A mother's experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2023:
My little boy was born at the JR in December 2023. At the time I found out I was pregnant, I was living in a village between Bicester and Buckingham and was therefore actually in county to deliver at stoke mandeville hospital. I decided to request to give birth at the JR for a few reasons, mainly being that both myself and my partner were born here.
When I was 37 weeks pregnant I was seen in the MAU due to a spreading rash, this began on my stomach and spread to my thighs, hips, back, hands and feet. It was excruciating, like small blisters all over my skin, I was so itchy and heavily pregnant and emotional. I was told it was PEP rash, which I expected after a google search. I also knew this meant that the rash would persist until delivery.
I begged for an induction, I was exhausted and couldn’t sleep due to itching. I was told by the doctor with no emotion or empathy that this was not an option. They wouldn’t consider this a reason for induction. I was prescribed antihistamine tablets, and that was that. I had already tried treating the rash this way via my GP. l had a 3 hour wait at the JR pharmacy due to their constant mix ups, in the end I ended up in tears at the pharmacy due to the staff and their lack of urgency and compassion.
The wait was unacceptable for anyone requiring medication after hospital treatment, let alone a heavily pregnant patient. I suffered with the rash until delivery, and despite many desperate calls to the MAU where I requested an appointment with a consultant to discuss an induction I was again told no. I felt I had no say and no choice.
I remember phoning my mum after one of these calls and telling her I no longer wanted to give birth at the JR as I didn’t trust them, I wish I had followed my gut!
My waters broke at 39 weeks 5 days at around 8:30 at night, I had been having some pains on and off all day. I called the MAU and was asked to come in for an examination. On arrival we were seen quickly and a midwife told me I was unlikely in active labour as I was “too calm” I was adamant I was and requested she check if was dilated, she advised not to as there was a risk of infection. I followed her lead. She handed me and my parter a leaflet on induction to read as she was sure I wasn’t in labour, said she would give us 5 minutes to read it and she would come back and see if I wanted to start the induction process now or wait 24 hours and see if natural labour started.
She was gone for over an hour, no one checked on us during this time and my contractions were ramping up. I had no pain relief. In the end it took me screaming to bring her back in the room where she realised I was in fact not calm and must be in labour. She agreed to check me, and I was 4cm dilated.
I was then quickly admitted to the delivery suit, I had requested to go here in my birth plan as I keen to have an epidural. My first midwife in the delivery suit was lovely and very supportive. She arranged for an epidural straight away and I was given gas and air in the meantime.
The anaesthesiologist arrived very quickly and the epidural was sited. I felt so relieved and lucky, everything was going to plan. The epidural took a long time to start working, I still required gas and air, after about 30 minutes the midwife advised pushing the top up button. This made the epidural kick in, but only on one side. She asked the anaesthesiologist to re-attend, and he did. He advised lying on the side that still had feeling to see if this helped. It didn’t and I still required gas and air, after another 30 minutes he came back and readjusted the needle to see if this would work. Again it didn’t. After around an hour, he attended again and readjusted the needle again- this time it did work and I was fully numb. I could relax finally.
After an hour or so, out of nowhere the pain returned at full force all over, it was as agony, so intense. I was back on the gas and and air and begging the midwife to call the anaesthesiologist back, the epidural was not working at all. I was told that he was dealing with an emergency in theatre and would attend as soon as he could.
He never came back.
After 3 hours I was told I was 9.5 cms and nearly ready to push. I was exhausted, I had had 3 hours straight with no pain relief but gas and air, nothing else was offered despite me asking if there were other options. There was a shift change at some point during these 3 hours as I now had a new midwife, I was so out of it that I hadn’t even realised.
Finally a new anaesthesiologist arrived and all I can say is she was fantastic, she held my hand and promised me she wouldn’t leave until she had my pain under control. She started by increasing the epidural dosage, after 30 minutes this had not worked so she checked my back. The needle had come out, I needed a new epidural siting. Sitting still for this at 9.5 cm dilated was hard, but I managed.
Finally the epidural was in, and again it was only working on one side. I was beside myself at this point. To be kept waiting for so long and to yet again be promised pain relief that didn’t work was crushing.
The needle was readjusted after half an hour, finally the epidural worked both sides. I felt relief.
I was given an hour to allow for decent before pushing. I could feel nothing, no pain, no pressure, nothing. I didn’t know when to push, if I was pushing or what was happening. The midwife was encouraging and positive.
This went on for around 1 hour, a doctor came into the room, examined me and advised that my baby's head was not in the right position and I would not be able to deliver him. She told me I needed to go to theatre for a forceps delivery and if that failed, an emergency c section. I was terrified.
I was being given consent forms and being told all sorts of risks, for both me and my baby. I couldn’t take anything in. I was in tears.
I remember being told a paediatric specialist would be there should there be any problems with my baby, I was questioning why this was needed. Was something wrong? What had happened?
At this point the epidural stopped working again on both sides, I was waiting to go to theatre distraught and back on gas and air.
I thankfully remember very little from theatre. I was terrified and kept my eyes shut for most of it. Due to the multiple failed epidurals I was given a spinal block. I was told they would attempt to turn babies head and give 3 pulls to deliver him and no more. If this didn’t work they would go ahead with a c section.
In theatre I overheard a discussion where a consultant told the doctor that babies head was not in fact the wrong way.
The forceps were applied, but failed to clamp. They were reapplied, and three brutal pulls were given. I was shocked by how brutal the pulls were. I remember my parter saying “stop, you’re going to pull her off the bed!” I’m only small. I had counted 4 pulls and nothing had happened. I was expecting to be told they were now about to perform a c section.
Instead my partner informs me that a second consultant was called into the room to attend, I was unaware as no introduction was given- he gave the 5th and final pull which delivered my baby, it was the most rough of all of them.
But my baby was here, he was well and I was so relieved. He was handed to me, my partner was by my side, it wasn’t how we wanted it to go but it was fine. Everything was over.
Or so I thought.
In an instant my baby was being taken off of me, I was being given all sorts of drugs, I was throwing up, the room was full of people, and it had been full enough prior to this. My poor parter was handed our baby and pushed to the side. Neither of us knew what was happening or why. I remember hearing him say over and over again “is she okay? Is she going to be alright?” I was fighting to stay awake, my eyes were closing, I was clammy, I felt dizzy and I couldn’t stop being sick. I was being prodded and pushed around on the bed for what felt like ages.
Finally a doctor spoke to me and explained I was haemorrhaging. I was told they would try their best to get the bleeding under control but I may have to be put under. Luckily they got the bleeding under control. A vagina pack was inserted and I was stitched up. I had had an episiotomy, 2 vaginal tears and had lost 2 litres of blood.
I was taken to a recovery ward, where I was monitored to see if I would need a blood transfusion. I was sure I would need one, as I say, I am small and 2 litres of blood is a lot for anyone to lose. I was not given one. I was still fighting to stay conscious, my eyes did not want to stay open, it was really scary.
I was told I would be kept on the recovery ward for 6 hours (until 9pm) and that visiting ended at 8pm on the ward I would be moved to. My mum and partner were therefore asked to leave at 9pm. I was left with my newborn, unable to move from the spinal block, multiple cannulas in my hands making it painful to lift him, hold him, feed him. I was given no breast feeding support. I was just lucky that he latched straight on, had this not been the case I would have been clueless.
I was left on the recovery ward until 5am with no explanation as to why. It was loud and I did not sleep, I had been awake for nearly 48 hours at this point.
When I was finally moved, the care became less and less. I was told by the consultant to take as much pain relief as I needed. From my notes I can see I was prescribed both dihydrocodeine and morphine however I was only given paracetamol and ibuprofen. It again took tears for them to take me seriously and give me some dihydrocodeine which did help.
I was told at 12pm the next day I could go home, not even 24 hours after the most traumatic event of my life. I still had cannulas in my hands and couldn’t hold or lift my baby without discomfort. I felt like they wanted me gone. As much as I felt I needed looking after, I wanted desperately to get out, I was not being looked after at all.
My partner who is an electrician did a much better job in caring for me than any of the staff on that ward did.
It took them until 5pm to discharge me and remove the cannulas from my hands. At this point they gave me the contraceptive pill, but forgot to give me the prescription of dihydrocodeine I requested. We then had a further wait while they sorted this mistake.
It was a nightmare from start to finish.
Following my birth I have had a debrief with a consultant obstetrician, followed by a further debrief with a consultant anaesthesiologist. Both were apologetic for my experience. I then had a further debrief with a midwife.
Despite all of this I went on to develop PTSD and postnatal depression. I believe this was caused by my ordeal and the negative start to motherhood I had.
I am desperate to give my little boy a sibling one day but I am filled with fear following my experience. I have been told by both the obstetrics and anaesthetic team and that I could be under a consultant from both teams for future pregnancies and that plans would be put into place to ensure better care this time.
It’s a shame it takes an experience like this for that to be offered, everyone should be given the best care at one of the most vulnerable times of their life.