First time i saw 1 midwife all the way through she was lovely we felt comfortable with her. At the hospital not so good didnt believe me when i rang at 12am my waters had gone told them i was having regular contractions they told me to have a bath and come in at 8.30am to see if it really was my waters. my DH dragged me to hospital at 6.30 am as i told him i had to wait as the midwife said but i was in so much pain. they tried to do the routine checks on me still saying i probably had a long way to go-till i couldnt sit still for her so she checked i was 9 1/2 cm she was born at 6.59am in that time they were trying to give me pethidine even though i hadnt asked for it .Tried to get me to push on my back i told them i was more comfy on all 4s and also whilst on my back contractions slowed and they were telling me they would have to get pitocin!
as soon as i got back on all 4s my contractions started up again. all that in half an hour!
wouldnt let me feed her before they weighed her told me to take a bath came in 3 times whilst i was in the bath trying to see if i was ready to goto the ward-i wasnt bloody relaxing i was rushing to get washed as the baby was crying. they wrote in my notes baby had fed in delivery-she hadnt she wouldnt latch a student midwife tried to help but a senior midwife told her to leave it to the midwifes on the ward
then 2 hours later told me i had to give the baby formula as her blood sugars would drop and she got the bottle and fed her in front of me.
2nd time i have seen over 6 different midwives and various students- i feel it has been quite slack some of them needed to be taught the art of people skills they merely barked orders at the students. Was late getting whooping cough vaccine then tried to scold me when i said i hadnt had it yet-well not 1 midwife mentioned it to me-then birthcentre asked why my risk assesment was so late (37 weeks) even though i had asked about a tour etc at 24 weeks.
lovely in birth centre a student and senior midwife delivered me made me and my DH loads of tea let me try to feed LO before weigh in didnt dress her told me to just get plenty of skin to skin it was fab.
Then aftercare-my home phone wasnt working admittedly but no one saw us for a week even though i rang explained the number problem they said 2 midwives were meant to have arrived the previous day. They came were pleasant did a heel prick and said are you alright getting to your doctors to be discharged from the midwives care, Saw another midwife baby was all ok-then i got 'is baby registered' i said yes then ran through a list in such a standoffish tone-dont co sleep, dont bed share , dont fall asleep on the sofa(fat chance with a toddler)dont over dress baby make sure if sleeping in a cot feet to bottom yada yada-i was a bit like i have my other daughter here i think i know all of this. then asked about contraception-im 11 days pp hardly thinking of that and i know they discuss it at your 6 week check-she said well think about it as you might say oh we wont do anything etc but your extremely fertile-again i know! oh and birth centre didnt give me my folder back with babies scans rang them got told they dont hang on to every bit of paper and they do tell women to remove there scan-well i didnt get asked because i turned up had to wait for birth room to be dry and had baby within the hour-took my number but i dont hold out much hope
the hospital I had my daughter at is good but women had complained about the post natal ward. My experiences there and in the labour ward were brilliant and all the staff were patient and helpful. 
