"Antenatal Care Experience in Kununurra"

My experience of maternity care in Kununurra unfortunately left me feeling that I needed to seek care elsewhere.

From the beginning, there were a number of small issues that continued to add up. The time I was given for my first midwife appointment was incorrect, which resulted in me arriving an hour late. For two of my three appointments, I then waited around an hour to be seen, while also managing appointments with my two year old with me.

I also needed a letter confirming my due date and noticed that my due date had been recorded incorrectly on my referral letter. While each of these things may seem relatively minor on their own, together they began to affect my confidence in the care I was receiving.

I also had blood tests completed (as requested by the maternity team) which showed that I needed an iron infusion and B12 injections. Unfortunately, I believe this was not followed up by the hospital. It was later, when I attended an appointment with my GP, that the results were flagged and I was made aware that I required treatment. I then had to wait many weeks for the iron infusion to be arranged. This was another experience that contributed to my concerns about communication and follow up of my care.

I experienced a lot of hip pain for the majority of my pregnancy. I did see a physiotherapist for one consult, but it felt as though my concerns were dismissed and I was told that it was just a part of pregnancy and there wasn’t much anyone could do. I was given an elastic belt which didn’t alter the pain. I chose to cancel the follow up appointment as I was told that there was nothing that could be done.

Continuity of care and feeling personally supported were also very important factors for me. As a single mother with limited support in Kununurra, I needed to feel confident in the maternity service and supported throughout my pregnancy, and unfortunately I did not feel that I had that here.

I previously birthed in another health service and had an extremely positive experience with the maternity services there. I felt well supported and confident in my care, and I also found the birthing suites and facilities much more suited to the birth experience I wanted.

I had also hoped to have the opportunity to water birth with this baby, as this was something I was unable to experience with my first birth. Having access to a birthing environment that gave me the opportunity to labour and potentially birth in water was important to me and was another factor that influenced my decision to return to the other health service.

Ultimately, comparing my previous experience with my experience so far in Kununurra made the decision clear for me. I chose to transfer my maternity care to the other health service because I need to feel safe, supported and confident in the care I am receiving.

This decision also comes with a significant financial burden for me. Choosing to birth elsewhere means taking on the additional costs of flights, accommodation and driving expenses. As a single mother, these are substantial costs, but I felt strongly enough about my care and birth options that I was willing to take on that financial burden to feel confident and supported during the birth of my baby.

I hope that by sharing this feedback, greater attention can be given to communication, follow up, continuity of care and the birth choices available to women locally. I also hope improvements can be made.