NHS - Maternity care (vent)

cclarke12

cheshirekitty wrote: »

We get what we pay for. Often on a late shift I was the only midwife looking after 24 mother and babies. How safe is that? One of the reasons we are so short of midwives is the awful working conditions. I am no longer a midwife, the stress was just too great.

No loo breaks, no food breaks, constantly working overtime with no pay. Bullied by management. Yes, I know it is not only a NHS thing and this happens in other workplaces.

And the constant verbal and physical abuse by patients, relatives and visitors. It is not the staffs fault there is a car parking charge/no bed available/rubbish food from the kitchen.

I really feel for the midwives left in the field. But we voted for the jackasses who run our country. We are all to blame for the state the NHS is in at the moment.

I don’t think the whole NHS can be tarred with the same brush. There are clearly differences between Trusts, and the community midwifery team in my area clearly love their jobs and are supported in offering women choice and options in relation to maternity care – including home births.
I get fed up with people bashing the NHS. I can honestly say that the care me and my family have had in the last 3-4 years from the local GP to hospital services has been first class. That said, my experience was very different living in London.

To the OP:
Stay patient (I know it’s hard)– he/she will be here soon! :jWe have excellent midwifery care here but when a hospital is busy it is better for them to ask you to stay at home a little longer if there are no complications than risk bringing you in when it is very busy and you can’t get the attention you need. A similar thing happened to someone I worked with. They were supposed to come in for induction but were asked to wait another 24 hours as they were suddenly very busy at the maternity unit and they were short of space. The reality is that babies don’t arrive in uniform numbers each day and they have to make decisions about what is safest for you and the baby. I was really lucky here as I wanted a home birth and the community midwifery team were really pro-home birth and very supportive. I had a wonderful home birth in May this year, and although I appreciate not everyone’s experience is that same I have to say that NHS in my case was wonderful and I could not have had a better experience if I had paid privately. However, when visiting 24 hours later the midwife did tell me I may have been asked to go to another hospital had I rung my preferred choice when in labour, because they had twice the usual number of births that evening. Take care

lynzpower

cheshirekitty wrote: »

We get what we pay for. Often on a late shift I was the only midwife looking after 24 mother and babies. How safe is that? One of the reasons we are so short of midwives is the awful working conditions. I am no longer a midwife, the stress was just too great.

No loo breaks, no food breaks, constantly working overtime with no pay. Bullied by management. Yes, I know it is not only a NHS thing and this happens in other workplaces.

And the constant verbal and physical abuse by patients, relatives and visitors. It is not the staffs fault there is a car parking charge/no bed available/rubbish food from the kitchen.

I really feel for the midwives left in the field. But we voted for the jackasses who run our country. We are all to blame for the state the NHS is in at the moment.

I didnt vote for them :mad:

I agree thou, I used to work ( not a midwife) in a central london hospital and some of the things I saw and hgeard from the midwives were enough to make me 100% committed to having a home birth unless I win the lotto which case we are off private.

Mums told that they had to bring in thier opwn cotton wool, couldnt have food, "hurry up there are other women waiting for your bed for gods sake" 2 - yes really :eek: and so on. Loads of foriegn midwives who couldnt reassure as their english wasnt great you name it I saw it.

OTOH, my sister went into arguably the worst hospital for maternity care ( it was all over the press- stafford general) earlier in the year and her care was utterly superb- so even the worst can surprise.

Good luck OP - fingers crossed all turns out easy peasy and quick for you x

cleopatra4485

I absolutley know its not the midwives fault and wouldn't dream of being rude to them. Its just this bloody system firstly with the unbooked scan the cancelled midwife appointment, the pushed back induction.

Without discusting too many men reading this (and some women LOL) I was already 1cm dilated on wednesday the cervic was soft and thin and I had my show, faux labour pains for the last week. It just needs a kick start, which is why I am so fustrated now.

Anthillmob

relax. keep calm for you and babys sakes. you will soon have you wee bundle in your arms and forget this ever happened. i know its frustrating. baby will come when he/she is ready, right now he/.she is in the safest place, may need a little nudge to get moving but until 42 weeks youre fine.

good luck and let us know the outcome xxx

pixieface_3

cheshirekitty wrote: »

We get what we pay for. Often on a late shift I was the only midwife looking after 24 mother and babies. How safe is that? One of the reasons we are so short of midwives is the awful working conditions. I am no longer a midwife, the stress was just too great.

No loo breaks, no food breaks, constantly working overtime with no pay. Bullied by management. Yes, I know it is not only a NHS thing and this happens in other workplaces.

And the constant verbal and physical abuse by patients, relatives and visitors. It is not the staffs fault there is a car parking charge/no bed available/rubbish food from the kitchen.

I really feel for the midwives left in the field. But we voted for the jackasses who run our country. We are all to blame for the state the NHS is in at the moment.

I totally agree thats why I left and never looked back I dont miss any of the above or the bullying, carp shifts with no staff, at the end of a shift feeling not just physically exhausted but mentally knowing you could not give the appropriate care to women and their babies, the fear of litigation when s**t hit's the fan and you get no support from the managers and the so called "modern matrons"...in my experience they are a totally waste of space and what the hell do they get paid to do other than sit on their backsides and get paid big bucks the one's I worked for had a meeting's to arrange a meeting to arrange another meeting to discuss nothing!!!! I remember the day's when matrons rolled up their sleeves to help when things dire and patient's care was compromised.....not anymore it's beneath them (thats my experience anyway).
I am glad to be out of midwifery my health physically and mentally and wellbeing have improved 100% ...Rant over

jackieb

Our local maternity unit has closed (they say temporarily, but it's been a couple of months now) due to staff shortages. They say they can't get midwives. I find this hard to believe.

Our maternity unit was wonderful too - you felt really well looked after there. Now our pregnant mums have to travel over 40 miles away to give birth, in what can only be described as a production line, which just adds to the stress.

I feel for both the overworked midwives in the big hospitals, and to the pregnant ladies who often feel like they're being a hinderence.

Good luck to the OP. It'll soon all be over with. It'll be worth it - and hopefully it won't be as bad as you expect. xx