"Maternity care"

VBAC - as soon as I arrived to hospital the midwife just wanted me on my back on the bed - I wanted to utilise my breathing which had served me beautifully for 15 hours at home and 1.5 hr in the car - I was labouring well. During my contractions the midwife’s trying to get me on continuous monitoring, (I had signed a non standard management plan and my birth support advised the midwife of this) still the midwife persisted and didn’t want to wait until my contraction had finished for me to move for their ease of access to my stomach as I was standing over the bed. When my birth support suggested using a Doppler primarily to get a baseline then continue to try with the monitor that I was obliging of even though I had a nsmp. The midwife refused and persisted just wanted me on my back on the bed, I refused as it’s really uncomfortable.

My birth team are trying to work with me to get me back into a head space that I can focus and feel safe to continue on whilst I had five people talking to me at once during mid contraction, not working with me at all. I was obliging & trying to adhere to all the demands of me even when my wishes contradicted it - all documents signed in my notes! in the end I opted for the epidural as I felt the birthing room was anything but equipped to keep calm and supportive. The anaesthetist that did my epidural was awesome! The block was even and great it was light enough it took the edge off but I could move a little and still feel the contractions so made it manageable in the chaotic environment (bearing in mind at this point I had been checked and was labouring well - not obstructed yet) Now for the epidural infusion - 1 midwife came in to connect it up and didn’t have a checker. They connected it to my IV and then argued with me when I told them that’s my Iv not my epidural until my private midwife said politely this is the epidural and pointed to it. They apologised, this all happened whilst my support team and the consultant obs and the gp obs all stood around my bed and said - all good they didn’t start the infusion no worries!

Cat 2 LSCS for obstructed labour.

Was told in the labour room there was no rush no emergency we can take our time and still have a great experience, even asked what music I wanted, I was more then happy to go ahead and proud I had laboured. I went into theatres feeing like a superstar which quickly faded to nothing!

Told to move onto theatre bed by my self - bit hard when fully pregnant epidural on board and the theatre bed is higher than the hospital bed! Urinary catheter inserted then left with my legs spread whilst the team did a time out and checked their trays.

Prior to going in I requested some preferences for my birth in theatre. 1. immediate skin on skin should tone be good and was told no because it wasnt an elective section. So tried to compromise - Asked the paed if I could have immediate skin on skin after a cardio-respiratory assessment or basic APGAR, they agreed if babe was well. 2. Asked if the neo puff could be moved so I could see my babe at all times I was refused as they told me the piped o2 was connected to the wall- it seemed the boom in which it was connected was in view and I believe could easily have been moved to accommodate, I felt this wasn’t a reasonable answer. 3.I wasn’t even asked about a playlist they just played some rubbish music one of the anaes team liked.

After nearly falling off the table from the rough exit my baby came out with beautiful tone, they were pink and screaming looked great! My uterus had a lovely complex tear to it but all good they will start suturing me up, Still didn’t see my baby until they did a comprehensive assessment & injection the paed was very excited to tell me all about the weight etc….. I just wanted my baby on my body! It was like our convo never happened. I asked for my baby to be naked - they made another excuse - it’s too cold in here I said put warm blankets over the top of them…. Apparently it seemed to me maternity physiology doesn’t matter to these guys my laboured body does nothing to keep my baby warm!

5. Asked for delayed cord clamping can they keep babe connected to the placenta as they are removing straight after anyways and again we weren’t in a rush or stressed- now because we were consented and ready to go into theatre -it’s booked as an emergency no we can’t do that. Ok can we just delay the clamping- told me they would do delayed being 1 minute haha that never happened either, I’m guessing because they seemingly tore my uterus down one side.

So baby's out and I’m lying there hearing a lot of suctioning, my baby's taken off where I can’t see them and look up and the synto hasn’t even been connected to the pump and the pump's off. Anaes staff off in the corner chatting and the anaesthetist just trying to get the line into the pump. I offer to help and point to where the line needs to be fitted they’re now giving me TXA. Finally the lines in and they’re programming the pump- the giving set is clamped at the top - so I point out the clamps on, they laugh and I recall say, don’t worry all is fine you just be the patient. By now a clot has snuck under my hemidiaphragm and it is excruciating, iv analgesia given with good affect.

Next day- bloods checked due to>1000ml blood loss . Given iron which I was very grateful for. Time on ward everyone was really lovely.