"What a great staff you have in maternity"

I had my first child in Antrim Area Hospital On 6th Feb 2009. My waters broke at 5 am and after contacting the hospital we were told to come straight in. When we arrived I was examined, told i was one cm dilated and then taken to the ante-natal ward where I came into contact with the first midwife i was to meet that day. She was fantastic and helped both my husband and I really feel relaxed. She ran a bath for me and once I was settled there, with my entinox and my husband for company, she came back and checked on me regularly. 3 hrs later we decided it was time to get out of the bath-eventhough it helped me to feel so relaxed. At this point she examined me again adn I was 5 cm dilated and so was taken to the labour ward.

I asked for my epidural and once the blood results came back and the dr came out of surgery I got my epidural and it really helped me relax. Here is where my story takes a twist. I remained at 5 cm for a long time and my midwife, who had now taken over, began to suspect something was wrong. She read the trace took my blood pressure and immediately contacted the Consultant. She stayed with me every minute and kept me fully updated on what was happening. The Dr decided an emergency c-section was required and so I was wheeled into theatre. Thankfully a half an hour later my beautiful little boy was born and all was well.

I remained in the hospital for 4 days and i cant say enough how fantastic the nursing staff was. Of course the Dr gave me great care also but, its the nursing staff who deal with you on a day to day basis. They helped me shower, helped me out of bed, helped me feed and change the baby. They were courteous, obliging and so upbeat. I listened and watched them at all hours of the day and night working away, dealing with all the new Mums and babies. They are amazing people and I have a new found respect for the work that they do. I never realised what a difficult job they have and the amount they have to do.

All I can say is that my experience in Antrim Area Hospital Maternity was a very positive one and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart for there great work and encouraging word. I have to say a very special thanks to the midwife who picked up on the problem with my labour so efficiently and acted so quickly. She made me feel so safe and I owe the fact that my son and I are healthy today, to her. I hope I'm right-I think her name is Patricia.

Thank you. Keep up the good work and remember there are still alot of us out here who appreciate everyday the wonderful job that you do!!!