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Birth of my third child

Posted By browserbh75

"Birth of my third child"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital / Antenatal Clinic, Birth Suite, Maternal Fetal Assessment Unit, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, Wards 3B, 3C, 3D, 3DO, Visiting Midwife Service

(as the patient),

I had my third child at Fiona Stanley Hospital and was overall incredibly disappointed with the standard of care. I saw different midwives every single appointment with no continuity of care, despite requesting it as I was told the family birth centre was full.

My baby was breach and a ‘wait and see’ approach meant I had a very last minute ECV which fortunately was successful and managed well.

The birth was traumatic for me and I am still in tears thinking about it nearly a year later. A midwife, I believe accidentally, broke my waters on my initial examination. No birth pool for water birthing was available despite requests as only particular staff are trained in this. When labouring in the shower the baby became stuck and emergency manoeuvres were required for shoulder dysplasia. This was handled well by the midwives and baby was out quickly and safely, although I have significant pelvic organ prolapse issues which likely stem from this. I will likely need surgery down the line.

After birth I had a retained placenta.A midwife snapped the umbilical cord when trying to remove it manually - I believe they were rushing and it seemed they were not willing to wait for an obstetrician to assist.They were also unable to insert a cannula and after multiple attempts which hurt me I had to ask them to stop and find a more, in my opinion, competent colleague.

I then had a postpartum haemorrhage and the placenta removed in theatre under a spinal. I was separated from my new baby and husband with no offer for them to accompany me. This was the most distressing part of my experience.

One night postnatal stay on the ward and we were discharged home while I was still in significant pain. I found this quite shocking but apparently that is the standard stay for a vaginal birth with “no complications”.

I had my first two children privately with my own obstetricians  and was very happy both times. If this had been my first birth I’m not sure I would have gone on to have more children due to the significant birth trauma.

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Responses

Response from Luke Dix, Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group, South Metropolitan Health Service last week
Luke Dix
Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 25/05/2026 at 9:42 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 9:43 AM

picture of Luke Dix

Dear ‘browserbh75’,

Thank you for sharing your experience. We understand that speaking about a birth experience, especially when it has been difficult, can be incredibly hard and we truly appreciate you taking the time to do so.

I am truly sorry to hear about the distress you’ve shared. I understand that birth experiences are deeply personal and it sounds as though parts of yours have felt overwhelming and difficult. Please know that your feelings are important and completely valid, and I am genuinely sorry for the impact this has had on you and your family

As your post is anonymous, I am not able to look into the details of your individual care. However, we take feedback like yours seriously and use it to reflect on how we can continue to improve the way we communicate, support and care for women and their families during birth.

Fiona Stanley Hospital remains committed to providing respectful, compassionate and trauma-informed care and feedback such as yours is important in helping us continue to learn and further improve.

If you feel comfortable, we warmly invite you to reach out to us directly so we can better understand your experience and offer support. We would also be very happy to arrange an in-person debrief with a senior midwife or obstetric clinician, where you can talk through your experience and ask any questions in a supportive environment.

If this is something you would feel comfortable in doing please reach out to our Patient and Family Liaison Service (PFLS) on (08) 6152 4013 during business hours, or via email at FSHFeedback@health.wa.gov.au.

Thank you again for sharing your experience with us, it is sincerely valued and helps us improve care for women and families.

Kind regards,

Luke Dix

Executive Director
Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by browserbh75 (the patient)

Dear Luke

I was given the opportunity of a ‘debrief’ with the home visiting midwifery staff. Again, these were different people every single time that I had no prior connection with. I found it too upsetting to be helpful. I have since had counselling with my psychologist at my own expense.

I really do hope this helps improve services, staffing and care for women birthing at FSH, particularly for women like myself who birth on weekends.

Response from Luke Dix, Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group, South Metropolitan Health Service last week
Luke Dix
Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 27/05/2026 at 9:53 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 10:06 AM

picture of Luke Dix

Dear browserbh75,

Thank you for continuing to share your experience so openly. I can hear the significant impact this has had on you, and I am truly sorry that aspects of your care and follow‑up added further distress during a time when you should have felt supported.

I understand from your update that you did not find the debrief offered after your birth helpful, rather quite an upsetting experience, particularly without an existing therapeutic relationship in place. It is concerning to hear that you felt you needed to seek counselling independently in order to receive the support you needed.

Your story highlights how important it is that support is not only offered, but delivered in a way that feels safe, connected and trauma‑informed. I appreciate you sharing this, especially given how difficult revisiting these experiences can be.

As Care Opinion is anonymous, we are unable to review your care in detail or investigate the specific concerns you have raised through this platform alone. If you feel able, I encourage you to contact our Patient and Family Liaison Service (PFLS) on (08) 6152 4013 or FSHFeedback@health.wa.gov.au so we can discuss your experience more fully and offer appropriate support.

I also wanted to share that the South Metropolitan Health Service has recently established a Birth Trauma Advisory Committee. This group includes consumer representatives and focuses on learning from patient experiences to strengthen how we support women and families. With your permission, your experience will be sensitively considered as part of this work, helping to inform ongoing improvement in care and support.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.

Kind regards

Luke Dix

A/Executive Director

Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
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