"they’d stitched me up wrong and I’d developed a hematoma between my vaginal and anal walls"

A mother's experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2016 and 2021:

I had my first son in Nov 2016.

Whilst on the MAU I was in agony. They didn’t listen, sent me up to a waiting level. They didn’t check on me once. My mum had to beg them to. Then when they finally checked me, I was (idk how many cm but it was very far along) they rushed me up to the labouring ward.

I was left in cold water to birth my son – I was shivering etc. When he finally arrived they stitched me up but I was still in so much pain. They told me to go to the toilet, I did, couldn’t use the toilet, and almost fainted.

They then examined me and determined they’d stitched me up wrong and I’d developed a hematoma between my vaginal and anal walls. This led to emergency surgery where they had to put a drain in.

I ended up being poorly for a very long time, with reoccurring pain. I didn’t go back as I was too scared. We returned as I had an infection and had to stay on the ward.

In 2021 my waters had broken and baby wasn’t engaged properly. I was 38 weeks.

I was left for over 24 hours or just shy of, with no labour signs. Eventually on [date] December after minimal movement from baby, they rushed me for an emergency C-section, baby was born with pneumonia and was on the HDU.

I was put in a ward with mothers who had their babies. It affected my mental health so badly. He needed antibiotics and luckily he handled it so well.