"Upsetting quality of antenatal and postnatal care"

This is my first pregnancy and I was deemed low risk and under midwife care. I went for an early private scan at 6 weeks who told me I have bicornuate uterus. (2 separate uteruses). When I attended my booking in appointment with the NHS at 12 weeks I told them what the private scan place had said and they said it made no difference to my care and I would still be considered low risk. (I mentioned this numerous times during my care especially at my 12 week scan where is was discarded and I was told I was talking rubbish)

I followed the low risk pathway attending my antenatal care with my community midwife at my local doctors surgery, but in my opinion the community midwife was next to useless. I attended 3 appointments which I felt were a waste of time, they didn’t listen to any of my concerns, wrote in my green book before I had even sat down in the chair and sent me on my way. I explained on 3 occasions that I wasn’t feeling baby move as I had been told I should be, but was sent on my way with little care.

I then went for a private 4D scan at 30 weeks in June and after 4 attempts on different days to gain photos the sonographer gave us a referral form for a bio-physical scan as on all 4 occasions my baby didn’t move. The sonographer was very rough and baby didn’t even flinch! They also picked up my baby’s growth was measuring 4 weeks behind. (Measured 27 weeks and I was 31 by this point)

I then attended triage at Lister after my last scan at private, due to concerns over movements and because I was genuinely concerned about the information I had received.

Triage monitored baby who was fine and dealt with our referral and the next day we had a growth scan and from this day we were kept under 2 weekly monitoring of baby’s heart rate (CTG’s) and we had a further growth scan 2 weeks from the first with a Doppler scan in between. After the second they said they were no longer required as baby was growing just ‘small’.(particularly their head) (Still 3 weeks behind) we were then discharged from the scans and continued weekly CTGs for movements for a further week.

I then attended DAU (Lister) for my 34 week antenatal check after explaining to them about my issues with my community midwife they agreed I could attend there.

The midwife did the routine checks and as I was leaving asked if I was still having growth scans. To which I said no.

The midwife was concerned and checked with the on duty doctor who agreed to give me another one.

I was booked in for the following Monday.

I attended this growth scan with my partner and they were concerned about baby’s growth again. We were advised to take a seat and wait for a doctor to speak to us.

The midwife checked my bump for curiosity who said it was measuring small, and then 2 doctors and a consultant came behind the curtain and said baby would be delivered the following day by emergency c-section! (I was 35 weeks and 1 day at this point)

Throughout all of this I mentioned concerns about baby being breech and they said weren’t concerned until 37 weeks and they could then discuss turning baby or a planned c-section. They failed to mention turning baby wasn’t an option due to baby being small!

They gave me and my partner 10 minutes to process what we were just told after bursting into tears. They returned and explained the risks, and the procedure. And explained it’s because baby is small and no longer growing.

The midwife returned as the doctors left to make sure I was ok and said I was being admitted to hospital but arranged for us to leave to get a shower at home, some dinner and pack a bag. The midwife had booked me into the ward for 7pm (this was at 4.30pm)

The EMCS was delayed and baby was delivered the following day. Everything went well and baby was admitted to SCBU.

Whilst in recovery I spoke to the midwife who explained everything went well and I have a heart shaped uterus so baby wasn’t able to turn into a head down position due to the strength of the muscle on the uterus wall. I mentioned I had explained this on early scans and the midwife said it’s strange they didn’t see it earlier on in the pregnancy (12 weeks) but would be difficult to pick up the later in pregnancy you get due to the size of baby.

They said often you don’t know until your pregnant.

My baby was brought to me in a recovery room for a cuddle before being taken again for checks and the midwife assured us baby would be brought up to the ward with us.

Once on the ward hours passed and we asked the person doing my observations where our baby was as they hadn’t been brought up! This staff member disappeared to find out and never returned!!

2 days later we were discharged from hospital. The midwife in DAU and the care in hospital from admission was otherwise applausable! I am so thankful for the safe delivery of our baby who was small- but not as small as estimated.

Since leaving hospital I am absolutely shocked at the support and care I have NOT received.

However, the following day a midwife turned up as agreed on discharge who was lovely, she said when to expect the next visit (day 5) and I expressed not to send my community midwife and explained my issues I had. She noted in her diary and confirmed with me and my partner she would attend herself and gave us a time. This day came and - there was my community midwife - not interested in me or my daughter one bit! Sat there texting away on the phone and patronising towards us and our concerns.

They did not say if they would be returning to discharge us, just simply left.

On neither of these visits did they check my wound as I was advised they would.

After a week of agonising pain, swelling and not being able to walk- I visited the GP with regards to my wound as I thought it may be infected. She said it doesn’t seem to be and said she couldn’t swab it but prescribed anti biotics anyways.

The next day after getting out of the shower I had blood running down my legs. I panicked and shouted for my partner and jumped in the shower.

My wound had developed a puss type ‘spot’ which had burst and I was pouring with fluid from the wound. My partner called DAU for advice and they sent us to triage.

When we arrived we were taken into a room and the doctor came to look who said it was indeed infected and took a swab, then said they would ask a senior doctor if it needed a scan or anything. The senior doctor came in and said they were taking a look but squeezed it without informing me to which I yelped in agony!

This doctor was very rude and definitely should have advised me of what they were doing. My wound was clearly pouring fluid, very swollen and painful.

The doctors agreed to give me morphine and gas and air and push the fluid out - and so they did.

After, the senior doctor said it wasn’t all out - but most of it and they would prescribe a stronger anti biotics- and return to DAU in a week for review.

I returned later that evening to triage as I had 2 more puss spots form and I was concerned. They asked me to go in to be checked. So I did.

I was first checked by a midwife (after a 5 hour wait- which isn’t an issue, I wasn’t in desperate need to be seen straight away compared to the pregnant women I was surrounded by despite leaving my not even 2 week old with relatives!) who was concerned about my blood pressure and I expressed concerns as when I returned home 4 hours earlier from the earlier visit I had extreme chest pain, felt dizzy and light headed. The midwife suggested I may be anaemic and asked if I was on iron tablets and that perhaps I would be prescribed some. I then returned to the waiting room for a doctor.

The covering doctor from the consultant unit was extremely rude and I felt fobbed off. Just said to take anti biotics and if I’m on the wrong ones after the swab they would call me to change them but must wait 3 days for results.

I asked about my blood pressure and was told I was fine and handed my notes and sent on my way.

I explained to both doctors, who looked shocked, that my wound hadn’t been checked by either midwife that did my home visits!

My wound was still very swollen and painful but I assumed it was because it just had the life squeezed out of it.

The wound has reduced but still swollen- although I can actually walk almost 3 weeks post operation.

The following day the health visitor came to introduce herself and understood we had a long night after explaining we were in triage until 3am. So she made her visit brief and left within reasonable time. She explained she would return on such date and what I needed to do next. Also made sure I had hers and the offices contact number as she would be away for a few weeks.

Then half hour after leaving a midwife turned up unannounced and claimed we should have expected them! Despite explaining everything that had happened, my wound, concerns with baby I was dischared again without checking my wound!

I became concerned about my baby as they hadn’t passed a stool for over 24 hours and they seemed to struggle and in a lot of pain. Baby felt really cold to touch and was not normal self!

I rang 111 for advice to see if I could give them anything and they said they would get the specialist to give me a call back within 2 hours. This happened.

The specialist suggested taking my baby back to neonatal as they hadn’t been fully discharged - and asked if I had a contact number which I said no. The Specialist wanted my baby seen urgently due to being premature, so made us an appointment in Hertford out of hours GP and confirmed there was a qualified doctor who could see baby again due to being premature.

We arrived and they refused to see baby saying there is no qualified doctor to deal with us. Wouldn’t let us in to discuss but in fact we stood outside talking through a telecom in the pouring rain and wind!

The OOH GP suggested taking baby to A&E. We returned to the car and my partner drove back to lister. On our journey I rang neonatal who refused to see baby and suggested A&E also. I then tried to call the specialist number back who said to call if any problems to which there was no response. I then called 111 back as we had a wasted journey with a baby who didn’t need to be travelling around for no reason! They wouldn’t help or advise as we was traveling due to them wanting to complete the assessment on baby again, about consciousness when I just wanted to ask where do we take our baby to be seen and then explaining that we didn’t want to waste A&Es precious time as we only needed a GP on this occasion!

We then arrived at A&E who saw us very quickly. We explained our concerns and typically baby passed a stool as the doctor was examining baby. We also expressed concerns that baby had strong smelling urine and ‘gunky’ looking discharge. Was told that as baby had passed a stool there was no need for any further examination and so off we went.

I had asked midwives on all occasions who told me baby’s discharge was ‘normal’. This has since changed since leaving the hospital and has developed into gunky cottage cheese looking discharge which as a woman I know is not normal and certainly uncomfortable.

Today I visited the GP for baby and my concerns for discharge and managed to get them to swab and was given a bag to provide a urine sample from baby from home which I’m yet to return. However I still have to wait several days for the results so potentially my baby is suffering when you can see something isn’t quite right in baby’s region!

I am so fed up of being passed from pillar to post and palmed off with regards to my care and certainly my baby’s. We are told to contact so and so and then told they can’t deal with us.

I feel like I have received zero support since leaving hospital especially as a first time mum and I am ashamed of the NHS at this current time. I am left feeling frustrated and angry!

I understand the NHS is stretched to its limits however if more care was taken I feel so much more of this could have been avoided!