get my belonging up 3 stories, I had to call my partner to come and help me while panicking that my bed upstairs would be given away (which I later found out would not have happened as they had reserved it for me). I was discharged with ibuprophen to take 3 times a day, this is not enough pain relief for 30 hours after a C-Section, and although I was told I could take paracetomol, I was staying in the building so had no way to get any until visiting the next day. By midnight I was in agony, I couldn't get out of bed to go to the toilet, the nurses on NNU ended up calling a midwife up to see me (far beyond their duties). The following day I went to the maternity ward for my daily checks and was asked if I had done the exercises the physio gave me, I never saw a physio so still do not know what these exercises are. Overall, I am appalled at the treatment I received, I wasn't expecting the birth of my first child to be a pain free experience, but to only be able to describe it as hell from start to finish is extremely disappointing. Their were some members of staff who I found extremely helpful and I have nothing but positive things to say about the staff on NNU and the treatment they gave my son, unfortunately this positivity is clouded by the pain, discomfort and complete disrespect I felt during the majority of my stay.