"Wonderful treatment at a difficult time"

I had my first son here in 2012 by emergency cesarean and stayed for a week following this. It was an incredibly distressing experience and I felt the staff were so rushed and at times rude that I left feeling very anxious and upset. My second son was born here in November 2015 and I had been so nervous to return but I couldn't believe the difference.

I had an elective cesarean this time (18th Nov) and the surgical team were fantastic. So professional yet friendly. I felt so reassured and managed to enjoy the birth of my son which I could watch and hold him straight away. The midwives were equally professional and caring. Unfortunately I suffered a large hemorrhage and several doctors and nurses dealt with this. I so wish I could remember their names as I will be forever grateful at how fast they acted and how well they got the situation under control. I felt very well cared for and it meant the world that my husband could stay by my side that night.

At each stage there was a student involved. Had it not been for the different uniform I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. In particular the student anaesthetist and the student midwife.

I returned home after 3 days feeling much more positive about my experience. I genuinely feel that those early days have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of new mothers. I want to thank everyone who was involved in my care and the care of my son.