"Patient Advocacy"

I am currently pregnant with my second child, I am a public patient to birth at Joondalup Health Campus. I was attending the Joondalup Health Campus Antenatal Clinic until, in my opinion,  I was insulted by a midwife and their lack of continuity with their midwifery care. 

Background- For months I was telling the midwives I was experiencing unusual fatigue and was advised to start taking iron supplements. I started taking supplements and the fatigue continued and got worse. I returned to the clinic a month later in tears asking for help as the fatigue was now extreme and affecting all aspects of my being. I was taking an iron supplement, increasing it in my diet and not feeling any better. I explained something is not right with my body and it was affecting my day to day life. The midwife explained I may be a candidate for an iron infusion as my levels were low, but were slightly outside the hospitals requirements. She referred me to the obstetrician in the clinic that day. The obstetrician said everything I said to her was linked to depression and to take time off work. When I refused this claim, she said she would put a case in for an infusion, gave me the iron prescription to be filled and booked me in for the following week. I was told I would be given confirmation this would go ahead over the coming week- there was no confirmation. I followed up with the Antenatal Clinic and they advised if I was booked in for this, I present to the birth suite at the arranged time. The birth suite rang the day before to confirm my attendance and I asked them if it was confirmed this would be going ahead. They said yes.

I arrived at the arranged time to have the infusion, to be greeted by a midwife who advised it would not be going ahead as the obstetrician on the birth suite this day didn’t prescribe the infusion and didn’t believe I needed it. The obstetrician did not consult me. I accepted this and asked her why I was so fatigued, I had not experienced this with my first pregnancy and something wasn’t right with my body. She advised me that pregnancy was a condition and since I was pregnant with my second child I was an - old used second hand car and should get used to a life of fatigue. Continuing to tell me that, I should go home, take a nap and there was a reason why women in the UK finished work at 29 weeks. Then on the other hand, she said that if I had to work for financial reasons she could understand and the obstetricians at Joondalup Hospital worked up until a day before their baby is due. She also said that she read my notes from the Antenatal Clinic stating, I was weeping and demanding an infusion. This could not be further from the truth and I will be requesting a copy of my notes. I left this midwife in tears to go back to work as she yelled out after me saying, I hadn’t listened to a word she said.

I am incredibly insulted this midwife, her words and the lack of care from the Joondalup Antenatal Clinic. To speak to and treat a pregnant women like this, I believe is deplorable. I have left my appointments distressed, feeling alone, questioning myself and my body. Midwives are meant to be a pregnant women’s advocate, to give them the confidence to make informed decisions and empower her to speak up when something is not right. The experiences the mother has throughout her pregnancy and labour will have lasting effects on the mother and baby.

In my opinion, Joondalup Health Campus and the Antenatal Clinic have treated me like a number, they are only referring to my results, not looking at the person as a whole or individual or the symptoms I am experiencing. I believe they are tarring everyone with the same brush. Now as I enter my last weeks of pregnancy I am stressed and emotional about giving birth here.