A mother's experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2020/21:
My pregnancy was marked by various failings by OUH. I suffered with what I now know after another pregnancy to be hyperemesis gravidarum – my symptoms were ignored and left untreated until I started to vomit blood.
On one occasion, I was advised to go to MAU due to a small fundal height and elevated BP. The doctor did an ultrasound and baby was measuring very small and advised a rescan with a more accurate machine within 24 hours. This was on a Friday. I spent all weekend calling various units chasing this, as they did not process my referral. Eventually, with enough pressure, I was scanned at the JR late on Monday.
On Tuesday morning, I received a call from the Horton to book in for the scan on the Wednesday. The person on the phone was adamant that this counted as within 24-48 hours as “weekends don’t count”. The scan on the Monday revealed my baby was not IUGR, however, he was born 3 weeks later at the exact same weight that they had scanned him at.
Further to this, I was induced for post dates via Foley balloon. I was not advised that once in situ this could cause pain that WASN’T contractions. I spent 24 hours barely being able to walk. I returned to the JR for an oxytocin induction. I was never advised that induction could fail.
I laboured on oxytocin for 8 hours before they decided to do a C-section, which no-one could justify an actual medical reason for. The delivery suite at the time was very busy, and at one point I heard midwives talking about how “we need the room”. Midwives also falsified my notes declaring I never vomited during labour, but did document administering metoclopramide, an antiemetic.
Later on the ward, I was only given one dose of paracetamol during my entire stay, and was discharged without painkillers. I was made to walk out of the building by myself wheeling my suitcase, while the midwife wheeled my baby. I was treated as subhuman, an object taking up space in their unit. I was ignored and isolated by every staff member I encountered.