Susan’s story
After a 10-year gap, the news had arrived. I was expecting my second child. I was extremely excited about it all, especially as I had recently completed my midwifery degree. I was confident this time round I knew my options and rights and I was determined to have full control over my birth. However, that is not exactly the way the story ended.
I commenced labour at home as I had planned, using my birthing pool. I had my partner, son and family members present along with the home birth midwives. As the contractions got stronger, I could feel something was not quite right with them, and was soon after transferred into hospital via ambulance for an antepartum haemorrhage.
Once transferred to delivery suit, the home birth midwife handed me over to another midwife. I was strapped to a cardiotocography (CTG) machine and cannulas were put in with consent along with fluids. The obstetric team commenced their ward round and entered my room. Upon entry none of the doctors introduced themselves to me or my birthing companions. The consultant stood at the head of the bed and analysed the CTG. During this time no one spoke to me, they just spoke amongst themselves. I heard a packet of gloves being opened at the bottom of the bed and a discussion about the baby’s heart rate being tachycardic.
I continued to have uterine hyper stimulations that were not being monitored at the time. I was unable to speak much due to the pain and fact I was pushing involuntarily. I made eye contact with the doctor and said: “Wait until after the contraction”. She did not explain any procedures she wanted to do nor did she ask for consent. She did not wait for the contraction to pass and undertook a vaginal examination without consent. Shortly after she informed the consultant of her findings. I was asked by the consultant if I had passed urine, to which I replied, “Not for some time.” I then felt a urinary catheter being inserted without consent. The doctor proceeded to shout at the midwife for not giving her the correct catheter, as it had no bag attached.
After the catheter insertion the doctor proceeded to undertake another vaginal examination without consent. During this time, I raised myself up into an almost sitting position and waved my finger back and forth in near her face saying ,“No consent” loudly several times and she carried on with the internal examination. The end result was a category 1 caesarean section and a partial abruption was diagnosed.
When I meet with the consultant post birth to voice my concerns I was told: “Sometimes in an emergency we just do things” including undertaking caesareans without consent. “You should be happy you are both alive”.
The reason I have shared my story is to demonstrate how important it is that midwives advocate for women, and to show even with the knowledge and experience I have, due to being in such a venerable position, I had no control over what happened to me. Just because myself and my baby are alive does not make this situation OK. More women need to be aware of their rights regarding consent.
