"My birthing experience"

I participated in the Midwifery Group Practice at KEMH, and I am so grateful for my experience with Jess and Maddie. This program was incredibly valuable for me to feel safe and informed. I worked through questions at regular appointments, felt informed and empowered going into pregnancy, labour and parenthood. I believe there’s known benefits from the model, and its limited funding and capacity is a real missed opportunity, in my opinion.

During pregnancy, I transitioned to weekly scans and appointments in blue clinic, which I found was so inefficient. Appointments were incredibly time consuming; I believe bulk appointments booked for many patients at the same time meant that I often waited for up to four hours. My workplace is very accommodating, but not many people would be able to have such flexibility to leave their work for hours on end. I feel this appointment system doesn’t support mothers’ needs and schedules, is badly managed, and it seemed to me there’s clearly not enough staff to accommodate so many patients at once.

During a COVID lockdown period at the hospital entrance, I explicitly asked if my partner could come to a scan to check baby's heartbeat. I was told that they could not come in, incorrectly assuming my partner’s gender. I then went to MFAU and once again I was told they weren't allowed, using the wrong pronoun. I had to correct staff members, who incorrectly assumed my partner was the other gender. Twice in one day I felt was very, very disappointing. I expect all staff be aware of diverse families, and the importance of gender-neutral language. I expect better from KEMH staff, and just to note this never happened with any midwives, nurses, or clinical staff.

I believe lockdowns and restrictions place significant distress on patients. I am at my most vulnerable, I need support people with me at all times. I found rules around partners not being able to attend appointments were terrible. Preventing the other parent, or someone of support from attending with a patient is absolutely not acceptable in my opinion, and I believe having your birthing partner through all stages of labour is a fundamental human right and I feel should never be denied. I believe KEMH needs to do a better job to advocate for their patients to have this support at all times.

My experience of labour and the birthing suite was very positive. I cannot speak more highly of my experience. To mention: my MGP midwife, Jess, was incredible and did an amazing job making me feel comforted and well cared for, and in accommodating my student midwife Grace. Helen and Jen, two incredibly experienced midwives with whom I started my labour journey, were calm and caring, Tori and Paula from MGP were great. I was surrounded by a collective of magnificently skilled women for which I’m so grateful. The experience in birth suite was second to none - my partner and I felt valued, comforted, cared for, listened to, in control and well-informed. I couldn't imagine having a better experience and being in better hands.

On Ward 5 we also had incredible experience with a collection of wonderful midwives. A special thanks to: Shae, Beretha, Sam, and extra special thanks to Kris who went above and beyond. (And Taela for following up with me on the ward too). We learned so much during our admission, I am very grateful for their skills, education, kindness, and professionalism.

The physical aspects of birthing suite were lovely, comfortable and welcoming. My room on Ward 5 could not have been further from this. Comfortable enough, I felt the décor and facilities were very outdated, I liken them to prison facilities – rudimentary and hostile. Not at all the nurturing and comforting environment you want after having a baby, in my opinion.

I feel it’s staggering partners can’t be accommodated on the ward too. The first precious moments, hours, days, I believe are so important for both parents to connect and bond with baby. I feel it also doesn’t promote equality of care. I experienced huge hormonal and emotional swings, so I was gutted every day my partner had to leave at the end of visiting hours. Parents aren’t ‘visitors’ and I believe they should be accommodated for the duration of admission.

I felt very vulnerable health-wise when I was discharged and made into a ‘boarder’ after a couple of days for financial reasons I believe, even though I didn’t feel well enough. The language in approaching this could be softened – I was made to feel like I didn’t matter in the equation, and this could be avoided by being better consulted about my mental and physical health (I understand this wasn’t at the directive of the midwives or nurses who cared for me).

On many occasions it was made very obvious to me there were financial and resourcing constraints, such as the seemingly passive aggressive signs in capital letters on cupboard doors about the cost of resources (teats, etc). Public hospitals are so important to society, fundamental for everyone to be able to access health care and should have the resources to support every patient’s stay. Based on my experience, we shouldn’t be made to feel like we are placing burden on the system.

Overall, I am beyond impressed with the care and expertise that midwives provided to me, and it's clear that they are focused on ensuring women are cared for to the highest standard. They made my experience at KEMH one that I truly appreciated.

In short, suggestions that I felt would have improved my experience:

• KEMH advocate for patients’ outcomes: including all birth mothers able to opt for partner/other parent present for all appointments and at all stages of labour, at all times.

• Better resourcing, funding and pay for Midwives so that the workforce isn’t overwhelmed.

• More funding for Midwifery Group Practice for continuity of care.

• Education for all staff on issues of inclusion, diverse families, and neutral language.

• Overhaul the appointment system for clinics, to respect patients’ time so they can maintain work, family, and other commitments without having to wait for hours and hours; and appropriately staff these clinics.

• Funding for facilities to accommodate the second parent to stay; and make the ward a comfortable and nurturing space. This can be co-designed parents/birth mothers.