"I felt I had no care and support"

I was beyond disappointed with the poor care I received on nettleham ward post C-section.

Labour ward, the neonatal unit and the theatre staff were all amazing and this does not apply to them in any way and I cannot sing their praises enough. But unfortunately the poor care on nettleham ward alone has affected my birth experience and I would go as far to request a different hospital for my next baby.

On arriving on nettleham ward it felt a much different vibe to that on Labour ward, staff came across unwelcoming and unbothered. My observations were not done until the following morning when I was moved in the night- which is crazy to me as I had just had major surgery, if I had post operative issues or was bleeding, they wouldn’t have had a clue!

Day one post-op the ward left me in agony with no pain for 8 hours, to the point I was in tears walking to the bathroom and unable to look after my baby. A c-section is major surgery and patients should be on PCA’s with an incision and surgery of this scale - so it is safe to say I was very annoyed, particularly when at 3pm they finally rocked up with only 2 paracetamol!

If they had kept on top of my basal pain relief it would have been ok, but I needed more as they left me so long! They refused oramorph at this point as I hadn’t opened my bowels - I didn’t expect to open my bowels day one after surgery, so this was absolutely ridiculous. They had left me so long that I needed the oramorph by this point!

Another issue we had - Our son was on penicillin and my husband is allergic to this, he came out in a strange rash, we asked for someone to come - 45 minutes later still no one had been - my husband went out to see what was taking so long - all the midwives and HCAs were stood round the nurses station chatting and laughing. Which we found pretty concerning that no one came to check him! It’s a good job it eventually went down on its own!

I felt I had no care and support unless my husband was there and he was very worried to leave me overnight that first night. If you are unable to care for patients properly, at least let partners stay to care for their partner and the baby!

That second night buzzed for help as my baby was crying and I was struggling to get out of bed let alone to lift him out the crib - a HCA came in, passed me him, said here you go, and left! To which I was then stuck on the bed with him, even more unable to get up and unable to change him, check his nappy, or do anything. I don’t understand what the HCAs actually do on this ward, to be honest.

Luckily though, my midwife this night was a diamond from labour ward, they came into the bay and I asked for their assistance, whereby luckily they helped! Neonatal were coming up every 3 hours to feed my baby as he was on intermediate care, so I spent my time counting down for them to help if he needed anything. Thank goodness for them!  if I didn’t have their involvement, both myself and my baby would’ve had poor care and support, to which I would’ve also got PALS involved.

As a first-time mum needing some support, I was disgusted to be honest. My baby's discharge from neonatal was great with regards to his side, but the discharge regarding myself and nettleham ward was beyond poor. None of the paper work was completed for myself,  I was simply told you can go now watch the videos and handed some paper and a box of injections. I was not told how to administer them, what they were or anything.  Thank god I knew what I was doing- but I wasn’t sure how many I would need for a section in particular so assumed to finish the box!

My discharge paperwork was not completed and had to be completed by a community midwife on my first visit at home. When the community midwife messaged the next day saying they were visiting I said thank god- I don’t know what’s happening next, none of my paperwork is done, I’ve not been told anything and I didn’t know when you was coming or what happens next! 

All in all the worst experience I could have had as a first-time mum. I was feeling positive having my first baby at the hospital. However, I felt so let down and disappointed.