"They really went above and beyond to support me and my son"

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of the staff at Ward 50 for all of the care they showed myself and my son during our extended stay post natal. They really went above and beyond to support me and my son during a difficult time emotionally as I still had some anxiety from my previous birth and hospital stay during Covid in 2020.

This time my son had to receive two rounds of light therapy to treat his jaundice, which resulted in a longer stay than anticipated. The staff always had a kind word to say or a smile, and there are a few key moments and people that made a huge impact on me.

When I got transferred to the ward after recovery the first person that looked after me was midwife Aimee. She treated me with such dignity and respect throughout my stay and I felt went above and beyond to look after us. She was the person who got me up and mobilised, she gave me confidence to move and made sure that I had been cleaned and had fresh underwear etc. She made sure that all of the paperwork was filled out correctly and in advance so that when I was discharged it went quickly and smoothly which I really appreciated.

She also ensured that my son’s blood work form was completed correctly so that there would be no delay or error. She would always have a kind word to say or wee story to share which lifted my spirits. She is a credit to your team and a fantastic midwife. I will never forget how she made me feel and the brilliant care she showed me and my son during our stay.

When my son had to repeat the UV therapy the cocoon that we had used the first time wasn’t available so a different light was used. I really struggled to lift him in this and it was made more difficult by my section recovery. I was very anxious that the treatment wouldn’t be as successful as the first time as the device was different. I’m so sorry I don’t remember the midwife’s name, but I would like to extend my thanks to her as I explained my concerns and she went above and beyond that evening to source the wrap for the cocoon so that my son could use it again. She called several wards in the hospital and managed to get one from the neonatal unit. I’m so grateful to her for doing this.

I found the evenings in the hospital difficult as I had some anxiety around being on my own following no visitors/dads when I had my first son in 2020. The night shift staff were always on hand to listen, to give advice or just to offer a smile which I really appreciated. No question was too silly (eg do you think my son is warm enough?) They were always happy to offer some reassurance (or some peppermint water for my trapped wind haha!)

I would also like to thank Carol Ann for all the kindness she showed me during my stay. She would pop her head in in the mornings she was working to say hello or to have a wee chat. She could tell when I needed a wee boost and would always have a story to share to lift my spirits.

When I found out that my son was to repeat the UV therapy a second time I was so emotional as I thought that we were ready to be discharged. I had a lot of conflicting emotions as my older son was at home and I was finding it difficult being apart. The midwife I spoke to (I’m so sorry I can’t remember her name) was so caring and empathetic. She shared a story with me about her own experiences and got me a cup of tea and some of her own special biscuits to try and cheer me up. She suggested that I could move to my own room for the remainder of my stay which made such a huge difference to my emotional and physical well being. I was able to rest and care for my son in a calm and peaceful environment. I really appreciate all the care she showed me.

All of the paediatricians we saw during our stay were fantastic but I would like to thank Dr Ishbel in particular. She took the time to listen to my experience with my first son and would offer reassurances with regards to blood results etc. She was always very professional but empathetic. She had concerns about my son’s heart and raised them with her consultant. She kept me informed at every stage and explained what next steps would be taken if necessary. She even came early one Friday to listen to his heart in case we needed to go for further tests as she was concerned about it being the weekend in case this caused further delays to our discharge. She is a credit to the paediatric team.

Finally, when my older son came to visit, the staff would always go out their way to make a wee fuss of him as a big brother. This was so important to me and I can’t thank them enough for helping him with this transition. They would remember his name and say small things like - we can only give this milk to big brothers, are there any big brothers here? Which made him feel so important. Thank you for this.