second or more times mums

[blodyn82]

did you read your previous labour delivery and recovery notes?

i did this the other night and panicked as brought back some scary memories. i hope the secind time will be easier and less eventfull

 

[Nikki_d72]

Yes I have just got them a few weeks ago and it brought up all sorts of feelings - I'm really glad I did though as it has allowed me to process lots of things and research into all the interventions and the effects it had on my labour. I also found out I was deceived into thinking my DD was in distress, so agreed to a C-Section, where my notes state no fetal distress, this has stopped me from feeling as broken and useless and now I'm angry and determined to do things totally differently this time round. I wish I'd got them sooner, it's been 8 years, where I thought my body failed me.

If you have bad memories, I think it's wise to read up on what occurred so you can avoid it happening again, if possible and be more informed going into your next labour in order to make the decisions YOU feel right with, not simply what is reccommended to you by the midwives or doctors. Obviously if something happened that was totally outwith your or your carer's control then things are different, but it's still good to debreif and process this, for your own sake.

 

[Nyn]

I didn't have any notes, but I remember all the key points... the things to remember to do and things it's best not to x

 

[5-a-side]

Haven't seen my notes from either of my previous births, I truly wouldn't want to read my first one, it wouldn't help me cope it would frighten me.
Second birth I wouldn't mind seeing but I bet they are brief as it was, thankfully, a lovely natural quick birth.

 

[stardust599]

How do you get your notes - they took all my pregnancy and labour notes off me? I had an awful induction with lots of intervention which I feel was unnecessary and contributed towards it being traumatic so want to read the notes to see what went wrong? xx

 

[chele]

How do you get your notes - they took all my pregnancy and labour notes off me? I had an awful induction with lots of intervention which I feel was unnecessary and contributed towards it being traumatic so want to read the notes to see what went wrong? xx

Ditto. I don't have mine either

 

[5-a-side]

I think you have to contact the hospital you were at and pay for them. Sure someone else will tell you how to go about it.

 

[moomin_troll]

you have to call the hospital and request your notes.
if its within the first 40 days they are free, after that its a £10 charge in most places.

ive been tempted to get and read my notes but i was treated so badly im not sure if it will do me any good.

i think after ive had this baby i will request both notes and go thru them

 

[blodyn82]

When i was in hosital my midwife told my OH to take them to front desk and copy them all - i had an eventfull labour and delivery and recovery after so she thought that it'd be best for future pregnancies if i had a copy for my own records.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Yes I did. Some of it was disturbing, but most of it I already knew.

 

[Rees]

I didn't even get mine, I had someone else's notes in my file as I got home, luckily I never read them and the midwife who came round for my first visit at home saw them and got angry on my part!

My labour and delivery wasn't bad, I just didn't get the homebirth I wanted but everything else went as planned, it was just the after bit and waiting around to get checked after I'd moved onto a ward that annoyed me, so this time I'm discharging myself from the L&D ward and not going anywhere else apart from home, I know what I'm doing now, what to look for if things are going properly and I'm not worried to ring for advice, I'd rather be at home where I'm calm and relaxed and not sweating buckets whereas in hospital I was getting anxious and wanting to leave but no one would even see me!

So hopefully things will go to plan again this time around

 

[sam#3]

I have recently requested my notes from my last 3 and i will be photocopying these ones before they get nabbed away!!

 

[Samantha675]

I tried once, but just couldn't, now I can't find them.

 

[Mummy~L]

Mine were taken off of me a week after birth. I do kind of wish I had copied them now though! Xx

 

[garnetlady]

I've just had my baby (7 weeks ago today ) and I asked my gp at my 6 week check how to go about seeing my notes, she's told me to phone my consultants secretary and ask her to see them.

 

[Pearls18]

I'm guessing when I next fall pregnant the MWs will have access to them even if I don't????? What if I get pregnant in a different county?? (I was looked after in Wales, but gave birth in Hereford, but likely to have the next baby in Suffolk!) I think I'll try getting them.

 

[cookielucylou]

I never got to see mine, they were taken away when in hospital after delivery. I would love to read mine, with a 2nd baby I will be copying all of it and telling the midwifes at the hospital I want a copy of the labour notes. I think its bad that they take them from you and dont let you have a copy.

 

[shortie1990]

I didnt know you could copy them, pretty gutted about that, wish i'd have known!

 

[ciarhwyfar]

You are all lucky. We don't get any of our records here in the US. I would kind of like to go through my medical file and stuff (though it would only be for the last year as I went to a different clinic before that). Maybe I will try asking about it but it isn't normal to have your medical records here.

 

[secretbaby]

I have my notes from my first birth - it cost £76 plus vat in 2000 - they would not let you take the notes of the premesis and you could go and photocopy it yourself or let them do it - if they did it was only about 2p a page more than you doing it. It was quite difficult to get my notes as I had a tramatic experience I think they thought I was going to sue them and didn't want to give them to me! (I did think of it but didn't do it as I was too ill).

My notes are HUGE due to the problems I had in my second pregnancy - I used to leaf through them if they gave them to me when I had an appointments - the few times they gave them directly too me (I had to have ALOT of appointments in my 3rd pregnancy due to the problems I had in my previous two pregnancies)

I think there is a reason you forget about your birth afterwards - I wish some of the stuff I read I had not seen (sadly we lost our second son due to PPROM and reading the notes from his birth were very hard but some mad thing in me made me read them). Also doctor writting is so hard to read and some of the abbreviations and what they write you need a medical degree to understand!!!!