"Labour & birth, Ward care post birth and mother and baby unit"

My baby is now 9 months old I have positive experience from labour & birth and mother & baby unit. Not a great experience once I got to the ward.

Labour and birth unit i could not fault, hands down amazing staff who explained everything to me being the first birth I knew nothing. I just wish I remembered my midwife's name I remember a nurse gave me a hug and I just burst into tears as I was just so scared and terrified as the pain started to really increase. Another memorable moment was that my midwife asked me if I wanted to reach down and feel my baby’s head (as they were almost out) I’m so glad she did because it was just something special that to this day I can remember clearly.

I unfortunately had severe post natal depression after the birth which had gotten worse when my baby was only 5 weeks old. I had a short stay in the mother and baby unit which was honestly the best thing for me, the staff I saw were so kind and helpful they help me form a bond with my baby and get me back onto my feet and feeling more like me again. Not only that but importantly they help me find a hobby and reminded myself that I need to take care of myself also. Not only did they help me learn techniques to settle bubba, but we found out they had reflux after being dismissed that there was something wrong with my baby, it just felt like the staff actually listened and had time to talk when I needed to just have a chat.

My care on the ward after delivery was definitely not what I expected. My baby had difficulty breathing after they were born and was in special care nursery for 24hrs. Morning and evening staff I saw were fine, but my night midwife was not. The second night stay in hospital was honestly the worst experience, I will not ever do it again. My baby was cry and unsettled for hours approx. 5pm evening – 6am the next day.

Although I had been trying to breastfeed, I had frozen colostrum brought into the hospital. (Day 2 my baby was having 30mls every 3 hours) my nurse would only bring in 10-15 mls at a time when I ask even though I had mention how much my baby was having, i was told I need to use the pump, or my milk won't come in. But even though I had mentioned that it hurt using it I was told “oh well it should hurt” no assistance to make sure I’m using it correctly nothing.

Here I am early hours of the morning after hours of my baby crying and unsettled and me feeling like I can feed my baby because I can’t just grab my colostrum as its locked, I mentioned I hurts to breastfeed my baby and was told to use the pump instead. I was told to syringe feed my baby with my pinkie finger in their mouth so they don't drink it so fast (here I am slow feeding 10mls over an hour via syringe just to have some quiet while balling my eyes out)

I was also told after crying and breaking down that there are other woman in the ward in the same boat as me and that the first night for me was easy because my baby was in special care nursery. (It was not easy I was itchy I was sore I hardly slept I had a catheter tugging every time I moved just only hours after given birth) The midwife handed me a piece of paper that was called “baby’s second night” which just made me feel worse. I ask if I could have some formula to feed to my baby as I was mentally and physically exhausted. The midwife refused and said “why from what I can see your capable of producing enough” I mentioned they gave my baby some in special care nursery to help as a top up which settled them. I felt the midwife completely disregarding the fact that it hurt to breastfeed my baby, that my nipples where sore and that it hurt using the pump.

After crying for another hour or so I requested to see the after-hours nurse manager as I wanted to go i wanted to self discharge. The midwife said oh they were just up here ill see what I can do. They disappeared for almost 2 hours when I need more colostrum from the freezer I went out to find a nurse to unlock the freezer, I found the midwife in the corridor and mention I wanted to go home and wanted to speak to the after hours nurse manager again, they said oh did you still was to see them (well yeah that’s what I asked almost 2 hours ago). At this point i had negative feelings towards my baby and just needed my partner, I just needed help. Come approx. 6am the midwife comes in to take my baby for something OBS bloods or something. I was still crying they ask if I wanted to see the lactation consultant that they would put me on some sort of list.

I had seen the consultant that morning that said in need to rest and express my milk and could tell just by standing at the end of the bed that the size given to me were too bigm in-fact turns out they were 2 sizes too big. By this time my nipples had already become ulcerated no wonder I was sore, but no one listened to me. It had taken 2 weeks to for my breast to heal. It felt like to me every nurse just pushing baby to boob.