"Issues with communication"

I didn’t have a positive experience in post natal w22. I had three stays over the course of a week, due to two readmissions when my son required neonatal care. 

I was admitted after a c-section and placed in a single room. Around 3hrs later, during visiting, I was told I was being moved as someone else needed the room and this was the last available room. No explanation was provided as to why I had been selected to be moved or why the room I was in was being described as being available when I was clearly in it.

I had just had my catheter removed and had stood up only once. I was told on numerous occasions that someone would be along to give me a hand moving my things. This was an extremely unsettling experience, not only because I was settled, but in the middle of visiting with family and I did not have my husband there to assist me with the move.

I was not capable of moving my things. This caused me significant distress as I started to panic about how I was going to manage this; until I had to point out to the that I couldn’t stand, bend, pack or move anything. There was a complete lack of communication on the logistics of this and understanding as to how unsettling this was.

Whilst I appreciate someone’s need was greater than mine, the handling of this situation was poor.  The bay I was moved to had so little room that my parents had to leave and I was left on my own as a result when I should have had the benefit of support.

The following day, at 8.30am a midwife came to carry out my observations. I was told that my observations were fine and I could call my husband to bring the car seat to go home. This was less than 24h after a c-section. My midwife had included detailed information in my notes about how my discharge had been handled in 2020 and the significant negative effect this had on me. The way my discharge was handled this time was so poor that it was abundantly clear to me that no one had read my notes to take notice of this and as a result, I was left with another damaging and negative experience following birth of my second child. 

I hadn’t had any breakfast and hadn’t been told where to get breakfast. I had my first child during Covid where all meals were served to us. When my husband attended a short time later, I went for a shower and collapsed in the bathroom as a result. I had to pull the emergency cord and was assisted and given fluid for 2hrs. I was still discharged that day. I had to use a wheelchair to leave the hospital. It is shocking to me that women are being rushed out of postnatal like I was when they are so obviously not ready. 

I had two further stays in postnatal w22 that week. I am disappointed to say the complete lack of communication and awareness/reading of notes before speaking with me continued. 

I was told during my first readmission that they’d have to rip the plaster off, referring to the dressing on my wound when I asked about it. This choice of words was unnecessary and alarming to me. 

I was told observations were complete and I could go home. I opted to stay a further night for reassurance. My son was stripped and weighed at 2:30am (despite observations being complete) just as he had fallen asleep. This was my only opportunity to sleep as he had been unsettled all day and night. It is beyond me why it was necessary to do this in the middle of the night, causing him extreme upset and leaving me with an unsettled baby who had been asleep, particularly when I’d had no sleep in 48 hours. This could have been handled better with clearer communication/option to say no. 

I returned two days later when my son was admitted to NICU. He was discharged to be with me on w22 after two nights. Arrangements were made for making up his feeds on w22 by NICU and I was told a steriliser would be available to me on w22, as NICU had prescribed him specific milk for CMPA, which was not pre-made. I agreed to discharge from NICU to w22 on this basis.

When we arrived at w22, a midwife came in and informed me the arrangements wouldn’t be possible and I’d have to walk over to NICU for the feeds every 3hrs, including throughout the night. This would have involved leaving my vulnerable baby who had been coughing up blood on admission on his own, and when I had just had major surgery.

I was then told there was no steriliser for me. I had to seek assistance from infant feeding and NICU staff to rectify this. It was agreed that feeds would be brought to me. Of the seven feeds this applied to, only three were brought to me w/o prompting/debate despite the arrangements having been pre-agreed. 

There were many midwives in w22 who were kind and caring towards me, however it appears to me there is a fundamental issue with communication on this ward both between staff and with patients. The way in which I was approached on numerous occasions lacked empathy and understanding, and was damaging to my mental health when I was most vulnerable.

It is disappointing that the quality of care can drop so significantly between antenatal/post recovery and postnatal care. I feel this team is not working cohesively or in harmony. I appreciate midwives are dealing with these situations every day, but for women birth is not a regular occurrence and they are extremely vulnerable.

This message needs to be communicated and borne in mind by staff on w22.