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"Bad birth experience"

About: Queen Elizabeth Hospital / Maternity

It was my first baby so didn't have any previous experience.Generally the rules in this country are hilarious.They want you to wait until you 4cm to let you stay in hospital otherwise they'll send you home no matter you 10 days overdue,having contactions every 5 minutes since 2 days! No ctg to check the baby is safe! Midwifes just put the fingers inside if you lucky and have 4cm or more you are welcome.No pain relief to help you get better with tiredness of contractions.I've been trying twice to get to the birth center when I was booked for.They offer you a huge room with bath,dbl bed, gas and air but you actually have no time to use these all because you have to manage the most painfull time by yourself at home.The first time midwife sent me home saying that this is labour and this is not easy.Next day the same but this time I was dead.They wanted me to go home again.I've been walking around the hospital and waiting for this 4cm.. I know 3cm is just the beggining so that's why they didn't let me stay but I was after 3 sweeps,10 days overdue and still that much?they should at least do the ctg to check baby is safe instead of treat me like I am making a dramma about nothing!After 2 hours walk they get scared cos I was totally down.and just like this had a available bed and PAIN RELIEF.They offer me the injection and explain I'm gonna be asleep for a while and wake up with more cm once I asked them how about the baby? is this going to work for her too? -Yes, but you are only 3cm now so it is going to take a time.. I would not recommend you If you were 7cm etc. After 2 hours contracions get stronger,waters breaks.They still wanted me to wait 40minutes cos "we are short staff and don't have any free bed" I was crying because of the pain and nothing around to help me manage with this Finaly when I was going to the promised room only with pants as my trousers get wet I started to feel contractions to push they said there is no trolley for me so I had the walk into this room half naked.When we get there they left me for another 20 minutes.One midwife came in to said I need to breathe deeply and she left, another one to said I got dry lips so need a water or balm.She examined me and I was 10cm.They get shocked.And attention. Baby did a poo insdie so my labour started to be a risk one.Baby was distressed,tired and didn't have a energy to come out.Because they've been waiting too long!at the end they gave me a good supportive doctor and one of the young midwife they looked after me and finaly I felt safed.Anyway I was not able to take any epidural as was too late and risky for a baby's life.Thank you for a final care but I would say currently I am too scared to have another baby soon with this experience.I knew it will be painful but the hospital didn't help to make it easier and they make my labour risky at the end.I'm gratefull my baby is health as a bit longer and something bad could happen. Do not recommend unfortunately.

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Responses

Response from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust 5 years ago
Submitted on 23/11/2018 at 09:46
Published on Care Opinion at 10:33


I am so sorry to hear that you have had a negative experience at our hospital and that you feel let down by our maternity services.

Please can you contact me with your details so that we can arrange an appointment for this to be discussed further.

My email address is julie.stead@nhs.net

Kind regards

Julie Stead (Matron)

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