Worst experience yet I'd choose it again! (Hospital Births)

Member Name: laura07759

Product:	Hospital Births
Date:	29/12/08 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Experienced staff on hand for any complications.

Disadvantages: Lack of care, some unhelpful/unfriendly staff.

.....Introdution.....

When I found out I was pregnant I immediately decided on a hospital birth no questions asked. The main reason being I needed to know professionals would be on hand in case anything went wrong. I worry soo much and knowing I would be in safe hands gave me a lot of confidence. Another factor was that I lived with my mum and dad, to me it wouldn't have seemed right asking to give birth in their home.

.....Labour.....

At 4 days overdue I had my first contraction at 1am in the morning, at the time I didn't know they were contractions as they were very mild and quite irregular. I tryed to get some sleep but they became more painful so I began timing them. By 8am they were coming every 2 minutes and lasting 1 minute. I believed I needed to go to the hospital.

When I arrived I was basically told off, that I should have phoned the hospital to check I was allowed to come in. This was my first child and I hadn't been told this. I was ordered to wait in a room until someone was free to come to me. To me this was very unprofessional and I felt was very innappropriate. So after about half an hour a midwife examined me I was told I was only 2cm dilated, so not in established labour and to go home. I asked for some pain relief as I was in a lot of pain but was told only paracetamol at this point which I can understand.

I tried everything I could at home had a bath, hot water bottle and a back rub off my partner. At 5am the next morning I believed I must be ready, so off to the hospital we went, this time I was met by a very friendly midwife who showed me to a room. Once again I was examined and told I was 3cm dilated, I couldnt believe it all that pain for an extra 1cm. I begged her for some pain relief so I could get some sleep, so I was given some tablets to take, I have no idea what they were but I managed to get a few hours back at home.

By the evening I was in such a state I rang the hospital after speaking to them they told me to go down. The head midwife came to me and examined me, she found my waters had been leaking and contained meconium. Anybody who has had a child will know that meconium is the babies first poo and can be very dangerous. The midwife was very reassuring and explained my waters would be broken and I would be strapped up to a monitor. This was done and I was given gas and air.

After a few hours I was really struggling with the pain so I was given a shot of diamorphine. This was a godsend and allowed me to slightly forget the pain. I was given a brilliant midwife who stayed with me, she was absoloutly brilliant and I can't praise her enough. At 8.30am I was told I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. The problem was after over 55 hours of labour I was really struggling. I ended up giving birth to my son at 9.37am via a ventouse delivery and gaining a 2nd degree episiotomy. I was then stitched up.

I was told to go into the bath and help would be sent. That help never came which resulted in me nearly collapsing, this really scared me which I expalined to a midwife but no apology or explanation was given. I found that lack of care very distressing. I was then taken to a ward along with my newborn son.

.....Post Natal Ward.....

After such a long labour I was shattered but got no sleep as there were visitors in and out of the ward. Night came and I hoped I would finally get some sleep but how wrong was I constant crying kept me awake, not my son but everyone elses newborns. By the morning after barely any sleep I informed the midwifes I was ready to go home, they told me they would send someone straight away to check me and baby, then we could leave. They told me this at 8am I was discharged finally at 7.30pm. Not once whilst I was on the ward was I given any advice or asked if I needed any help. As a first time mum it was quite scary to be left with a newborn when you have never even changed a nappy before. Maybe I was just expecting too much.

.....Summary.....

Overall I can honestly say that I was very dissapointed with the care or should I say lack of care I recieved. The few friendly and helpful people I met were the only high points of my hospital birth. But although I disliked my hospital birth if I have any more children I will be doing the same thing. My reason for this being that because I had to have a ventouse delivery and episitomy it's a good job I had doctors on hand. Any future labours could be completely different with no complications, but I would rather be safe than sorry!

Summary: A bad experience for me but I would choose the same again!