"Poor experience ofSt Michaels Maternity ward Bristol."

1996

I had my 1st son in St Michaels Maternity hospital in 1996. it was an okay birth but there was only one midwife on and she was looking after other woman as well...she was polite and helpful and made it okay under the circumstances.

I found the after care team were atrocious, in my opinion they were rude, ignorant, and they were rough with my baby when I asked them for help in bathing him as i was nervous putting him in water.. I left very quickly!

2002

In 2002 my 2nd son was born at the same hospital St Michaels. I wish I chose some where else, as after my waters broke while out , I proceeded to make my way to the maternity ward, and rang the bell and banged the door for half an hour or so while getting bad contractions, so bad that I couldn't stand up any longer and sat by the main doors waiting for my unborn son's dad to come to help me get in.

During me banging and ringing the door bell the person who was on the phone when I 1st rang the buzzer, I felt ignored me. They were looking right in my eye's whilst ignoring me.

So I started to bang, I was getting so angry and was in pain so I sat down, the main receptionist saw me and asked me if was okay because they could see I was in distress, they then banged on the door and within a few seconds they then decided to let me.

After being shown to a suite I was left for 45 minutes, then they came to check the heart beat which by that time was low and my baby had been in distress.

They decided I needed a emergency c- section. they then rushed me out on the trolley with out putting up the safety railings so when the trolley I was on hit the wall and I flew in the air and fell on my stomach and face, my son's dad at this time had just arrived as and caught me slowing my fall so I didn't hit the floor as hard. After he put me back on the bed.

I had my c- section and then was transferred to the after care ward were, I was unconscious for some time.

I woke up to find I was in a ward with four other woman, they had breast fed my baby on me while I was unconscious. I had no privacy and my pee bag was in full view of the ward and the visitors passing,I felt humiliated.

It felt as if they forced me to get up the day I woke up, I cried with the pain and they didn't seem care that I was recovering from surgery and was exhausted.

When my baby cried I was put in the sound proof room all night as they said my baby was disturbing the other woman.

I left there abruptly, I couldn't walk for properly for 2 weeks but would have rather crawled around my house to look after my baby then stayed in that ward.

2010

After all that when I finally made a compliant about it and I feel I was made out to be dumb, that I didn't know I had to ring the bell and wait for the intercom.

I was told that there was no report made or no recollection of me being rammed into the wall and falling. They apologized, but for what, it seems to me, they are denying everything I said happened.

This is my experience at ST Michaels Maternity. In seemed when something went wrong they lied/conveniently forgot or did not write a report so there is no evidence.

I complained in 2010 because I have conceived since then and only realised the delivery effected me when I was faced with having to go to hospital again for a birth.

In case your curious.. i shall write the outcome in a few weeks as i have been offered to meet this unreconciled doctor who I believe failed to follow procedure during and after in not writing a report of what had happened.

Jodie