"I lost a litre of blood and had 11 blood transfusions."

A mother’s experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2022:

Due to being diabetic, a caesarean section was deemed the safest way to deliver my (second) baby. This was not the case.

The team that did my caesarean managed to 'nick' one of my arteries. Unaware of this, they stitched me up and transferred me across to a bed. I was bleeding profusely. I was then moved back to the theatre table.

As my blood pressure dropped to 54/11, I could feel the epidural wearing off. The decision was made to put me to sleep to see if they could find the bleeding. (My husband was not informed of anything that was going on, he was left in a side room with our newborn.) A number of trauma doctors were called in, in an emergency. They had to remove my bladder and talk of a hysterectomy took place. I lost a litre of blood and had 11 blood transfusions.

Although I did not have a hysterectomy, I have been advised not to have any more children due to this. A choice that has now been taken away from me.