Colette Fitzpatrick's (TV3) experience of Irish Maternity Care

I've been meaning to post on this thread for a while and after reading lily10's post I thought it was a good time. I read through this thread before I had my little lad and I was terrified at what I read.

I had my little fella just over 3 weeks ago in the Coombe as a public patient. I went in early Sunday morning after my waters broke, I was put on a trace for 2 hours as baby's heart beat was irregular and then I was brought to a ward. I was told when I was admitted that I had 24 hours to deliver naturally and if nothing was happening by Monday morning I'd be induced. I was dead set against inductions or interventions but if babs hadn't stirred in 24 hours by himself I reasoned that an intervention would probably be necessary.

I had a birth plan although it was quite short and realistic and I mentioned at the top of it that it was more of a list of preferences and I understood fully that circumstances might dictate that some or all of these could not be met.

I had irregular contractions on the ward during the day but at 5pm they started again and I had one at 6.30pm which made me leap off the bed while still asleep. They were becoming more regular and by 8.30pm, as my husband was leaving because there are no visitors allowed on the wards after that time, I had a strong suspicion that babs was on his way. By 10pm the contractions were coming thick and fast, perhaps every 2 mins with maybe 3 or 4 one after another at times without a break. I begged the midwife to bring me to the delivery suite so my husband could come in, she did my first vaginal examination (I'd asked for as few as possible) and said I was only 2cm and to give it some more time. The midwife explained to me that it was in my best interests not to go to the delivery suite until I was 3cm as once I was in there I was on the clock so staying on the ward gave me the best chance of an intervention free delivery.

I stuck it out until 12am thinking I must be 3cm by now; I asked for another vaginal examination and thankfully I was and I could text my husband to come in.

I was incredibly lucky in the sense that I went from 3cm to 9cm in little over two hours but I was put back on a trace because of the baby's heartbeat. At that stage I wasn't going to argue but the midwives did help me move around the bed. I couldn't do too much as I got horrendous cramps in my thighs which made standing, sitting, kneeling all very painful and ended up leaning against the top of the bed. I used my tens machine from when my irregular contractions started and gas and air during labour. I said in my birth plan I didn't want to be offered any other pain relief and I wasn't.

After delivery, they gave me the baby for skin to skin, they left the umbilical cord until it stopped pulsating and asked me to feel it so I knew it had. The midwife put the baby to my breast and encouraged him to start feeding. Myself and my husband got tea and toast, I had a shower in the delivery suite, they took the baby for about 10 mins to do some tests and take a blood test and then we were left for over an hour just the three of us.

Once I got to the ward there was a procession of staff coming up to talk to me including my consultant and a lactation specialist. The Coombe have breastfeeding classes 6 days a week and I attended one where we got great advice along with phone numbers for the lactation staff so we could contact them once we got home if there were problems

To summarise my long post, I am eternally grateful and appreciative to the staff of the Coombe especially the midwives who were all so fantastic. They respected my wishes as much as they could, they explained everything to me beforehand, they coached me and kept me calm and focused. I don't think I'd have relied on gas and air alone if it wasn't for their coaching and support throughout the labour. They provided so much help and support after the birth too.

I had to attend the Coombe twice since I was discharged and even the follow up care is excellent.

I was treated with dignity and respect throughout and I just hope if I go for no.2 I am as fortunate to have the same experience the next time around.

lynski wrote: »

I am not surprised at lily10's reply because I have a friend who is married to an ob and her attitude was the more or less the same. He could not understand why women did not take every bit of intervention and pain relief in labour and why they did not just trust the doctors to know what was best for them. She had 2 elective sections due to complications, but the idea of a natural birth, if she had not been ill, was not even discussed. He knew best and that was that.
He practically laughed at the idea of hypno-birthing when i tried to talk to him about it.
There are no women left in labour for days here, AFAIK, I believe 24 hrs might be the longest time, but the woman would be driving that, not the midwives. They no more want to watch a woman in unnecessary pain then she wants to be in it.

Ah so you think my husband agrees with me? Of course I formed all my opinions when I married an OB... geez
"He knew best and that wast that" . How sad for your friend.