"Third world healthcare part II"

No one else noticed this. By the second night she was crying a lot and I thought I had fed her sufficiently, but obviously not so I called the midwife. the midwife checked her and said "Change her nappy" and walked out. It was 3am, I had been up all night, 24 hours after major abdominable surgery, I was exhausted and in pain. Could the midwife not have helped? I think this was probably one of the worse parts of the whole dreadful experience. At the time I didn't realise how vulnerable I was and I didn't know anything - this was my first baby - but the midwife should've known, this is their job. I found the midwifery care so blasé when it came to these mothers' pain and emotionally fragile state. The next day I discharged myself because I was sure I'd get better care at home and I was right. After two weeks of my baby screaming blue murder everytime she tried to latch on, I suggested to the midwife could she have tongue tie, after my friend had mentioned it? They referred me to the tongue tie team and sure enough she did and solved it almost immediately. I nearly lost the chance to breast feed her because of this not being checked, not to mention it being so distressing all round. It then took 5 months for my Caesarean wound to heal, not necessarily Kingston Hospital's fault but I hear using glue rather than stitches, which I had, minimises the risk.

And despite all this, I think I was so desperate to get out, I think I just ticked 'Good' to everything in the exit questionnaire just so I could leave quickly without fuss. I suspect this happens a lot. Of my NCT group, their Kingston Hospital accounts are all pretty dreadful too. It still make me quite angry to think of women being treated in this way. I know it is just another day for those who work in maternity services but I don't think how physically and emotionally exhausted women are and the level of pain pain they're in should be underestimated and treated so flippantly, which is what it felt like. If I could afford to go private I certainly would.