Ipswich Hospital (Part of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust)

After a difficult experience at Colchester hospital I am now under consultant care here and it has been a totally different and more positive experience. The consultants have been wonderful and even though you do see a different consultant at appointments they have all been consistent with what they are saying and really supportive. I have an underlying condition so I am being closely monitored and I'm so pleased with the care provided. I was not aware that hypnobirthing was available through the hospital so have gone private for this but it would've been nice to know it was available.

The care from the hospital throughout covid has been fantastic. I was taken in to hospital via A&E and ended up staying for 5 days with my condition where the care was really good. I have missed the face to face consultations with my consultant as it's not the same trying to discuss things on the phone but I have been well monitored throughout.

Cannot fault the midwives and ambulance staff, for getting us there quickly and safely and delivering my son. I have severe anxiety about being in hospital but they looked after me and I even enjoyed my birth! It was absolutely perfect the staff were amazing!

I was sent for extra growth scans due to my midwife noticing my raised blood pressure. At my first growth scan the sonographer said maybe two words to me and the scan took a very long time where they appeared to struggle to get the blood flow reading they were looking for. (this was to become an issue at the next scan). I then went to see the consultant who said "why are you here is it your high BMI?" to which I corrected them it was actually my BP.

At the following growth scan the sonographer stopped the scan came to my side, held my hand and said sorry. They then repeatedly said sorry whilst stroking my arm. Not once did they tell me what was wrong, despite me asking what they were sorry for. We then got marched down to the consultant who then marched me back to the same room and scanned me again. I was told that my placenta was not working, baby hadn't grown and was coming out ASAP at 34 weeks. The sonographer frightened the life out of me and their delivery of bad news needed work, and this part of the day haunts me still. Once up on the ward, the delivery of my baby was done with the fantastic care you expect from our NHS.

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 31 weeks after being tested at 28 weeks, the hospital missed my results and didn’t inform me until 3 weeks later. I went into labour 2 weeks early, called the hospital when my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and they put me off going to the hospital as they wanted my contractions to be every 3 minutes. I called again about an hour later when the pain was becoming too difficult to cope with and they still tried to put me off despite me raising concerns that I lived an hour away. I arrived at the hospital 6cm dilated.

Due to my diabetes I was on the Deben ward consultant led care. It was a straightforward delivery, however I then had a postpartum haemorrhage. My husband was never told what was going on which was very worrying for him. The doctors saved my life but once I was ok they disappeared quickly with very little explanation of what had happened. I recall the doctor saying something to me but I was exhausted and not really with it given what I’d just been through! I was left in blood soaked sheets until after lunch the next day! I had a catheter which was overflowing.

I was unable to get out of the bed and my baby was under a heat lamp which had alarms going off constantly and nobody came. He wasn’t dressed for hours on end despite him being cold as the midwife never returned to help my husband dress him as she promised. We were constantly having to ring the bell to get help or attention and they only checked in on us every couple of hours if we were lucky. I was discharged the next day with no explanation of what happened, feeling very shaken and anxious about my experience. The next day and for a couple of weeks later I suffered from very high blood pressure and anxiety to the point I was prescribed anti depressants. I was so worried about being readmitted to hospital because of my experience.

I received poor treatment last year following a miscarriage/haemorrhage requiring a hospital stay, staff were aloof and blunt/unsympathetic (especially considering I was alone throughout due to Covid). The experience has left me with PTSD which I now need counselling for. This year I gave birth on the Consultant led ward, midwife was not able to provide basic items asked for (birthing ball/shower etc) and had no consideration for basic details on birth plan. Communication was poor throughout birth nearly leading to intervention needed until senior midwife stepped in. Generally the bad has outweighed the good. One positive is Triage maternity services were better this year than previously (was turned away last year “due to Covid” and told I couldn’t be checked unless I was actually having a miscarriage-which I then had).

Baby was picked up as measuring small on growth scans, so was advised to move elective c section forward to 37 weeks. I was supported with my decision to have a c section after a traumatic first birth at a different hospital. The c section was calm and staff were all supported. Despite only having one night in hospital, I was helped with the baby whilst I was incapacitated and given pain medication when requested. The ward was quiet and midwives quickly helped us when we needed it.

Had Low Papp A (not informed by hospital when I should have been), no one explained what it was/what could happen because of it. Had additional growth scans because of it and told that baby was measuring small (sonographer misinformed us on the size of her saying she was 50th percent tile, consultant said baby was 10th percentile). Told induction at 37 weeks or 39 weeks if not growing due to high BP, however at next scan I was told the placenta was failing and emergency c section needed. Admittance was great, felt really reassured and looked after, c section was flawless, the consultants explained and answered everything really really well, however I was discharged 22 hours after procedure and told I was getting a bed on NICU as the beds were like gold dust. Upon discharge told I had had pre eclampsia (which I actually didn't have), and given medication and injections but not how to use them/what they did. In NICU no midwife saw me. Neonatal nurses got me seen on day 3 as I was clearly in need of being seen and that was the only time I was seen despite being metres away from the midwifes at hospital. Postnatal care felt really rushed and really made me feel sad and alone.
Lastly, covid restrictions were not known by the staff. Depending on who you spoke to the information differed which was really difficult as my partner doesn't drive so we needed solid information.

I was lucky enough to have straight forward, uncomplicated pregnancy however my baby was undiagnosed breech, only to be determined when I was 7cm dilated. I started contractions on my due date however they were not regular enough to go hospital. The following day the contractions were worsening so I went to triage to be told I was not in labour without examination. I returned home but was persuaded by my partner to go back to hospital two hours later as the pain was not manageable at home. When I was seen in triage I was told I was 7cm and therefore taken to the delivery suit. It was only on examination that it was determined that my baby was breech. After a short panic and emergency buzzers going off I had to deliver my baby vaginally as there was no other option. The team that delivered my baby were fantastic, the care was brilliant and my baby arrived safely into the world. The only thing that I struggled with was the fact my partner could not visit the ward when i was transferred. This was an extremely emotional time for me as my baby was on the neonatal unit and I was on the ward on my own after quite a traumatic labour. Though my labour was not as expected and my babies entrance into the word was traumatic, she is now a very healthy 2 month old.

Going in to have my baby during the covid pandemic and knowing my husband wouldn't be there to support me like he had been able to be with my previous pregnancies I was concerned how I would cope looking after my baby after having a c section. The maternity support workers were amazing though, I really needed their help and support they were excellent.