Did anyone see the front of the Irish Times Weekend Review today? All about how substandard the Maternity services are in our Celtic Tiger modern Ireland. Apparently women are being roomed in Jurys and have to walk across Parnell Square to give birth at the moment in the Rotunda.
Recently a friend was given an induction with gel, and left to labour on her own while her husband was sent home - after hours in agony, she had to order a midwife to come and help her breathe through the crushing continuous contractions as she couldn't manage on her own but they had no space to move her up to the ward where they give pain relief.
Or I read a woman's story of having to remove her own catheter as no-one came for two hours while she desperately needed to pee, and no-one stopped to ask if she was ok as she staggered to the loo with blood running down her legs, carrying her baby.
A woman gave birth in the lift and in a wheel-chair this week, due to lack of beds.
The worst thing is that women, and men, in Ireland, accept this and go back for more. A tiny fraction of us have taken to the streets in outrage, to demand more. While the hospitals complacently insist that their clients are happy. Shame on us for being happy with what they're providing, for doing ourselves and our babies out of a clam, comfortable, safe start. Anyone who thinks it's safe to have a baby in hospital in the current climate is deluded. A woman who had had a section and was heavily medicated rolled on her baby recently and the baby died. She shouldn't have been sleeping with the baby but she was unable to reach the cot, and there was no-one to help her. This is an atrocity, that she should be put through this nightmare. In our wealthy country with out politicians driving round in mercs, the understaffing and under-resourcing of our maternity hospitals is endangering women and babies' health and lives.
At the end of the article, they paid lip service to the success and pleasantness of the Community Midwives schemes, which are providing women with dedicated care in their homes. these days, if you leave hospital early, perhaps hours after the birth of your baby, they visit you for ten days and give you their undivided attention - far more than you would get in the hospital itself. Peace, privacy, a comfortable bed, someone to hold your baby for you if necessary, breastfeeding support.
Sadly the article didn't address independent midwives, and the fact that despite the crisis in maternity care, the INO is revoking their insurance. I still don't for the life of me understand, in a situation where there is so little space in hospital that they're sending people home early who don't want to go and women are having their babies in the lift, that they won't endorse home birth and be glad of it - it costs the government less than a hospital birth and frees up beds for those who need to be in hospital.
2 comments:
dear god that is scary! i would love a baby but i'm so scared of going to hospital! i saw what the rotunda is like (semiprivate) which was really awful, and my friend was in lots of trouble there and was treated like sh*t. so i thought if i had a baby i'd go to holles st. not even sure if i could, living on the north side, and a good bit out, but now i've heard scary stories from there, too! i was thinking maybe drogheda isn't as overbooked, but there's the nightmares of the dr. neary hysterectomies. my husband reckons that all the people who covered it up for him are still working there!
i'd like a homebirth, i think, but i don't think it would in any way be possible out here, too far from a hospital i think...
we are hesitantly trying to get pregnant but i'm scared to bits!
I've heard stuff about Holles St that's just as bad. If anything, i think the Coombe might be the best!
I would be happy enough about Drogheda, especially if you can get into the midwife section. Tracy Donegan is on a clent committee, what's it called, sorry, I can't remember the word, but they've provided lots of feedback and it's being listened to getting lots more woman friendly. I'd go there if I were you. Well, I'd still have a homebirth if I were you! Why not talk to a midwife and see what she thinks about the distance? They told me in the Holles St Community midwives that they will always spot a problem hours before emergency action is needed.
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