"Caring for Our Baby, and for Us: Our Experience at King Eddies and Bunbury Hospital"

I honestly cannot put into words how incredibly grateful we are to the entire team at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Bunbury Hospital Maternity Ward.

Being airlifted from Bunbury to Perth while 32 weeks pregnant was one of the most terrifying experiences of our lives. We went from what had already been an incredibly frightening situation to being told there were concerns about our baby girl, that she may have been anaemic following a possible bleed, and that there was a very real possibility she may need to be delivered extremely prematurely. As a mum, being faced with the possibility of your baby arriving at just 32 weeks was absolutely terrifying.

From the moment we arrived at King Eddies and stepped into MAFU, we were met with nothing but kindness, compassion, reassurance and professionalism. The midwives were absolutely beautiful. Every single person who cared for me made me feel heard, safe and genuinely cared for. They didn’t just look after me physically, they looked after me emotionally too. They understood how frightened we were and took the time to explain what was happening, what they were monitoring and what the different possibilities were. They never made us feel like a burden, even when I was anxious, overwhelmed or asking what probably felt like a million questions.

The doctors and specialists involved in our baby's care were equally incredible. We had so many different people involved throughout our time there, from obstetricians and maternal fetal medicine specialists to the doctors reviewing her CTGs, ultrasounds and blood flow, and every single one approached our situation with such care and thoroughness. We always felt like decisions were being made with both our baby and myself at the centre of them.

What made their care even more incredible was that they weren’t just looking after a pregnancy. I had also arrived with a broken foot and fractured ribs from my fall, which obviously required a completely different type of care and pain management. Despite King Eddies primarily being an obstetric and maternity hospital, the entire team went so far above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and that my injuries were being looked after as well.

They were constantly checking whether I was comfortable, bringing me ice packs, making sure I had the medication I needed, helping me move around safely and checking on my pain levels. They were incredibly mindful of the fact that I was trying to manage significant injuries while also going through an extremely stressful pregnancy situation. It honestly felt like nothing was ever too much trouble. They didn’t just focus on our baby and forget about me, they cared for both of us.

The communication throughout our stay was also exceptional. At every step, someone took the time to explain what was happening and why. We were never left wondering what was going on. Even when the situation was uncertain and things were changing hour by hour, the team remained calm and reassuring, which helped us stay calm when we were absolutely terrified.

When I was transferred from MAFU onto Ward 3, the kindness and consideration continued. We completely understood that, as a general rule, partners aren’t always able to stay with patients on the ward. However, given that we had travelled from Bunbury, were away from home and I had significant limitations with walking and moving because of my broken foot and fractured ribs, the team recognised how important it was for my husband to be able to stay with me.

They were incredibly accommodating and made sure his stay with us was as comfortable as possible. That meant so much to both of us. In a situation where we already felt so far from home and were both incredibly frightened, being able to have each other there made such a difference. The fact that the staff took the time to understand our individual circumstances rather than simply treating us as another admission is something we will never forget.

I also want to acknowledge the incredible Bunbury team who cared for us before our transfer, along with the amazing retrieval, paramedic and helicopter teams who got us safely to Perth. It was an enormous team effort, and we will forever be grateful to every person who played a part in getting us there.

To every midwife, nurse, doctor, specialist, sonographer and every other staff member who cared for us, thank you. Truly.

You may do this work every day, but for families like ours, the care you provide becomes a moment in our lives that we will never forget.

We arrived at King Eddies terrified, not knowing whether we would be going home together or whether our baby girl would need to be born that day. We left feeling incredibly grateful for the care we had received and so much more reassured about the journey ahead.

We genuinely cannot fault our experience at King Edward Memorial Hospital. From MFAU to Ward 3, every person we encountered treated us with compassion, dignity, patience and kindness. They went above and beyond in every possible way, not only caring for our baby but making sure her mum and dad were cared for too.

Thank you for looking after our little girl before we could bring her safely home ourselves. And thank you for looking after her very worried mum and dad along the way. 🤍

We will be forever grateful.