"The treatment I received was awful!"

Anything else?

After giving birth in the delivery suite, which everything there was fantastic, my blood pressure was slightly high and they wanted me to stay until the following morning. I was finally transferred to ward 5 in the Kensington Building at 5am (after giving birth at 10pm the night before and having no sleep). My Husband was made to go home. I was dumped in a private room, given no information about where the toilets were, where to get a drink etc. As the NHS does not offer antenatal classes any longer in my district I only had common sense to know how to look after a baby. I had my Husband, Mum and a great support network waiting for me at home to help and teach me. After going to bed at 5am my baby woke for a feed at 7am. I fed her and then needed help to change her nappy and clothes as I was scared I might do something wrong, and just feeling a bit overwhelmed so I rang the bell and asked the person who came for help. I felt she was completely unsympathetic and not appreciative of my situation. They tried to keep me in another night under the pretense of high blood pressure, I strongly believe this was because they were so short staffed they had no one to discharge me, so it was easier to make an excuse. When I said I was going to discharge myself I was asked if I would speak to the Doctor before i made my final decision. I saw a lovely junior Doctor who said I was only borderline high anyway so he was happy for me to go home. I was left waiting for hours in that grotty room, getting constantly disturbed by various "Professionals" all morning. Finally we had to kick up a fuss and was told there was no one to discharge me. So I said I was just going to leave there and then. They then found the time to do the paperwork. With hindsight (which is a wonderful thing) I wish I'd just insisted on going home after the labour. I do not feel my wellbeing was put first at all, nor was I "cared" for at all. Leaving a first time Mum in a grotty room with broken tiles, all on her own, after being up all night and giving birth (a hugely stressful experience), with no practical info at all or support is a disgrace and completely against all the promises they make on the website about how good the care is. If I hadn't of insisted I was leaving, I really don't know how long I would have unnecessarily kept in for after such poor treatment. I feel so upset still and strong about this I am making a formal complaint. What was almost laughable is, in my discharge paperwork there was an information pack about where all the facilities were etc. Bit late then!