"Birthing journey"

Based on my experience, I have lost faith in the health care system. I got pregnant in 2021 & had bleeding and right sided pain till about 12 weeks. I visited Kalgoorlie ED several times. On 1 visit, I was told it might be an ectopic pregnancy but the machine in the lab was down and my samples couldn't be processed. I was sent home. I recall this was after 9 attempts by one doctor to get bloods from 1 hand and then another from my femoral vein. I found out later that the blood clotted and no result was available.

In my first trimester, my doctor asked Kalgoorlie hospital if I needed to go in and get Anti-D and they called them that evening and asked that I go in. We drove through a storm and were seen about 6 hrs later only to be told they didn’t have Anti-D. I understand there were incidents that required urgent attention, and the wait isn't really the issue. It's waiting that long when you have pain and then being told there was no Anti D.

It was decided that it would be best if I was examined to make sure everything was fine. A junior doctor examined me and called a senior doctor to confirm what they saw. This doctor stood by the door and stated they agreed and walked out. How did they examine my cervix from that distance? The junior doctor, who I should say was kind and had good bedside manner, then told me it was a threatened miscarriage and the cervix was opening and there was nothing they could do unless I was at the 20 week mark. I was called back the following day for ultrasound and had an appointment with the Obstetricians at the Antenatal clinic and they both showed the cervix was closed. From then on I was transferred to the clinic for care.

My experience with the nurses was positive (true for those in the ED too) as were some of the doctor visits. One thing I noticed was that it seems to me the doctors don't review the previous notes and will ask the same questions over and over. At the booking-in appointment, I stated I didn’t want blood and the midwife noted this down. During the visits I was at times not weighed despite me stating I was losing weight and I was told they were not worried because I was still overweight. I was surprised because I knew weight loss, regardless of the mother being overweight, was a risk factor for growth restriction. My GP was worried but I told her what I had been told at the clinic and it reassured her. After an ultrasound in my third trimester, was told everything looked fine but a few weeks later another doctor reviewed the ultrasound and said we needed to talk about induction because the baby's growth had tapered off. I refused the induction and another ultrasound was ordered to make sure the baby was okay. I was told they would not be relying on the size shown by ultrasound because it would be inaccurate but I believe this was not the case once the ultrasound was reviewed. I had to go in for foetal monitoring every 2 days and every visit felt like I was being pressured into a C section and on one occasion I recall one of the midwives asked me if I was okay with my baby dying and that it depended on which risk I was okay with. What I felt they didn’t realise was that I had been dealing with the risk of losing my baby from the beginning and me refusing the induction and C section was not due to being okay with losing them.

We agreed to an induction and a balloon was inserted and I had to spend the night alone in pain and barely slept. The induction failed and the conversation turned to C section and I again refused. I had to go in daily for monitoring and while I would feel contractions at home, every time I was at the hospital, they would stop. We were offered a C section and told we could decide when we went in that morning. When we went in, we didn't want the C section but were told it was the only day it could be done and as a bonus one of the doctors said they would give me a bit of a tummy tuck as part of the procedure. I believe they also told my partner if anything happened to the baby I would never forgive myself. I felt this led to my partner pushing for the C section and I couldn't fight them when it was their baby too. I felt very alone that day and like no one had heard any of my concerns. It then was discovered I don't get blood despite it having been in my notes and I was being bombarded by different doctors being asked if I wanted to die and being confronted with saying I’m already received Anti D.

They organised for me to travel to Perth for my C section; I had issues at this hospital that I have already addressed with them. Around a year postpartum and at the time of writing this, I have unexplained pain. I was referred to the gynae team at Kalgoorlie hospital a few months ago and I believe I was pretty much told there’s nothing they can do for me and that the pain is not from the C section and another appointment was booked in a few months but I'll not be going and will have to find a way forward.

Drs Iliana and Manju and another male doctor I met once were very professional and kind even when they did not agree with me and I am grateful to them and most of the nurses. In the end, I have to take my share of blame for not advocating for myself better. That is my biggest regret.