Maternity wards in crisis

[Saila]

This isn't a new topic but after being left on my own, and in the wrong ward during the duration of my labour, it makes me think about 'next time'...

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/british-maternity-wards-in-crisis-2261403.html

I want to give birth in hospital and safety for my baby, followed by me is my personal priority. I dont care about anything else apart from a good outcome for both. I dont care how the baby arrives, just that he/she's safe and healthy.

What are people doing about the shortages? I'm aware you get 1x1 care if you have a home birth, but for those who definitely want a hospital birth, how do we go into this feeling safe and well looked after?

Has anyone used a private midwife? Are they accepted in local hospitals or shunned?

what are people's experiences?

If you have any private midwife/ doula recommendations, could you possibly post on this thread or pm me? thanks

[sillywoman]

Ellen Patteron - best Doula in town (according to me ;-)) Also a student midwife at Kings so knows the system and some of the people. Also just completed her doula training & has to attend 4 births before she can charge full rates so currently only charges a smaller 'expenses' fee. She's lovely, level headed, sensitive and sensible. You really can't go wrong. PM me if you'd like her contact details.

a private midwife does a different thing (offers clinical antenatal care etc.etc.) but has the same standing in hospital I think.

[Fuschia]

I have had independent midwves for all of my births, which all took place in hospital for various reasons. Although IMWs can no longer act as your MW in hospital, they are invaluable for antenatal care at home, coming with you to any hospital appts, scans, visiting you before and after the birth if you are in inpatient, attending you at home for a month after the birth to help with breastfeeding etc. My MWs helped me manage my hospital phobia, mailing and meeting with consultan MWs, manager of the labour and postnatal wards to agree a plan for me for my twin birth and in case of admission with my recent birth. They supported me through very difficult breastfeedimg/tongue tie this time round, spending hours with me, and not signing me off till 6w after the birth.

They even visited me in hospital when twin II was hospitalised with a kidney infection at 10mold and came to the twins naming ceremony. We still keep in touch (one of them is popping by for coffee on Friday in fact)

To help you through the medical maze, fight your corner and be on the alert for any potential problems in hospital, they are a huge reassurance.

http://www.independentmidwives-southeast.co.uk/whoweare.html

http://www.independentmidwives-southeast.co.uk/

[Saila]

great - many thanks for this

[Polly D]

Apologies for going off-topic but does anyone else find this a curious quote in the Independent piece re the tragic deaths of Sareena Ali and her daughter in childbirth at Queen's Hospital, Romford:

Sarah Harman, a solicitor representing the family, said: "I have been rocked by this case. You don't expect an intelligent and glamorous young woman, slim as a reed, to die."

I imagine it's taken out of context, I hope, because one could read it as the implication being that she shouldn't have died because she was all those things, rather than it being an absolutely tragic and heart-breaking case of negligence by the labour ward.

[duchessofdulwich]

that was a heart breaking story. should never ever have happened

[Saila]

Polly D - completely agree

That quote's been on a loop in my head cos it didn't sit well with me either - was a very odd thing to say...

It's a tragedy - full stop.

Had under tones of 'this shouldn't have happened to one of us' etc

anyway -

[sillywoman]

What an awful thing to say. I hope someone around her pointed out that we don't expect plain, rather lumpy women of ordinary intelligence to die either!

Actually, thinking I've just described self.

[Otta]

To be fair, I very much doubt that she meant it in that way. She didn't choose her words very well, but I just read it as saying that you don't expect a healthy young woman to die in childbirth in this day and age.

Shortages of staff, a rising birth rate, lack of training, inadequate equipment and poor leadership are leaving women in childbirth exposed to unacceptable risks.

Basically all boils down to a lack of funding.

The RCM says they need 4500 more midwives, and David Cameron promised 3000. So, even if he had delivered on his promise (which he hasn't), he would still only be delivering 2 thirds of what is required, which kind of shows where this is on his list of priorities.

[Otta]

Have to add though, that I think that article is doing a bit of scare mongering, and sensationalism.

[minder]

Otta, that's how I read it too - you don't expect a young, healthy woman to die in childbirth (or just after) in this day and age.

This nearly happened to me 12 years ago after having my 3rd child at King's. My doctor told me he had just lost a mother with three young children to my condition (pulmonary embollism) a week before but doctors at King's told me I was one in 100,000.

I was discharged the next day, even though complaining of symptoms, but ended up back in hospital for 10 days on heparin and warfarin for the next 6 months.

I wasn't overweight, didn't smoke, no family history, was up and about the next day, but that shouldn't make hospital staff complacent.

Whether having private/independent midwifes would have made difference, I don't know.

[minder]

Just to add that when you're in pain and can't breath and things going black and lying in King's accident and emergency it's very scary.

My Mum was with me most of the time (and husband) and I look back on that time and know somebody was looking after me!

[sillywoman]

"Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the leading cause of maternal death [1]. The rate of PE in pregnancy is five times greater than that for non-pregnant women of the same age and is about 1 in 1500 deliveries; the risks are even higher in the puerperium." BJR; S Mathews 2006

So it seems the doctor at Kings who told you you were 1 in 100,000 was talking rot Minder.

But the young woman in the article didn't have this at all, she had an extremely rare condition which should have been spotted but wasn't. Probably due to the chronic understaffing which appears to be endemic on our ante/postnatal wards. Come on Dave - sort this out. We deserve much, much better.

Oh, and yes. Of course I know the silly lawyer was just saying "you don't expect a young, healthy woman to die in childbirth (or just after) in this day and age", but was a crass and potentially offensive way to put it. I agree with Saila, it has unpleasant undertones of 'it shouldn't happen to one of us' - the 'us' here being the nice looking and educated classes. Very unpleasant attitude indeed.

[ellaj]

I thought some of you might be interested in this. Please PM me if you would like me to email you the flyer but if you contact them directly I'm sure they would be very interested to hear from you.

Dear LINk Member,

We are calling for all individuals who have an interest in Maternity services to join our Task Group.

LINk Southwark are looking in Maternity & New Born Services in Southwark. Anybody can join whether you are a recent mother or not, as long as you have an interest in maternity services.

I have attached a flyer for your information. Please distribute these freely.

A meeting will take place the first week of May to discuss areas to focus on within maternity services. (Date TBC) Come along and have your say on what we should be focusing on!

If you are interested in attending please contact us below. Refreshments will be available.

Kind regards,

LINk Southwark

T: 02073587005

M: 07951 889920

F: 0207 703 2903

E: [email protected]

W: www.ch1889.org | www.linksouthwark.org

A: 131 Camberwell Road, London, SE5 0HF