"Poor maternity services."

I was admitted to the labour ward at the women and children's hospital as my waters had broken 3 weeks early. I have only praise for the staff on the labour ward, it was not a busy night, so I had a midwife and a student to myself which made me feel more supported. I ended up have an emergency c section during which all the doctors explained everything that was happening to me clearly. The whole experience of giving birth was quiet distressing but was made ten times worse once I was admitted to Rowan Ward. The treatment I received was totally impersonal, I found the staff to be dismissive at times and one midwife reduced me to tears. I was left without pain relief for several hours until I got to the point I could hardly move, I couldn't pick my baby up or manage to breastfeed, which I was most upset about as I was struggling with as it was. When a midwife finally came to me, I was in floods of tears, and she admitted that she did not know I was there as I had not been handed over from the previous shift. I felt like all the staff were just ticking boxes and had no concern for my individual case, I was never offered any assistance to even have a wash or a shower despite having had major abdominal surgery, a catheter in situ, and the only working shower/bath up the other end of the ward. Apparently I was in a high dependency bed, due to the fact my baby was early and I had strep B. If that was high dependency I dread to think what treatment a normal case would get. Nothing was explained to me, it was as if I should have known what was going on, but as I don't give birth very often, some explanations would have been appreciated. The staff who eventually changed my bed made a comment about the amount of pillows I had, as if I had gone round the ward taking them, hardly likely as I could barely move. The focus does not seem to be on person centred care, more about getting you in and out as soon as possible. What should have been a joyful experience was ruined by staff who I felt didn't care.