"Maternity Services At Southmead"

Anything else?

The midwives in the birthing suite were lovely but clearly understaffed, I was left with my birth partner for the best part of forty five minutes, by the time they came back I was giving birth. This meant I wasn't told I could use the gas and air until just before my baby was born, meaning I was left in significant pain, luckily for me this was manageable.

Before transferal to the ward care was probably the best I received during my time at the hospital, although I was still left with just family members.

My treatment on the ward was appalling. I ended up on a drip of antibiotics, despite the fact I did not feel I needed them (I had a high temperature during observations, which I feel was due to the high temperature of the ward). I wasn't told that there was an option of oral antibiotics. I was left with the drip in my arm overnight, despite the fact it was in my dominant arm, making it very hard to care for a newborn.

I had been told my partner could stay while the drip was put in as I was anxious (this was around lunchtime) however by the time they got round my partner had been sent home because it was the end of visiting hours, leaving me in great distress.

In the end I had to insist on going home, as the midwives were unreliable and I felt I would receive better care at home. This is due to the fact it took hours for the midwives to come when the call bell was rang, by which time I did not require their help anymore. I felt incredibly unsupported, I am a young new mother and could have done with help.

I was left with bloodstained sheets and inca pads underneath me for the whole of my stay which was incredibly unhygienic and if I had of had an infection would probably have contributed to it worsening.

When I went home, my temperature immediately dropped and it became obvious that I did not have an infection. I also discovered to my horror that some of the staff had been signing that I had had conversations with them about important medical information that had not happened. I feel I would have been better off having a homebirth.

I would NOT recommend Southmead hospital maternity services, they are so woefully understaffed it's dangerous.