"Labour experience"

Nearly two years ago I gave birth in St Richards hospital and I'm currently pregnant with my second child, and definitely WILL NOT be going back to St Richards due to the lack of care throughout my labour.

I was booked and had my heart set on a pool birth, and when I went into hospital at 5pm my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart but my baby girl was stuck at 5cm, and because there wasn't enough staff they sent me down to the communal labour room at about 7pm. 

I was left there for hours, rarely having midwives come in to check on me. I was there until 1:30am with night staff rude and disinterested in listening when I was complaining that I could feel my babies head coming and wanted to be moved upstairs to the birth pool. The midwife shooed my husband away saying she had paperwork to do before they could check on me, carrying on their conversation with their colleague. 

Lo and behold when they came to check how far gone I was, they realised I was indeed ready to push!! they then admitted they couldn't take me upstairs and I would have to wait until staff from upstairs came to get me, having back to back contractions in the lift! 

When I got upstairs to the birthing unit with the birthing pool, the pool was empty. The staff were unaware I wanted to give birth in the pool (even after repeatedly telling the midwives downstairs) and told me it would take a further 25 minutes to fill up. By this time I had already given birth bent over on a bed with the pool filling up, and the student midwife who had to deliver my baby from behind tried to pass her back to me around my body, umbilical cord still attached like it was an extendable telephone cable or something?!

This experience has traumatised me to say the least and I definitely wouldn't recommend to anyone.