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"Birth of a baby boy"

About: Watford General Hospital

I was induced because of high blood pressures. After waiting for 2 hours in traige, I was given a sweep in triage told I was already 2cm along. i was sent up to the antenatal ward. i had to wait here for several hours before anyone even came to say hello. When the midwife did come they already had medications with them, and was about to start treatment without much of an explanation. The midwife checked for placement of ?cervix and then came back up very surprised saying you are already 6cm we are going to skip this step of the treatment! I was then told I would be transfered to delivery suite for the drip. The midwife we met on delivery suite was amazing! The midwife took the greatest care at every step of the way checking that I was ok and I felt that specially in the beginning of the night I had a say in how I wanted my labour to go. The midwife was very helpful and open to discussing pain relief. Unfortunately because I was induced I had to throw my water birth plan out of the window and was stuck with Entonox, which it turned out made me very nauseous. The midwife was understanding when I had to make the hard decision to have an epidural when I had wanted to avoid it at all cost. The Anaesthetist that came was lovely and also took the time and had patience for my tears. Towards the end of the night when it came time to push it turned out my baby boy was stuck behind my pubic bone. Unfortunately shift change over was in the middle of me pushing and I felt a bit lost as I couldnt really feel when I was supposed to push and the new midwife only said: just keep pushing... With the epidural wearing off and me coming up to the 2 hours aloud for pushing and baby not coming past my pubic bone the doctor was called in without me being informed. All of a sudden there was a whole team of student doctors in my room with the doors wide open and me laid there with my legs wide open. The resuscitair was also wheeled in with a team of nurses and midwifes and I was only then informed that baby was getting distressed and had to come as soon as possible so they were going to do a forceps delivery. I was exhausted and now in pain as the epidural was not topped up despite me asking. After 2 failed attempts by one doctor, a different doctor walked into the room without introducing themself got the forceps and told me I had not been pushing hard enough! which really is the last thing you want to be told as an exhausted first time mother who is distressed and worried already! This doctor then pulled very hard while I gave my final push and baby was born with me having a 4th degree tear. I was whisked off to theater and didnt see baby for 2 hours. Post natal ward care was terrible. No help with breastfeeding despite asking several times. Being told I couldn't go home unless baby is feeding and thus forcing me to give a bottle. It then was another 8 hour wait for paperwork to be completed before we could go home where we got amazing care from the community team.

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