A mother’s experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2010:
I was induced on the Friday morning with a pessary. I started labour and my waters broke that day. They then put me on a drip to continue induction.
They slowed down the drip that evening as the delivery suite was too busy for me to be taken there. This continued over the next few days - progressing labour and then stopping it. I asked for antibiotics when it had been over 24 hours since my waters broke but was told this wasn’t necessary.
I finally gave birth by emergency c-section on the Monday - three days later. My baby did not breathe to start with. I was terrified. Luckily he was ok.
Aftercare on the ward was non-existent. There were no curtains on the first ward which was busy with families visiting other women. I felt incredibly vulnerable - bleeding, unable to move, exhausted after three days of labour and trying to breastfeed.