"No care or compassion post labour in ward 38 Ninewells"

After giving birth to my first baby the care I received in the labour suite was outstanding, I couldn’t fault it. The whole team were just amazing.

However once transferred to ward 38 it was very clear it felt much less caring. I felt seen as a burden. I can understand it isn’t 1 to 1 care and there are other patients to care for however staff mainly stayed at the midwife station and were not attentive in the slightest.

When the midwife checked on my baby she told me my baby had a heart murmur. As you can imagine I was worried sick but had to wait for the morning for my baby to be checked by a doctor. My baby of course did not settle all night as most babies don’t but not one member of staff came to check on myself or my baby all night long. It would have been very clear I was awake as my baby was screaming and didn’t settle at all.

I had a catheter which I showed to the midwife as it was full with urine. Now myself being a medical professional did not bode well during my admission to ward 38 as I was told “well you know how to empty your catheter put it down the toilet”. Myself knowing I had an epidural I thought it might have been important to see I was managing to pass good volumes of urine.

I can remember by 6 in the morning calling my partner in tears telling him to get up to the hospital because I wanted to leave so badly. I even took my own catheter out in the morning. Once my partner arrived I was so relieved to go for a shower as my bed was saturated with blood along with my pyjamas.

I knew I had to present 3 large volumes of urine in order to be discharged so I was downing as much water as my body could allow. Once I had the urine volumes I went to the midwife station where most staff congregate and said I’ve got my urine volumes to which I was told put it down the toilet. Now how was anyone to know if these were large volumes or only 10mls if no one was checking? Someone who may not know could’ve went home and been in retention.

When the doctor came around and checked my baby over, I waited until after examination to ask if my baby did have a heart murmur. The doctor double checked and said no (much to my relief) after I worried all night about it!

I was discharged exactly 24hrs after I gave birth to my relief as I would have without a doubt discharged myself if I had to spent another night. The midwife did make a comment she had not seen anyone pack so quickly. I just didn’t see the point being there as no one seemed to care for myself nor my baby.

The worst experience ever and it’s dreading me from having another child the thought of being put back to ward 38. Extremely disappointed and disheartened by it all and will never forget how I was made to feel during my stay.

Being a new mum was so overwhelming for myself, yet no one asked how I was managing, if baby had wet/soiled nappies or if baby was feeding well.