"Postpartum Sepsis"

I was due to give birth to my baby at the Family Birth Centre early this year. I laboured in the birth centre, but was rushed to the hospital due to meconium in the waters. I was given an episiotomy and the McRoberts manouvure was performed. The baby was born during the early hours of the morning (overnight) and we slept in the birth suite as there were no beds available. 

That day, the baby had trouble latching so I chose to stay a night and was admitted to a ward. That evening and night I was very sick and could barely get up to feed the baby. The following morning the nurse realised I had a very high temp and was unwell. I was immediately given IV antibiotics and paracetamol, however it wasn't working and after the second night of fever with an even higher temp., I was rushed to ASCU (adult special care unit) with postpartum sepsis. 

I stayed there for I think 4 nights. The care I received in both the ward and ASCU was varied, some nurses excelled and even checked up on me after being transferred, most were good, but some I felt were sub par. For example some didn't read my information, basically scolding me for calling them in to help with the baby when I couldn't even stand up and then toward the end of the week thinking the baby was only 2 days old and ignoring my requests to feed him, leading to me becoming engorged for hours. I had to call someone in every time I needed to feed because I couldn't pick him up as I was attached to the IV's and had them in both arms for a few days. 

During the week the birth centre made no contact with me or the hospital (in normal circumstances they would have visited me at home for 5 days). I had assumed they knew I was still in hospital, but then the nurses in ASCU kept asking if anyone had contacted me and it was clear there was no communication and I had been forgotten. It wasn't until almost a week later I had any contact, from my midwife who had been on her days off since the birth. 

No one went through the birth with me, until one night a nurse in ASCU told me the baby got stuck (hence the McRoberts). When I asked my midwife she said it didn't happen, confusing me even more. 

An already traumatic experience was being made worse by a complete lack of communication between the hospital and FBC (Family Birth Centre), no debriefing on the complications that occurred in the birth, plus a constant rotation of staff and very minimal continuity of care. The severity of my illness was also not discussed with me or my husband and I had no idea what sepsis was, or the side effects I could have from it. 

My experience at the birth centre was also not what I had hoped or expected. There were internal staff issues that I believe were obvious, and changing the structure of the groups which led to me missing out on some prenatal classes, but only told after it was too late to attend a replacement. Many friends have had great experiences at FBC and I was looking forward to the same. 

I think that there needs to be more continuity of care, especially in ASCU. 

I knew that birthing at FBC might not happen, but there was no way of preparing myself for what I expected to be a maximum one day stay turning into a week long traumatic experience. No one spoke to me about birth trauma, and I think that experiences like mine should receive compulsory counselling, as it took me months to realise I was suffering.