Birth Debriefing

[LouLouMoving]

Does anyone have any experience of a birth debrief after a traumatic delivery?

Do you go through the GP or contact the midwifery unit? I had my baby at Kings.

Thanks in advance x

[tomskip]

Hi, I'm sorry you had a traumatic experience giving birth. I had to really press for a birth debrief when I was at King's. I was in for 5 days and finally saw someone on the 4th or 5th day. I had a meeting with the consultant at the time but he hadn't actually been present during the birth. Of course we appreciate people are busy but to have a near catastrophic experience and then just be left to get on with it is unsettling. It was difficult for me to have approx 10 people in the operating theatre before I was given a GA and then to never see any of them again, except for the anaethetist who checked I was coming round ok. I think it is important for mothers to find out what went wrong in traumatic births (and in my case what actually happened during my crash c-section). I really hope you find the answers you are looking for. Was the birth recent and are you still being visited at home by midwives or health visitors? Perhaps ask them what is the best way to approach this.

[yeknomyeknom]

Hello,

This is the first time I?ve looked at a Kings maternity post to see an experience like mine. I always check but it?s always positive. I just wanted to say I also had a traumatic experience that easily could have been controlled. I didn?t get a debrief either. The best I could do to reassure myself I wasn?t mad was apply for all the records after the fact. These contain a lot of the errors but not the ones that wouldn?t be put in a report like - first half of labour took place in the waiting room due to lack of beds, no labour bed available so very very long labour in a normal bed, poor lighting in labour room so lamp plugged in across the room and dragged over to bed (tripping hazard), room being used as storage cupboard so many many medical staff in and out during labour to access materials. Permission given to donate placenta but when removed left on a kidney tin on the floor for many hours until no longer viable. Requesting an epidural after 14 hrs then having to wait a further 5 hrs to receive. The list goes on, quite a bit. It?s been 5 yrs, and like I say, I haven?t heard of another experience like my own there. Of course I complained but there?s not much to be done. So I just wanted to take the opportunity to share my experience.

[chica9]

My GP referred me to the consultant obstetrician at the hospital where I gave birth. It was really useful - both the meeting itself and also the letter she wrote for my medical records about what had happened and how to manage risks in any future delivery. I?d also recommend seeing a counsellor to help work through your feelings - I found this really helpful.

[LouLouMoving]

Thank you so much to everyone who had commented here or replied to me personally.

I was under the Denmark Hill team at the Midwives House on Coldharbour Lane but had zero continuity of care despite arranging my appointments at the same time/day. Without going into too much detail it was an incredibly long labour involving 3 shift changes of midwives, induction, epidural failure and then my baby got stuck. It was an intense experience to say the least and my respect for women has hit a lifetime high!

I?ve just spoken to someone on the phone at Kings about arranging a debriefing session and she was very helpful, so thank you, sincerely

[EDmummy]

I wish I had even known there was such a thing! Not sure if it would have helped with my PTSD (also not diagnosed by GP). Did eventually talk through the birth 4 years later before my second birth but had another difficult one(not as traumatic). Some of the Clinical signs were there that the second one may be difficult but the profession are so focused on giving the mother what they want, poor decisions are sometimes made. For balance though, both of my little lives were saved by amazing clinicians. In many countries that wouldn?t have been the outcome.

[midivydale]

Hey, I recently went through this as I was pregnant with my second nearly 7 years after having my first. It took me so long to contemplate doing it again. I had a debrief with a consultant midwife Charlotte Gibson at Kings and I can?t recommend her enough. My birth this time a c section was very healing experience and I have Charlotte to thank for that. I feel for you. The help is out there. Don?t do what I did and wait 7 years. Pls pm me if you want.