"Denied pain relief"

I arrived at the maternity ward to be told that there is no beds, at this point I started to panic because my contractions were very regular and awfully painful, I really thought I was going to have my daughter in the hallway! Eventually the receptionist called a midwife and took me to a room with a bed which confused me as I was previously told there was no beds? After being told to "strip down", I was checked to see how far I was dilated to be told 7cms and at that point my waters went.

I was given gas and air but begged for an epidural as the gas and air was giving me no relief and only making me sick for over two hours. Two midwives eventually brought the anaesthetist in and prepped me for them to run back out again with no explanation! At this point I was climbing up the walls, and asked why they had gotten my hopes up just to let them run back out again? One midwife to rudely turn to me and said that other people needed him, unlike me. At this point I was absolutely mortified at how nasty they were to me, I asked for pethidine instead just some kind of pain relief to be fobbed off yet again and to "carry on with the gas and air" although I had already thrown up all over my partner once because of it.

The midwife then told me I needed to lie straight because she could not monitor the babies heartbeat, I'm not being funny but when a woman is in labour around 8-9cms with no pain relief and you're telling them to lie straight is completely impossible! They then proceeded to tell me they needed to put a clip on my daughters head instead to monitor her heartbeat to which I agreed too as long as I get pethidine! They agreed and went ahead to say that the clip is faulty and not picking up babies heartbeat so will need to try again, all the while being in agony as they were very rough and still no pain relief given. I begged them to stop as they said it's finally working and I again asked for pain relief to be fobbed off and that it's too late.

I then said to the other midwife that I need to push to be told I could not push because I was not 10cm and I would tear. I'm sorry but again this completely impossible, after I had given birth the other midwife then rudely said the only time I actually listened to them was when I didn't need to". This midwife made my whole first birthing experience completely and utterly terrible, even after I had given birth it was another two hours before I got pain relief.

After being moved to a different ward a nurse came in to check me and my baby after warning her of possible strep b which was written in my notes as I had antibiotics during labour they then turned and said they couldn't touch me because they were not made aware of that, like my daughter is diseased or something! I was also told that my daughter was deaf when all she had was fluid in her ears. Completely and utterly disgusted at how my birth was ruined by unprofessional and highly rude staff, I discharged myself as soon as I possibly could to get home in a safe and warming environment, something the hospital staff did not give me. I expected better from north staffs and will not be giving birth there again. Two and a half hours of labouring hell and even more hell after I'd given birth, never again.