At my first antenatal appointment with my midwife she asked me if I wanted to have a hospital or home birth. Straight away I answered "Hospital", I didn't even consider the idea of a home birth. I wanted to have my baby in a safe hospital environment so that if there were complications I knew that the medical care my baby and me would need would be on hand.

At 38 weeks my waters went, I went to Leighton hospital (Crewe) and was examined and monitored, there were no other signs of my baby coming. They sent me home and told me to ring the ward if my contractions started and to come into hospital. If my baby wasn't on its way after two days they told me to come in to be induced.

Two days later and there were still no signs of my baby coming, so I went in to get induced. I went in at 8 in the morning, they monitored me and my baby. At 2 in the afternoon a consultant came and examined me and then induced me. My contractions started very quickly and were very intense.
About two hours after I was in alot of pain, to which I informed the midwife, however she would not give me any pain relief and told me that I couldn't be in labour. This scared me because I thought if I wasn't in labour yet then how painful would it be!

Four hours after being induced my baby was born, I was taken down to the labour ward 20 MINUTES before I gave birth. I was not examined even once during labour, I was given no antibiotics (which are given when you waters break early to fight infection), My baby's heart rate and my contractions were not monitored, my birth partner (my mum), was told to leave the ward while I was in labour because it was meal time (I think I can speak for most women who have had children, the last thing you need when your in labour is to be left on your own), I was only 18 when I had my daughter and really wanted my mum with me. I was in tears but they still wouldn't let me mum on the ward until after the meal hour (which was 40minutes before my baby was born). Also the last 20minutes I spent on the maternity ward was visiting time and all the other women had there visitors, at this point I was in ALOT of pain, and was still not offered pain relief or examined, I had no privacy at all, everyone in the room (patients and their visitors could see and hear me screaming in pain.

Since this experience I have done some research and found many cases similar to mine sometimes with worse outcomes, including infection, haemorrhaging, complication with baby (due to not being monitored). These outcomes terrified me!

The post natal care me and my baby received was better however I felt very alone and upset after giving birth, because the idea of there being complications with my baby scared me very much. Also, some of the midwives made me feel guilty when I asked them for help, it almost seemed as if they didn't want to help me.

I was disgusted, angry and extremely upset with the lack of care that me and my baby were given. This awful experience has put me in fear of having another baby. Women who have home births, have at least one midwife with them the whole time, they are monitored and supported. I was in a hospital and was not supported at all throughout labour.

Overall from my experience of giving birth in a NHS hospital I am appalled, I certainly will not give birth in that hospital again and doubt that I will use another NHS hospital again. In the future I would either use a private hospital or have a home birth, because I know I would get the fully care and attention that is need during childbirth.