This made for an interesting read:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1235921/Midwives-meltdown-A-NHS-worker-reveals-understaffed-maternity-wards-sinking-chaos.html

NHS maternity services in meltdown: A former midwife reveals how understaffed wards are sinking into chaos

Clutching her husband's hand and with agony and exhaustion etched on her face, a young woman struggled into a room in the maternity unit where I worked.

She was in the early stages of labour with her first baby, she was terrified, in excruciating pain and desperate for any crumb of support.

Helpless beside her, her overnight bag in his hand, her poor husband looked equally traumatised.

My heart went out to them. But I knew there was little I could do. With five other pregnant women to care for at the same time, all with hugely different and complex problems, I was rushed off my feet and didn't have the time to look after her properly, to allay her fears or to hear about how she wanted the birth to unfold.

I longed to sit with this poor young woman, calm her and remind her gently to breathe deeply through each contraction.

Just half an hour of my time could have made all the difference. Instead, I put on my cheeriest smile and followed hospital procedure. 'Would you like a painkiller?' I asked.

Ten hours later, after she had been drugged to the eyeballs to dull the pain, I heard she'd given birth.

Her baby was healthy, but I knew I'd let her down.

As I watched her being wheeled into the ward, I felt eaten up with guilt. She'd effectively been ignored from the moment she turned up until the moment she gave birth.

Plonked on an antenatal ward until her time came, with no one to reassure her during what was most likely the most terrifying moment of her life.

No woman should have to give birth in these conditions - let alone in a modern hospital with professional staff at hand.

Welcome to the modern NHS maternity ward. A world of shoddy practice, poor hygiene standards and a shocking disregard for patients' individual needs.

When I read about newly qualified midwife Theresa Naish, who hanged herself in January after a premature baby died on her shift, I couldn't help wondering if she, too, was a victim of the over-worked and under-resourced labour wards I have experienced.

Her father Thomas told the inquest into her death: 'Like all NHS staff, she was over-worked, doing too many hours in a department that was understaffed.'

Although the child had little chance of survival, poor Theresa spent weeks torturing herself that she was to blame, before killing herself.

I don't want to alarm people for, of course, the vast majority of babies are born healthy and safe, but I think it's time we admit what is happening in our hospitals.

Driven by targets and mired in red tape, our NHS maternity wards are becoming baby-producing factories where mothers' needs come very low on the agenda.

The quicker midwives turn out babies, the more successful everyone tells us that we are. We might as well be producing sausages. It's utter madness.

I started working as a midwife in Basildon in 1995. I left to work as an independent midwife in January last year because I simply could not bear to let any more women down.
Midwife and baby

Special job: Midwives play a vital role throughout the birth

During a typical 12-hour shift, I could be the sole midwife in charge of six women in the antenatal ward - some in early labour - or one of two qualified midwives running a postnatal ward with up to 32 women.

If I was in the delivery unit, I would assist in the births of up to three babies a shift.

Obviously, if there was a crisis during a woman's labour - such as a sudden need for an emergency Caesarean - there was always a surgical team on call, and there would be an anaesthetist available to administer epidurals and so on.

But in terms of the normal care through labour, that was all down to the midwives.

Although we were under huge stress even back in 1995, current cutbacks mean fewer and fewer midwives are caring for more and more women.

No wonder new mothers are encouraged to leave hospital just hours after giving birth.

When I started in the mid-Nineties, there were 35,000 midwives working in Britain. A year or two ago, that number had fallen to 25,000, more than half of whom were part-time.

So, how bad did it get? Take one typical day I remember a few years ago. I found myself with up to six patients to look after at once and no back-up.

From the moment I stepped into the admissions ward, the area was crammed with women clamouring for attention.

Two women were in early labour. I longed to reassure them. But my stress levels rocketed when I saw the dramas that lay ahead.

One young woman, expecting her second baby in three months, had arrived in an ambulance with high blood pressure.

She had been sent by her GP, who feared that her life and her baby's were in danger.

High blood pressure is often a symptom of pre-eclampsia - one of the most serious risks facing a pregnant woman and one of the most difficult to detect.

Terrified she was going to lose her baby, or die, or both, she was frightened. I tried to reassure her.

All the while, half my brain was on the screams of the two women in early labour a few doors away.

Did they need more pain relief? When would they need to go into the delivery suite?

I had to check my new patient's blood pressure every 15 minutes as well as taking blood samples to be sent for analysis to see exactly what the problem was.

It was a race against time because if her blood pressure carried on rising I'd have to ensure she was whisked off for emergency surgery.

As I ran between her bed and the two women in early labour, I barely had time to greet another patient.
Midwife and baby

Bonding: But staff need to teach mothers how to feed their infants and are rarely given the time

She was in floods of tears. Her baby was due in a month. He had stopped moving and she was convinced he was dead.

Strapping her up to a monitor to check the baby's heartbeat, I tried to calm her. But I didn't even have time to offer her a cup of tea before rushing to another new arrival.

She'd arrived in an ambulance after her waters broke while she was out shopping. The baby wasn't due for another week. Again, her unborn baby had to be urgently monitored.

I was frantically checking my watch to ensure I remembered my patient with high blood pressure when a young woman, hair matted with sweat and eyes wild with fear, staggered towards me.

'I can't take any more,' she said, gripping my hand. 'You've got to help me.' She'd been in labour for five hours and the pain was excruciating. I knew she'd be happier in a delivery room - which is more comfortable and has better specialist equipment - rather than a bed on the ward, but my heart sank. There was no room.

I felt sick with guilt as I led her back to her bed. She was in agony, but she'd have to wait.

It was an hour before she was wheeled into the labour room. And in between nursing, I had to write up notes on each patient.

There were days when I barely had time to go to the toilet.

In the 13 years since I joined the NHS, conditions have deteriorated. Starting from the moment they arrive through the hospital doors, birth plans tucked neatly in their overnight bags, women are being betrayed.

There is reams of evidence to prove that a woman's labour is likely to be shorter and she runs less chance of needing medical intervention if she feels calm and relaxed in the early stages. It's not rocket science.

Yet because midwives don't have time to sit with women in early labour for more than a few minutes at most, we are encouraged to do the next best thing.

We offer them strong painkilling drugs such as pethidine or diamorphine - which is a form of heroin.

Drugs keep the mother nice and quiet which, of course, suits staff.

But they also likely to make her and her unborn baby terribly sleepy.

Although these drugs can sometimes increase contractions, they all too often slow them down.

The end result at the woman will need more drugs, not fewer, and labour will take longer.

But, of course, we don't explain of that as we dole out our pain killers. Besides, on a busy ward, what's the alternative?

Once a woman is in full labour, you'd thought we'd put her needs first. But I'm embarrassed to admit that, all too often, we were not allowed to.

Most hospitals rigidly enforce the rule that, once in labour, a woman's canal must dilate at the rate of 1cm an hour.

If that isn't happening, midwives are encouraged to tell the her that her baby may be getting in distress - even if that isn't the case.

Terrified and exhausted by a haze of drugs, the woman agrees to anything which is offered.

In practice, this means we give her extra drugs to intensify the contractions and so speed the arrival of the child.

Her pain levels increase and she'll need an epidural injection in her spine to numb the pain around her groin.

It's a vicious circle. I felt terribly mean persuading women to go along with it. I knew I wasn't always acting in their best interests. But what could I do?

It's a joke to say women have choices over how they give birth. The truth is - thanks to the drive to cut costs and improve efficiency - births are turning into conveyer-belt productions.

Women dream of having a natural birth and there is often no medical reason why they can't.

Instead, they leave the delivery room with a healthy baby, but feeling like a failure because they have used drugs.

Some are on such heavy drugs they don't remember giving birth at all. It's heartbreaking.

I also get very angry when I hear NHS authorities extolling the virtues of breastfeeding.

According to the NHS website, it's the 'best start in life'. I couldn't agree more.

But the truth is that breastfeeding rates are plummeting in the hospitals I've worked in.

The reason is simple. Midwives don't have the time to spend helping mothers to feed properly.

And without that vital support in the early days, women give up. With three women arriving on a ward at any one time, and three ready to leave, how could I possibly sit for an hour and help a new mother?

It's physically impossible, particularly as we are encouraged to rush women home as soon as they are on their feet.

It's to save money, but it does at least reduce the risk of the new mums and their babies picking up an infection.

It's no news that hospitals are often dirty. By the time I left, I was almost inured to the filth around me.

With so many women and too little time, it was impossible to keep the wards spotless.

I regularly found myself wiping off blood which had been missed by the cleaners in their rush.

It's a huge relief to have left the NHS. As an independent midwife in Northwich, Cheshire, I am finally able to help women the way they deserve.

Calm, supported and not rushed, my mothers give birth in six to seven hours. In the units where I worked, the average labour was ten to 14 hours.

I feel guilty about the women I let down as an NHS midwife. Weak and in pain, they don't have the knowledge or strength to stand up for themselves.

Instead, they end up being patronised by doctors and bullied by midwives into taking drugs they don't want.

But what makes me most sad and angry is that those hospital staff - everyone from managers down - are taking advantage of women when they are at their most vulnerable.

Interview: TESSA CUNNINGHAM

Well, as a first time mother due to give birth in the next week or so, this cheered me up and reassured me no end - thanks.

Anyone like to post anything more positive to balance this?

I must admit my experience in Jessops was thankfully not as bad as this. I arrived at triage around 9am and wasn't waiting long before i was examined and told i was 3cm. The midwife suggested i went home but i said i'd rather stay in hospital so i was transferred to a ward. I must admit my time on the antenatal ward wasn't great, i was in agony and had no support, my OH kept going and looking for the midwife as i was in a lot of pain and she kept saying "just a minute" eventually she came and transfered me straight down to labour ward as i was 10cm and ready to push just a few hours after arriving.

Once on labour ward i had a wonderful midwife who encouraged the unmedicated birth i had planned and calmly talked me through each stage. I delivered a gorgeous little girl at 12.48 that lunch time.

There were complications after i'd delivered, i lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion so i spent 2 days on the high dependency unit. The staff there were amazing and were never too busy to make me some toast or just sit and have a chat, the breastfeeding support i got was great too.

I then moved onto Concord ward where it was evident they were understaffed, i felt i stil needed help with breastfeeding and at times i had to be very vocal to make myself heard and get the support i needed. Thankfully in the early hours one morning one of the support workers sat with me and helped me to correct DD's latch and we've been fine since.

I wish you luck bluecanary, my only advice to you would be not to give up or stop asking if you want something. If i was to have another child i would like a homebirth but wouldn't rule out Jessops again. I do here the Derby birthingcentre is supposed to be really lovely though.

Thanks jellybellybean. I'm not deluded enough to believe that everything's definitely going to be perfect by any means, but it's reassuring to hear that you were looked after for at least some of your time in Jessops!

Hi Bluecanary, I had a much more positive experience in the Jessops. Staff were always with me when I needed them, the birth had some difficulties but they were dealt with efficiently. And after the birth a midwife stayed in the room with us for a very long time chatting about the birth and giving us lots of reassurance. I am very thankful to her as it made the hour after the birth really calm and wonderfully positive, and that feeling of calmness stayed with me for months afterwards (I know it sounds silly but it really felt like that!). I hear a lot of other women have had similar experiences, so it's not all doom and gloom.

I think hospitals in very large cities such as London might be very severely understaffed, but I don't think it is the case in Sheffield.

Thanks mosaic - it's good to hear that you had such a positive experience. I will hope for more of the same!

It's already making me nervous that when booking hospital appointments they've had difficulty finding a suitable appointment slot

does this mean there's going to be a peak in births around the time I'm due, and they can't create staff or facilities out of thin air!

The NHS templates for deciding number of 'beds' is really worrying - across all departments. How the heck are the staff supposed to cope with any of the peaks in 'demand'?

I think its incredibly, incredibly sad that a trained midwife refers to the most amazing experience of birth as "Plonked on an antenatal ward until her time came, with no one to reassure her during what was most likely the most terrifying moment of her life."

And what a sad thing for woman about to give birth to read.

Bluecanary, if you or anyone else would like to read a very positive birthing story, then please pm me and I shall send you mine x

I would very much like to say that I had the most amazing birth with my first child and am thoroughly looking forward to giving birth again in a couple of weeks.

Please don't get trapped in the birth is awful vibe people. It was the most amazing experience of my life.

The thing is not many young women want to train as midwives now. There lies the problem.

Neither of my births were 'to plan', but that wasn't anything to do with Jessops, equipment or staff. The treatment i received lived up to what i expected, and the staff were lovely. Don't let horror stories scare you-for everyone bad story there are probably 100's of good ones. Good luck :)

p.s i needed diamorphine and it was great :D

Pattricia, I'm pleased to say that I have had the honour of teaching many, many sixth formers who wish to go onto train to be midwives.

I would like to know what Zebra hoped to achieve in posting this article. She advertises and therefore represents SF Parenting group, yet this article does nothing to empower and give confidence to women about to go through the most important day of their lives.

Its a totaly negative view of one very disalusioned midwife.

There is so much you could take apart from this report, I know from experience the policy at Jessops involving progress in labour involves making "some progress" and is not strictly 1cm per hour.

Also it discusses the midwife delivering 3 babies in one shift.... I arrived at hospital with my second baby and delivered her 40 mins later, so 3 babies in a 12 hour shift is quite feasible.

No one will deny that maternity units across the country are, at times, busy and over stretched, but having had three children in sheffield I can honestly say that I never felt patronised by doctors, bullied by midwives or taken advantage of my any member of staff. I had 3 amazing experiences, each time well supported......and if I can do it then so can you!

It's not my job to make the the experience all golden and glowing, I'm here to keep an eye that people aren't abusing each other and that the area is kept tidy and so on.
I don't have a personal agenda about this, it relates to birth so it's relevant to this section of the forum regardless of how negative it is.
It's a shame that someone coming close to birth felt unhappy about it but as others have pointed out, it isn't the only experience possible and frankly since it's available in the national press it's not like I've unearthed some great a gruesome secret.

We've got plenty of areas on parenting which are negative, like the thread about babies fingers being chopped off because of certain types of prams. that's pretty hideous but it's useful to know and it's something we can all discuss as parents.

Unfortunately my personal experience of Jessops was only good until an hour after the c'section, from that point it totally fell apart and became pretty much as the midwife described in the article but not everyone has that same experience.

I frequently post articles I read in the papers, it gives others access to the same articles sometimes and gives us all chance to look at and at times discuss current issues, which is a good thing.

My intention wasn't to start a witch hunt against you Zebra. Put my slightly snappy down to all the antenatal hormones and prebirth anxiety!

The article you posted was an interesting perspective - I just hope it's not typical of midwifery in the UK,or more specifically in Sheffield....

Incidentally, I've just returned from being monitored there and my impression was that they were busy (in fact, some poor woman was practically giving birth in the corridor as she arrived late in labour!), but everything was efficient and well controlled, and more importantly, I felt well looked after. Hopefully this was the norm rather than the account that was posted at the start of this thread!

No worries bluecanary but I appreciate you coming back to say so.

One of the best things to take from the article and from the thread is that the more relaxed and in control you are, the shorter and easier the birth - generally. So, keeping that in mind and using olliek's tips too you'll be fine.

And when it does happen - best of luck for it being smooth and easy!

My second nbirth experience, with a complicated situation, last September, was full of concerned, helpful, and efficient people who were determined that the best for both of us what what we got.
I'd be lying if I said it was absolutely perfect in all ways...but where it counts, I think they did a great job, and I think the majority of you about to give birth will be fine and very well looked after.

On the other hand, I had a traumatic time with the first child, and some issues that could do with being improved with both experiences. There definitely are NOT enough midwives, and Jessops is constantly over capacity in all areas from what I can tell. Nothing good can come of sweeping this under the carpet, so it is absolutely to the point to highlight where all is not going as it should. Sometimes those stories will be extreme. Should we ignore them, hodgepodge, because they make you feel uncomfortable?

Thanks Zebra for posting this. My childbirth days are long behind me now, but I remember my first birth as being traumatic and it took me a long time to recover from. My second child came along so much easier. There are positive stories and negative stories always, but I think its really important that information about poor services get out in the open and as a first time mother, I wasn't in a position to evaluate the care I had or to complain about it at the time. It was only months later that I looked back and had questions I needed answering. I think it really helps for birthing partners to be really well-informed so that they can feel confident about raising concerns at the time - too often, I feel that I accept poor quality service and should complain more. I think the midwives in Sheffield have some kind of monitoring service in place where they actively seek women's views of their experiences - is this still going?

As far as I know Ju-Ju it is and occasionally we get a post on here inviting people along.

I think you're right about highlighting it for birth partners, it's absolutely crucial in some cases to have someone fighting your corner, especially if you're in pain or otherwise busy or possibly addled with drugs.

I had a very bad experience on my first birth. Waited an hour before I was even seen after getting to the hospital. In fact, some of my birth reads like the script above. The aftercare after was just as bad and it's my opinion that my daughter was re-admitted at 3 days in to the hospital because of the lack of help and advice regarding breast feeding. My experience was at Derby Hospital and I did go and make a complaint about the care that I received during and after the birth.

Unfortunately not every birth goes well. On the other hand, some of my friends had excellent care during their birth experience and have no compliants what so ever. I think it is right that we are made aware of this, as we need to do something about it, otherwise it will get worse.

I gave birth to my baby girl back in April this year.
I arrived at Jessops at 1am and gave birth at 6pm that night.

The first midwife I had was fantastic and never left my room. I had a fairly straightforward labour. My midwife then finished her shift and I got another one who again never left my room.

Couldnt have asked for an more. I was never left alone in labour and actually had quite a laugh with her.

Although when i got transferred onto the ward they didn't really want to know and like others have said there was no help at all with breastfeeding.

It's not all bad.

So why is the breastfeeding help so bad?

We've just received a letter in a Christmas card telling us that the paediatric nutritionist we know is a 'volunteer breast feeding councellor', but she's in Leeds. Does this just mean that there are no volunteers in Sheffield, or that the NHS in Sheffield doesn't want these people getting underfoot on the wards?

I found strix if you really demanded help with breastfeeding it was available in Jessops although it was mainly from the support workers not the midwives. I don't know where in sheffield you are but i live in woodhouse and there is a lovely breastfeeding support worker who works alongside the team of health visitors. I personally never used her but i know people who have and she's visited them at home or seen them in baby clinic. She also runs a breastfeeding cafe every week like most children's centres now do.

I think once discarged the breastfeeding support may be better than that given in the hospital if you're prepared to seek it out and ask for it.

(Sorry I realised this was long after I typed it!)

I chose my Hospital (Derby City over Nottingham ones) because they were under a baby friendly initiative - basically supposedly better equipped to help Mum's breastfeed and have a proper strategy in place. However, despite having 2 breast feeding advisers in the hospital, not once did I see them, despite asking. Only the support workers would help with breast feeding - if they had time. The advice was so conflicting each time that my head was whirring at what I was supposed to do. They make it sound so technical and hard.

For the 3 nights I was in the hospital, my daughter cried each and every night from 11 till morning. I had no sleep, I had no help and wasn't helped to try and work out what the problem was. I tried feeding, trying nappy changing. Nothing worked.

After one night out of the hospital. The midwife came and weighed by daughter and said she had lost 15% of her body weight and I needed to go and see the Breast Feeding Advisor as that was too much to drop. Great I thought, finally I could get some help. Well, the breast feeding advisor told me to express milk so that I could feed it in a bottle and know how much I was giving her. How do you express? basically according to the breast feeder it's a gush gush gush. That was exactly how she told me to do it. No instructions, just gush.

The breast feeding advisor then sent us to the Children's A&E because she had a temp. She was admitted for 3 nights, put on antibiotics, tested for all sorts, including meningitis. I was also told to feed a strict amount of milk on a 4 hour basis, express as much as possible and top up with formula. All the tests came back negative and my daughter gained weight. It was put down to 'failure to thrive'. So basically my daughter wasn't feeding correctly from me, and I do think that this should have been spotted on the postnatal ward and I also think her dramatic weight drop should have been noticed before I was discharged from the ward.

Interestingly, my daughter has never cried all night since the second night in the children's ward. So I do believe she was trying to tell me she was starving and I just wasn't able to feed her correctly.

Please remember my experience was in Derby and I have no experience of Jessops, which might be completely different.

I'm really sorry to hear you had such a bad time of it Doodle. It does make you wonder doesn't it? With all these 'targets' and suchlike they have, and cost cutting exercises, you'd think they'd be able to figure out that 'prevention' is better than 'cure' - practically and financially!

Why do I keep reading advice about Jessops which all seems to suggest that you have to DEMAND everything from them to get the kind of service you'd think would be available to everybody :confused:

I think that's the key Strix, you need to be a person who speaks up for yourself. Unfortunately, I'm not really that kind of person and I think even people who normally are, are so tired and emotional after the birth that they haven't got the energy to be that type of person either. The more prepared you are for your experience in hospital, the more it will help you cope and be able to enjoy it.

I think that's why I'd like my mum to be there - she's a no-nonsense sort of person who is capable of making the same kind of reasonable 'demands' I would normally, but I just know I'm going to be neither use nor ornament once I'm in pain and scared out of my wits!
(I'm not taking to this whole 'pregnancy' thing too well, can you tell?)

It's a good idea to have someone who'll be your voice Strix but no matter what the horror stories are, it's all fine in the end and the power of hormones etc means you might even consider doing it all again in a year or two.
That might sound insane now but I've known women jeopardise their own lives or end up in hospital with every pregnancy due to extreme and dangerous sickness and still go on to have more!

Your right Zebra. Despite my past experience, I'm doing it again lol.

Strix, try not to worry. Everybody has different experiences, and you will get through it. I'm not known for having a good pain threshold and I amazed everyone including myself on how I handled it. I'm just no good with stress, which is why I didn't handle after the birth very well, so this time I've decided to do pregnacy Yoga, which I'm hoping will help me to keep calm and less stressed.

i had a very similar time to what this midwife is saying i was in the old jessops when i had my first baby in 1999 i was only 17. they left me 2 and a halff weeks overdue as they were full, they then induced me then broke my waters gave me diamorphine and god only knows what other pain killers i was then given some medication via a drip i was like that for 72 hours before complications arouse and i was rushed into theatre i was very ill afterwards and needed a blood transfusion and couldnt walk for 2 days.

however when i had my second in the new jessops in march 2008 it was a lot differant i had a planned c section on a tuesday evening and was home friday morning. i have to admit i didnt see the midwives that often though and didnt buzz for them unless i absolutely needed too.

each persons experiance will be differant though.

Why do I keep reading advice about Jessops which all seems to suggest that you have to DEMAND everything from them to get the kind of service you'd think would be available to everybody :confused:

Just to add a different perspective: I delivered in Jessops a week ago and had to stay a few days on Rivelin Ward as my DS was slow to feed and developed jaundice. I cannot fault the team of midwives who cared for us during that time.In spite of them being extremely busy, they all took the time to sit with me and help me with breast feeding, often in the middle of the night. I was also seen by a BF Support worker on the first day (I'm not sure if she was a volunteer or paid).

Since I've been home, my own midwife and backup have also been very helpful. Though I'm still having some problems, they've provided me with the support and encouragement to carry on trying to feed - without this I would have probably resorted to bottle feeding days ago!

I'm really sorry that several people seem to have had bad experences at Jessops and elsewhere, and maybe I've been unusually lucky in the support I've received. but if you're about to deliver, please don't read this thread and think that you're guaranteed a negative experience!

When I had my son in 2007 I buzzed and asked for help with feeding loads and I always found the staff happy to help me. I had my daughter 10 weeks ago and I found feeding fairly easy and didn't need any help. But I was asked several times how feeding was going etc and feel if there had have been problems support was there.

Jessops is busy and I think it is obvious it is under staffed. Small things niggled me during both my birth experiences but on the whole I felt the staff cared for me well and I felt both me and my babies were safe.

So why is the breastfeeding help so bad?

We've just received a letter in a Christmas card telling us that the paediatric nutritionist we know is a 'volunteer breast feeding councellor', but she's in Leeds. Does this just mean that there are no volunteers in Sheffield, or that the NHS in Sheffield doesn't want these people getting underfoot on the wards?

Im in S6, and when i went for a check up whilst pregnant a woman came to sit with me who was the breast feeding counsellor for my area, and gave me details of breast feeding walk-in centres in my local area if i needed help. So there are some in Sheffield-i think the leaflet disappeared with my notes tho.

i went to see my midwife the other week when i told her about my prev experience she told me shes not even going to try and get me to brestfed and will let me do it my way,
which is basically to bottle feed and to express for as long as possible i prefer this as last time i had brest is best the whoe way through only to get no help after