what did u expect at the hospital?

[princessellie]

i am in the middle of watching that dispatches nurse thing and i cant help but think that the girl who complained about her labour experience is a bit out of order, she was moaning that she was bleeding heavily and the midwives didnt have time to ''freshen her up'' i was kinda shocked at that because when i was in the hospital i didnt expect the midwives to do that lol, i just wondered what all of you expected when you were in labour at the hospital and afterwards and what you actually received

i was really happy with my stay in the hospital, i was only in labour there for about an hour but had to stay in 2 days and i didnt have any problems with it, the midwives werent there more than a few times a day but tbh i didnt expect anything else, i mean if leyla had been ill then obviously i would expect them there or if i had been having problems postnatally then i wouldve expected them to check me out and stuff and check back to see how i was doing, the only thing that happened was leyla's temperature dropped and they had to monitor that and they did quite frequently, they showed me how to bath her before i went home, answered all of my questions, helped me get her latched on, sat and chatted with me about her etc, all in all i was very happy, i certainly didnt expect them to clean me up every day or do my washing lol

should i have expected more? tell me what you expected

x

 

[Mervs Mum]

I didnt see much of them during or after labour but it's a birth centre so I didnt expect too. I saw them when I needed them - If I buzzed they were there and they were there during the times of my labour that I needed them. It's not a butler service but you felt cared for.

 

[rach321]

I was happy with the care I received. They were only a buzzer away if you needed help getting baby latched on etc. I thought they did a fantastic job considering how many patients they had to take care of.

 

[vicwick]

I didn't have a good experience due to staff shortage and the ward was really busy which i appreciate but my midwives were all really rude and i didn't know any of their names as not one of them introduced themselves ( i was there for 3 shift changes haha) after being preped for a c section and taken to theatre Alfie was delivered by vontouse so had to go into a recovery room and was left alone with my new baby, unable to move due to spinal block Alfie was still naked under my gown for 2 1/2 hours, Then the midwife came in eventually after my husnand asked 6 times to be told they were doing the hand over she shouted at me cos Alfie wasn't dressed!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, i didn't have a clue what i was supposed to be doing so really needed some guidance, he was asleep thankfully and didn't try to feed cos i wouldn't of had a clue what to do.

 

[marley2580]

I wasn't happy with the care I received on the post labour ward. Kaya was jaundiced and we had been told that she needed to go under the UV lights but that it could wait until after visiting hour, then, while my dad was holding her, this healthcare assistant went over and just took her from him, stripped her off and put her under the lights without even asking. This reduced me to tears and OH was really angry. I then got loads of pressure to give her formula to get rid of the jaundice until I gave in (they even waited until OH had gone home for a shower before nagging me again) - I later discovered that they should have told me to BF her a lot more before even mentioning formula. I was there for 4 days and hated every second of it.

 

[princess_bump]

i didn't have a good labour experience at all. all i expected of the mw's was to care for me and my baby, and ensure maddi was safely delivered and i was well. thank god maddi was ok, but they were too lazy to take me back into hospital after i'd been in labour 24hours, i spent the night at home with back to back contractions, no sleep, and the ward refused to have me back, even though i'd been there all day, and they said come back when you can't cope! then when we finally go back to the hospital, i spent hours with 'strange' contractions - turns out the contraction monitor had broken and maddi's heart rate was dropping with each contraction - so went straight for c-section. i was up 3 hours after my section - put in the bath - where i passed out. then spent the night trying my hardest to care for maddi, if i buzzed them they complained! i wanted help with her latching on, told it was my nightie's fault!!! as the nursing nighties i had from mothercare were not good enough then i was told to get up at 5am! and sent home with no drugs chart, and lack of painkillers, 24hours after maddi was born. i subsequently haemorrhaged and got a series infection, but i certainly wasn't going back to that hospital! tbh i was pretty disgusted by my level of care.

anyhow - i've rambled enough, i completely understand what i very difficult job it is, and i have complete adoration for what they do, they are under staffed and under pain imo, but i felt, for me, the compassion had left them x

 

[vicwick]

I wasn't happy with the care I received on the post labour ward. Kaya was jaundiced and we had been told that she needed to go under the UV lights but that it could wait until after visiting hour, then, while my dad was holding her, this healthcare assistant went over and just took her from him, stripped her off and put her under the lights without even asking. This reduced me to tears and OH was really angry. I then got loads of pressure to give her formula to get rid of the jaundice until I gave in (they even waited until OH had gone home for a shower before nagging me again) - I later discovered that they should have told me to BF her a lot more before even mentioning formula. I was there for 4 days and hated every second of it.

makes me so angry!!!! I just don't understand the total lack of support for breastfeeding considering they say its the best thing, every health professional i have seen about my BF problems has basically said to give up, no encouragement at all or help to solve the problems!!!

That is terrible about takin bubs off your dad!!!!!! How dare they do that

 

[xKimx]

The first lady that looked after me was soo nice she helped me with everything and wiped me down etc then her shift had ended so this other lady came she was a nightmare soon after my C Section She gave LO a bottle without asking if i wanted to try breastfeeding I was on the operation table so i didn't know I had ciaran at 10:43 And then she told OH to leave 1 hour after

 

[Mervs Mum]

Too many women have a bad experience. It's appauling.

 

[danni2609]

Mine was awful first time round but i went to a birth centre this time and loved it!

 

[Tinylo]

I didn't have a great time either...

When I arrived the labour ward didn't have a bed for me so I had to wait in a visitors waiting room for over an hour. By the time a bed was available I'd had no pain relief, I was 6cm dialated and in considerable pain.

In labour the midwife was rude, uncaring and then proceeded to tell us this was her first delivery by herself!

She found it difficult to find babies heartbeat and then kept disappearing to talk to people about us, leaving DH & I on are own, not knowing what was going on or if anything was wrong.

After Lewis was born I noticed one of his feet looked a little different, bent. The midwife turned round and said "oh he's got a club foot" we were completely devestated....as we found out a month later he didn't have club foot at all WTF did she say that for if she didn't really know what was wrong.

I was in for 3 days on the 3rd day I really wanted to go home but was told that I had to see a pediatrician about Lewis's foot before we could leave (we had already been waiting to see him the day before and he hadn't shown up). After a lot of tears and begging a lovely midwife to get someone to see us, at 5.00pm she said the pediatrician didn't need to see us after all so she could send us home.....aarrgghhh that meant we could of left the day before.

I'm not sure I want to go through that again

 

[vicwick]

I realy want a home birth next time with an independant midwife, i really don't want to go back to a hospital where the staff are over worked and miserable

 

[PixieKitty]

I expected a lot more than I got. Such as help with my first shower after the c-section, not being forgotten about at meal times, not to be left with Jack on my stomach the day after the c-section for an hour when he had a dirty nappy and I'd been buzzing for help, having different people come in and promise to be right back, not to have my breast pump taken off me for sterilizing, only to be told they don't 'do' sterilizing on a post-natal ward and not having it back til the next day, by which time Jack was on formula. Oh, and not to have the buzzers turned off when I needed help.


F**k the NHS, and their midwives. I discharged myself a day early and started recovering properly at home.

 

[alice&bump]

i didnt really think too much of it at the time, but i wasnt too happy with what i got.

when i was in labour it was fab, the MW i'd seen all thru my pregnancy, then she handed up to a lovely one who was amazing. they got me toast and stuff and were just fab! afterwards i got took straight to theatre and was stitched up, i'd had a spinal block for that.

when i got up to the ward it was 4 am and i got told OH had to go home, fair enough. i was left with a cathetar in, with the gown on from theatre, just lying on the mat thing without any knickers on or anything. i didnt get offered food or drink or anything and just got left with katie on my tummy. it took til 9 am the next morning when they came in affter me asking a million times for help with a shower for me to get one when OH git there. i was covered in blood as was the bed. i thought a lot of the MWs were really rude aswell

 

[welshcakes79]

put it this way, i'd close the mat wing of the hospital i had rhiannon in down if i had the power.. never seen such a shower of shit in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!

some things that i had happen to me were...

baby turning blue and no one answering the buzzer
baby turning blue and no one answering my calls for help
baby turning blue and no one answering me running up and down the corrider screaming for help 24 hours after a c-section!!!! plenty of mums came out their rooms.. but no frigging midwife...

being told by an auxiliry nurse person that my parents couldnt go to SCBU to see their granddaughter who was on oxygen and having a lumber puncture...

being left on the floor after fainting it took the lady who comes round to check the baby's hearing to go get help for me!!!!

not being showed how to breasfeed, just told how i should express and not even showed how!!

not showed how to bath the baby, my sister had to do it

told 10 hours after my c-section i had to go have a shower, (not even a bath i had to stand with a iron level 7 and a drain hanging out of my scar)

also being told after my shower i wasnt allowed to wear pj's had someone go through my bag and litrally throw my nighty at me....

being told i was getting discharged then not seeing anyone till 6pm when i had a piece of paper to sign then told "see ya"

 

[Rachiebaby24]

My labour was ok (i was out of it on the gas n air) but my OH and mum said the mw was hardly there....good job my labour was straightforward then....

afterwards, not so good.....got moaned at for not taking my dinner tray back down the corridor (i felt so weak) and get this - OH's/visitors were not allowed to take it back for you!!!!!?!!! ....i mean there were women who had c sections and everything taking their trays back!!

I had zero help with the breastfeeding...considering its my first baby and i asked and asked and asked for help and nothing. One woman just came, pinched my nipple and shoved it into a screaming Maley's mouth and then told me "keep trying"...and walked back out.....my OH helped more than them!!

needless to say i couldnt wait to get out there....in the end had to threaten to discharge myself to go home! and even that they made me wait 5 hours for the discharge papers.......

Am definately thinking of having the next one at home (its just OH who is against it as he is a worrier and thinks its better to be at hospital in case something happens)

 

[BlackBerry25]

I had really good service, I was taught how to breast feed and the nurses kept checking on me, even though I had no problems. I had one mean nurse though, and I was happy when her shift was over. I also needed a low fat meal because I had gallstones and they brought me a HAMBURGER and no other food all day. That sucked.

 

[Rachiebaby24]

oh and reading the others posts i forgot.....

not given a breast pump because "they dont do that anymore" even though my nipples are flat and i wanted the pump to draw them out...

My mum helped me in the first shower.......after she had gone in there and cleaned it with Flash

also waiting ages for them to answer the buzzer

wasnt allowed to give Maley a bath (she didnt get a bath until we got home)

wouldnt let OH put the curtain round the bed at visiting time for privacy - was told its the rules to leave them open

 

[shampain]

I had an amazing experiance whilst in labout, i had the best midwife in the world i think, she didnt leave my side all the time i was labouring and as well as taking excellent care of me she also looked after my partner fantastically.I would of had a very different delivery if it wasnt for her. She was totally amazing and so were the team she worked with! All on the delivery suite were fantastic.....then i got on the ward....they made a big fuss bout me having to stay 24hours because i had prolonged rupture of the membranes so they had to monitor babies temp for signs of infection. This should of been done every 2hours...i think it was done about 6times.I had Patrick at 6 that morning, was on the ward at 12pm...at 8pm i asked to go home as i could monitor his temp at home i was told no...when i looked at the sheet that the staff were recording his temp on he had gone 5hours at one point before anyone looked at him.
I also had trouble breastfeeding, my baby was going 6hours inbetween feeds but when he did feed he was feeding for 2hours...my partner turned up at 11am on the morning i was meant to be leaving hosp...then we got otld we wasnt allowed to leave until baby took a feed....baby took a feed at about 2pm and partner informed the midwife.....i got discharge at 6pm that night.I understand they are busy but what annoyed me more was that i was on a ward with women who had had sections and were meant to be in for 3 days...a lady across from me was on day 2 and asked to go home...she was discharged an hour after she had asked.I was totally put off breastfeeding from then on, although a persevered for 2weeks the midwife had made me nervous about it and from then on feeding him stressed me out and i was constantly clock watching.I'll never get my first day with him back and although my labour and birth experience was fantastic, it has had the shine taken off it by other events.

 

[emma_27]

aI didnt have a great time after i had Benn i was left to it after having an epidural i was bleeding everywhere Benn was screaming and i couldnt really move. Nobody shown me where the toliets were nor did they come when i pressed the button! They were brilliant whilst i was in labour though. With Ellie i was fine. I didnt really need anything from them and i just wanted to go home. They did come round to check to see if i was ok. There after care was really good.