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"My birthing experience"

About: Karratha Health Campus / Maternity Unit

(as a service user),

My experience with the doctors and midwives was mixed, especially with a clinician I had on the day, when the clinician went to break my waters I complained that it hurt too much and could I please have gas and air. They stopped the procedure and set up the gas and air for me. I recall the clinician stopped the procedure and tensely grabbed the rail on the bed and said that yep, sure, I can have gas and air if you like, I mean, most women can take it and don't need it but yep if I can't take it then they'll give me gas and air.

This apparent 'crazy lady' dialogue and mentality, coming from a clinician with no lived experience, made me feel like I was asking too much. My body was telling me that I was in pain. It's a painful procedure. In my opinion, that means if I spoke up, there's plenty of women who aren't speaking up. 

Before breaking my waters, my partner and I spent about one hour with the clinician asking questions about being induced and any outcomes from being induced. The clinician also told me that there are a lot of women in the world who don't have access to the resources I was privileged to have on the day of my birthing and that I should be grateful. Excuse me? I was born in Australia, as I understand it, I didn't choose to have my baby in Australia. 

What followed was a traumatic labour and forceps delivery which I am still dealing with. The pain was unspeakable. I couldn't mentally take any more pain. I entered the course of intervention and had my baby not how I wanted too. No, I believe I am not spoiled for wanting a peaceful, calm birth where I, the mother, follow my instincts and use hypnobirthing. 

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Responses

Response from Liam Avery, Operations Manager, West Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara nearly 2 years ago
Liam Avery
Operations Manager, West Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

Operational Management of the West Pilbara Health Services

Submitted on 27/06/2022 at 12:05 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:45 PM


picture of Liam Avery

Dear greenrc49,

I appreciate you sharing this birthing experience at the Karratha Health Campus Maternity Unit. I am sorry that you were unable to utilise your instincts and hypnobirthing for a calm and peaceful birth.

There are a number of concerns you have raised with the clinician, inadequate pain management and overall communication resulting in an instrumental delivery. Please accept my apologies as this is not the clinical engagement we aspire to provide our community with.

If possible, I would like to investigate the matter more thoroughly if you could contact me via email Liam.Avery@health.wa.gov.au or alternatively by phone (08) 9144 7639.

Warm regards,

Liam Avery Operations Manager West Pilbara WACHS

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