"Giving Birth and Staying on Maple Ward"

I had my baby in mid August. My stay in this hospital was the singularly must unpleasant experience of my life. I should say first of all, I had a c-section and the theatre team was reassuring and first class in every way. I thank them unreservedly.

My husband remarks at the dramatic disparity between the theatre team and those on the ward.

My stay on the Maple Ward however was frightful. With a few exceptions, I found the staff who treated me were uncaring unhelpful, bullying and dishonest. I am a professional woman who knows how to handle myself and I was reduced to a tearful reck. I was then asked by a midwife if I heard about the three day blues, this despite me having told her that her colleague from the night before did not give me any pain medication nor the antibiotics I was prescribed.

I was in a lot of pain when I left the hospital. I waited all day for the pain killers to take home and I was offered none in the mean time. I was spoken to badly, I was left for hours without pain medication and I felt there was a general atmosphere of coldness and uncaring disregard towards me.

I hope to god I will never have to grace that place again, I will do everything in my power to avoid such an eventuality. I did not choose Heartlands. I had to go there because my pregnancy was high risk and that is where my consultant was based. This is just a snippet of my experience. I still cry a little when I think of the way I was treated. No, it is not baby blues, I am delightfully happy to have my first baby, they are absolutely beautiful.