"There were a couple of midwives ..."

What I liked

There were a couple of midwives in the delivery area who were excellent. Unfortunately, I was only blessed with a certain midwife for a couple of hours. But it was long enough to make the decision to induce me after I had been contracting for four days and three nights.Explaining everything well, kept me comfortable and knew what they was doing, as did the assistant. Likewise, someone in the delivery area was very kind to me after the birth, bringing me tea, showing me how to dress my baby etc.

What could be improved

This was my first baby and I thought from classes that my contractions would build up gradually. Instead they came in thick and fast and all over the shop and would stop for 15 mins then get going again. I couldn't eat anything without projectile vomiting. After a night and a day of this, we went into the hospital to explain my contractions didn't seem to be going anywhere and I was already exhausted. I was told to go home as I was 2cm dilated. Another night and morning of this and we went back in against advice. I was stuck on a ward with people who were coming in for booked cesareans and told I was only 2cm and shouldn't have come in (after 2 nights and 2 days without food or sleep?!). So then another night and day of contractions - now with an audience - male partners of women booked for cesareans. The midwives during this time were few and inconsistent...they kept changing shifts, I don't remember any of them. Finally I break down at 6pm on the Monday and say I'll have a cesarean - anything just get this baby out. I'm finally referred to the delivery suite where I had an amazing midwife for two hours who induced me. Then went off shift and I was left with a night shift person who couldn't work the machines, kept pacing between the machine and the notes, paid me no attention, didn't seem to have a clue what was going on. My baby was born in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with breathing difficulties and low blood sugar (logically I deduce something to do with the fact I hadn't eaten for four days?!) Thankfully he is gorgeous now. However, seeing as I ignored advice to not come into the hospital and demanded they do something, I wonder whether the outcome would have been different if I had just waited patiently? Also the midwife stitched me up like I was a joint of meat, my baby's heat machine went off and the midwive didn't know how to turn it back on...

Anything else?

I strongly feel that putting a woman in full labour on a ward with people booked for cesareans (meaning that I had an audience for my contractions and regular trips to the toilet) is disgraceful. Some privacy would have been welcome. I am not a screamer - the midwives seemed to go on a scale of how much you scream as to whether they should refer you to delivery. Some proper care and attention might have meant I was induced before my baby got into trouble.