"Felt belittled and insulted"

Was having contractions that were increasing in frequency and intensity for 8 hours before phoning the assessment line. Took half an hour to get through on the phone and got told to go in.

Got into the hospital and was in serious amount of pain from the contractions then had to wait for 3 hours before a doctor came round to see me by which point the pains had calmed down after 10 hours of contractions.

Doctor was very patronising as asked How the pains were at that moment, when I tried to explain I had been having them since early afternoon and they had increased in intensity. She just said to next time have a warm bath and paracetamol as it was just Braxton Hicks. She hadn’t read my notes before coming in or even looked at the CTG, if she read my notes. I was so frustrated as my abdomen felt bruised, I was exhausted, and when I tried to explain nothing had helped at home for the 12 hours I was having contractions and I hadn’t just rushed in for no reason I felt dismissed as she said she wouldn’t do an internal examination as the pains had stopped and I’d be fine to go home.

It’s made me rethink going to the Rosie to give birth and to have a home birth instead