"That was an extremely traumatic experience"

A mother’s experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2021:

My son was stillborn at 29 weeks while I was on holiday, so he ended up being born at a hospital in Taunton. I’d had a placental abruption on 6th July 2021.

I needed to be admitted to the John Radcliffe on 10th July for blood transfusions due to the blood loss during delivery. OUH maternity department were expecting me but when I arrived I was placed on to the observation ward, which was full of mothers and newborn babies. At the time I questioned why they’d put me on that ward and that it wasn’t appropriate as my baby had died only 4 days prior. Apparently they needed to be able to observe me.

That was an extremely traumatic experience. I was discharged and was told I’d hear from my midwife for the necessary checks and support, but heard nothing from any health professional.

It took 40 weeks to have a meeting to discuss the pmrt, I had no input into the pmrt. To top it off my placenta had been lost so was unable to be tested.