How to get good aftercare in the hospital

[DivaSkyChick]

It seems almost universal that everyone is getting terrible after care due to too few midwives on the wards, etc.

I recall new mums having to crawl to their crying babies because no one will come, being left in the shower with no towel and only a bloody gown to dress back into... lots of awful experiences.

Can anything be done about it? Is there a strategy anyone has employed successfully? I'm not talking about complaining afterwards, I want to know if anything can be done in the immediate.

Geez, I'm starting to freak already and I have 22 weeks to go...

[robbosmum]

Good luck, things arent always as bad as the media says...
however those that complain always seem to have great care, nhs managers are terrified of poor feedback

[Runninglate]

I wonder how much positive thinking will help - presumably if you want to have a shower, you would take a towel with you, like you would at home??? If you're not able to have a shower unaccompanied, then I presume either your DP or a midwife would be with you? We're all trained to think of hospital as a hotel / to expect a certain level of service. Perhaps a less stressful approach would be to consider it a place where they will catch you if the sh1t hits the fan but otherwise, you can freely access their other services, e.g. toilets, showers, kettle, beds etc etc - more like a self-catering in th knowledge that medical help is there if you need it??

The staff will be there to take care of people in order or priority, so I would take comfort in the knowledge that you are not the worst off if you are being ignored!!! Just think ahead and have a shower during visiting hours, so DP can help etc; make sure everything is in reach while sitting in bed if you have a c-section before DP leaves.....

Birth Centres I think are a bit more home from home?

Either way - it's a blip in time and you have a beautiful new baby to enjoy!!!

[Runninglate]

btw I know you were just mentioning showers as an e.g!

[MrsJohnCusack]

go home ASAP (what I did)

runninglate has good advice too

[hotandbothered]

Second MrsJohnCusack!

[SueW]

Have your baby at home.

[Marina]

Indicate either

1. That a close relative is a reporter on Panorama
   or
   
   
2. That you are Very Important on the local NCT branch committee
   
   I really would not recommend my involuntary strategy of developing nasty complications after both elective c-sections. I got all the aftercare I could wish for, and then some and yes I was grateful then and am now that my obs etc were done meticulously, but it was not a happy time...

[SueW]

To continue in Marina's theme:

Or volunteer to sit on your local MSLC (Maternity Services Liaison Committee) as a lay person/user rep.

[Rantum]

If you have to go to hospital to have your baby, don't stress about bringing a bloody great bag with you full of everything you think you might need - from your own towel/ clean dressing gowns to several changes of clothes - really! I took way more stuff than I needed into hospital and I don't care. Also, if you feel anyone in particular doesn't treat you well, remember to get their name and then, once you are safely back at home, COMPLAIN. My experience of hospital was not at all awful - it is true that the midwives were a bit stretched, but they all worked really hard to make sure that noone was neglected.

[eidsvold]

it must just be me but I had brilliant afterbirth care when dd1 was born in the UK.

Again here in Aus with dd2 - only one cranky midwife to deal with on one occasion and I understood totally - given the way two private patients were treating her as their own private midwife and being overly demanding. But the care I had post dd2 again was brilliant.

Both were c-sections.

[bigcar]

Not everyone has a bad time, my after care was wonderful after my emergency c section, i couldnt fault a thing! It does help to be prepared though. Alternatively, consider a homebirth, then you dont even have to go near the hospital!

[eldestgirl]

Have an emergency c-section! The worst stories I have heard are post traumatic vaginal delivery, when you are still basically left to get on with it.

[LRWG]

I had great aftercare. Had an elective c-section and was looked after really well - emotionally and physically.

[Cloudhopper]

I think you are fine as long as you are prepared to be proactive. We would all like the NHS to be better, but with current budget cuts and understaffing, they will be concentrating on medical care, rather than 'personal' care.

I would make sure that dh/dp or another trusted person is on hand to help you care for the baby. Keep your own timings of when you need pain relief, and ask for it half an hour in advance of when it is needed.

Have access to someone with a car who can drop round essentials if you end up stuck in hospital for ages.

Make sure you find out what the procedure is for meal times, and the timings, so you don't miss them.

Finally, take plenty of nice quality chocolates and rubbishy celeb magazines, so that if you do miss meal times and it all goes horribly wrong, at least you can have a 'Hamlet' moment with your nice choccies and laugh at Britney's new harido.

[MrsTittleMouse]

I don't know if I was lucky, but I gave birth at a hospital that doesn't have a great reputation in my area, and I still had great aftercare. I had a canula (sp?) in my hand and couldn't pick up DD the night after she was born, so everytime I wanted to pick her up to try BFing I had to call the MW, and everytime I wanted to put her down, I had to call the MW. She was helpful and cheerful every single time.
A big box of chocolates and a big thank you went to those MWs once I'd gone home.

[blueshoes]

Agree with your list, cloudhopper.

I would also add to check hospital visiting times. I had my dh lined up to look after me in hospital after my elective. But my hospital's visiting times were only in the afternoon and I was left very much to myself in the morning, immobile with a fussy baby. I ended up in tears and discharged myself after 36 hours so I could go home for ds and I to get the CARE we needed.

[Ali5]

I had an elective c-section and had fabulous care and support. However I was aware that as I got a bit more mobile the attentiveness wore off which was obviously because I was less of a priority so at this point I did what has been mentioned - got loads of gossip mags, got credit for the tv, got big bags of food and drink to hand and got dh to organise a regular supply of visitors who would entertain and help me but not be a pain in the bum. Don't go with any expectations just focus on enjoying your new baby!

[Miaou]

SueW, just seen your post - I've just got a place on my MSLC and really hope I can help make a difference to maternity care in my area (Highlands).

Diva, will you get (or have you had) a tour of your midwifery unit? An opportunity to see for yourself what the level of care is like.

I would also suggest taking a pair of flip -flops to wear in the shower too to prevent spread of infection.

[SueW]

Good luck Miaou.

[DivaSkyChick]

Thanks for all your tips. It's good to hear that after care isn't always bad and can be great. I'm used to American hospitals where you pay thru the nose for care but expectations are higher for after care. You don't complain if it's not, you SUE! LOL

Having said that, I have the utmost respect for a country that provides health services to everyone, rich or poor, and I am on board totally. I'm just scared and mostly ignorant of how the system works.

The shower example came from a thread in media requests about bad NHS care. I must stop reading stuff like that but it's like watching a train wreck, I just can't stop myself!

Thanks again,

Mandy

[dejags]

Just prepared yourself as much as possible.

The postnatal wards I went onto were hot, stuffy and not particularly comfy. I had to walk to find somebody if I needed anything.

After DS1 was born I was too afraid to get out of bed (having had two failed epi's). I pressed the button loads of times, but got no response in the middle of the night. I ended up just getting up - because I had to pee (no catheter).

After DS2 my throat was terribly sore (I shouted a bit during labour ), again I waited ages for somebody to bring me a jug of water - nobody came.

My advice would be to take as much as possible with you. Incl. water, snacks, towels, sanitary towels by the gazillion, face cloth, small plastic bowl and cotton wool (for cleaning baby).

Getting home asap is the key.

[SueW]

I've spent some time in hospital with my DD and I think I have it down pat now. This applies if going in for anything as much as it does for being a parent accompnaying a child

• Pack as if you are going camping.

• Arrange for food to be brought in. Preferably homemade by someone who can cook. If they can cook it and bring it to the hospital before it cools, all the better. At worst, it should be microwaveable.

• Assume you will get no help. You will get some but you might not be priority (lifesaving comes over drug-changing or crying babies or nappy changing)

The NHS at its best is fantastic. Sadly not everyone gets that. It has been effectively created and destroyed in 60 years. That is incredibly sad really, when you think about it.

[Northumberlandlass]

Hi - I have never posted on here before, but I have read for a while and really enjoyed it.

I experienced two hospitals with the birth of my ds. The first, my local hospital is midwife led only. The plan during my whole pregnancy was to deliver there, but due to complications during delivery was 'blue lighted' to the nearest city hospital.

My local hospital is only a few years old and each room has an en-suite wet room (heavenly) - everything was clean and in good repair. The care I got was good, but due to only being a small unit if all the beds are full, then the midwives are stretched.

The city hospital that I was transferred to was pretty old, but the care I got was fantastic. I did have shoulder dytocia which meant some severe intervention, but following the birth I received one on one care from a lovely midwife who stayed with me for her full shift.

I have to admit that during my stay at both hospitals (I transferred back to my local hospital the next day) I did receive great care and got excellent support on bf.

By the way, my hospital bag looked like I was going on holiday for two weeks !

[ProfYaffle]

I got home after my elective on Sunday. I can only echo the advice given here, be prepared to be as self sufficient as possible. Dh came for every minute of visiting and I needed him there, he brought me sandwiches from the hospital shop instead of the awful nhs food, left me with snacks to get me through the night (bf, was starving!) loads of newspapers and left everything within arm's reach when he left.

One of the most useful things he did was buy a couple of one litre bottles of water with sports caps and left them tucked into the side of the bed. I had a terribly dry throat and the over stretched auxilary actually refused to get me a new jug of water!

Saying that, although the staff were very busy they were also lovely and did their best for me.

[leahsmum]

All I would say is dont listen to all that you hear from others. I had both DD's in hospital and heard scare stories prior to each. I went in with an open mind and can honestly say that the hospitals and staff were excellent each time. NHS hospitals always tend to be understaffed but in my experience always willing to help where they can. With DD1 I had her in an older unit which is now closed. Had heard that they put you out asap after birth but I stayed for 3days and never once felt pressure to go home - I didnt want to - I was there for 4days before I ad her too and the staff were excellent to say the least! I left 2 massive tins of choccies (1 for LW and one for post/ante natal staff). This time round I was in the new unit which I had heard even worse stories about - just remember people only tend to mention the bad stories and not the good. Again went in with open mind. Granted I got less attention than first time round but as a 2nd time mum I couldnt expect anything else. I wasnt a priority case as I had a straight forward delivery and all was well postnatally. Though staff were v helpful if/when I needed them. Was in less than 24 hours this time so DP didnt ahve time to get choccies for staff but wish I had now just to say thanks for everything.