A mother's experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2016:
My daughter was born in 2016 via emergency c-section. I was admitted to MAU around 11pm after not feeling my baby move for 5-6hours. I was 39 weeks.
The decision was made to induce me when the CTG gave an unsatisfactory reading. MAU failed to provide an adequate handover to the delivery suite. I was made to try and deliver vaginally all through the night until I had an emergency c-section at 8am the next day.
My baby was born hypoxic, she was not breathing so was intubated, and went on to receive three blood transfusions because of an undetected fetal maternal haemorrhage. My baby was taken straight to NICU where she received hypothermia therapy (neonatal cooling).
Whilst we are the lucky ones who after two weeks went home with a miraculously healthy baby, the trauma caused from what could have been avoided by earlier intervention and proper handover from MAU, impacted us for years into her life.
Going home without my baby, visiting her in NICU unable to hold her, waiting for tests and MRI scans of the brain to detect brain damage - it was a harrowing experience.
The care we received in NICU was incredible and I will always be grateful, however I feel this could have been avoided if I was not made to try and deliver my baby vaginally for 6+ hours.
I thank god that we have a healthy 9 year old daughter today. Not everyone is as lucky as we were.
Note: I experienced good care for my first born in 2013, & finally in 2018 when was allowed to opt for a planned CS due to the trauma from 2016.