"My Poor Experience at Oldham Royal"

Throughout my pregnancy I planned to have a home birth with my daughter as I had one with my eldest daughter who is now 8 years old. It was the best experience and I wanted to do it again.

My contractions started at home and everything went to plan. My little girl was born at around 9 in the morning in my living room at home in our birth pool, my other 2 daughters were there too. It was perfect. The best midwives delivered our baby girl. I had my perfect home birth, but then my placenta wouldn’t come. After a while of trying the midwives decided it was retained and needed a transfer to hospital to have it surgically removed. We were told there was nothing to worry about as it was a simple procedure. We got to oldham royal about 2 hours later and was taken straight to labour ward. We were told that it could only be removed in surgery to avoid infection. 

Then a Dr came and twice tried to remove my placenta, tugging and pulling at it - without pain relief may I add!! I was in excruciating pain telling them to stop in which they replied -what’s up I’ve hardly touched you yet.This was so unprofessional. Even though I told them to stop they gave me some gas and air and carried on pulling.

They then decided that it wouldn’t come out without surgery in which they were already told this. I feel I was put through unnecessary pain. The doctor then left me in the room with my husband and our new baby. I told my husband I didn’t feel well and then felt a warm sensation down below, which unbeknown to me was blood gushing out of me and flowing off the bed. My husband ran to get someone. The first person he found was the same doctor that had just left. By this time I had completely passed out.

My husband told them to come quick, to which their reply was, -in a minute.I don’t remember much apart from alarms going off and drifting in and out of consciousness. I got rushed to theatre and nearly had to have a blood transfusion. I am not happy with the care I received at all. Both me and our new Baby were treated for sepsis. I will be taking this further as I don’t want it happening to anyone else.

My husband was petrified and was not informed of anything that was happening at the time. He was scared I wasn’t coming back once they wheeled me away in a rush. He was left holding our new baby in the room on his own. We will be taking this further-it felt as if this doctor thinks it’s ok to do this.