"Poor maternity experience"

Was booked in for c section and told to arrive at 7am. Arrived at 6. 45am with poor directions where to go and greeted by a very patronising midwife. Was moved to another ward where I had my bloods taken and got 'gowned up'. As a diabetic who had been fasting from the night before, I was due in first at approx 10am and met my anaesthetist and surgeon.

By 10. 30 no bloods had been returned as there was a problem at the labs so all the women who were booked in for sections had to have their bloods redone. By the time I eventually was seen by the next surgeon it was 3. 30pm. I was then rushed down to surgery with a glucose drip in. As I was dehydrated by this point it was difficult to get the spinal block in and after 7 attempts they finally managed and I would point out the anaesthetic assistant was a lovely man who was the best part of the entire experience.

My beautiful son was born and I was taken to recovery. After 15 minutes in recovery I was moved into a bay with six beds. From that point on, I cannot find one good word to say about the staff. They were rude, obnoxious, nasty and lazy. The next morning I had my catheter yanked out and marched naked across the bay to the shower with no soap or towel and no instructions how to use it.

Meantime, staff went through my bags to find my pyjamas for me without asking me and as I returned one of them was spraying my perfume. I'm a very private person so for the two days I was stuck there I pulled the curtain round my bed but the staff kept pulling it back. I hated the feeling of being on display.

I didn't want to leave my baby to go to the dining area and one of the midwives started shouting at me when I refused and said my husband would bring me in something. What difference did it make to her? As you can imagine after a section it is very difficult to sit without using your hands to pull yourself up, and I still had my cannula in my hand after 36 hours so I was getting very uncomfortable and after 6 times being told the midwife would come and remove it I had to yank it out myself.

Upon my discharge I read through my hand held notes and they were pure fiction. There was one part where it was written that we’d discussed contraception and I was planning on using condoms. This conversation never happened – if I was asked they would know that my husband had a vasectomy while I was pregnant.

These are just a few examples of the ridiculous carry on I endured. I also witnessed another patient who was taken out of recovery too soon and had a big drop in her bp vomit all over herself. Instead of sympathy and help, the staff shouted at her and tried to get her to walk to the shower. She had her section less than an hour previously and couldn't walk. The midwife just stood and shouted at her. I had to go and help her. I was cleaning her up with baby wipes. I feel this is disgraceful, with abusive people who I feel are clearly in the wrong job.