"Multiple Shortcomings made me feel unsafe"

As a physiotherapist myself, I understand the difficulties faced by staffing, demand and budgets however I am very concerned as to the care I received.

I was admitted for induction due to reduced fetal movements and all started off well however listed below are the issues I experienced:

Left throughout the induction to fend for myself

Had to ask what was happening every step of way

Felt like a burden for doing so and like they were not interested in me as my Labour wasn’t progressing despite regular contractions.

Felt unbelieved re strength of contractions until midwifes saw for themselves on monitor. At which point they would say oh crikey they are regular

Unbelievably rough handed midwife made rest of cervical examinations unbearable

Only ever offered paracetamol

Made to feel bad on choosing a ceasearean rather than another 4 day induction as first had failed

We were then told we would be sent home to be called back for c section . This was despite reduced movements and no sleep for 4 nights, we had to fight to not leave hospital and for our baby to be delivered. Only to be told after that we had done the right thing.

Post delivery.....

Failed to take obs on being admitted to lady Mary ward in the evening baby delivered at 5.24pm

As a result no painrelief provided until morning at which point I was placed on iv paracetamol as a result of the mistake.

Severe pressure to breast feed - told I couldn’t leave until I was. Baby wouldn’t latch and in end they took him away to give formula without explaining why they were taking him away or offering my husband to go with. Still they pressured breastfeeding. Baby not getting any milk and becoming jaundice so my husband snuck to the shops to get formula to feed our starving baby. Felt awful and under ridiculous pressure

Failed to check unless we asked for assistance on how I was on multiple occasions

Staff spent more time complaining how busy they were than caring for the ladies in their care

To top it off our babies heel prick blood samples were lost by midwife/ lab on returning home, DP breach to say the least.

I have been left with top to bottom abdominal muscle separation and umbilical hernia. Goodness knows if that was due to being left during induction without being listened too.

I lost 2 litres of blood during the c section and on asking why this was all I was told ...you know you will need consultant care next time round as if it were my fault. I think this is the least of my worries just now!!!

I can’t fault the anaesthetists or midwifes who delivered our baby or the staff on recovery ward - they were fantastic.

Please take heed of these points. I am a clinical governance manager myself, so understand - I really do, but you need to review the journey of a patient in your care, as I believe there were multiple failings. I also believe had we not pushed and known what we do - there could have been a very different outcome