Beata was one of more than 20 clients of Hudgell Solicitors to submit a statement to the Parliamentary Birth Trauma Inquiry, describing her own experience, and the impact it had on her.
Beata said:
I lost my baby at full term despite having been to the hospital on many occasions with concerns due to continuing, agonising pains in late pregnancy. Each and every time I was completely dismissed and often sent home without any tests being conducted.
This was my first pregnancy and I was made to feel like I was overreacting to the pain I was in when I myself knew there must be something wrong. I was in agonising pain for between four or five days before a scan revealed my baby girl had died. I can remember at one point I had asked a student midwife if I could see somebody more senior as I was so concerned that something was badly wrong and they basically told me they knew what they were doing and nobody more senior was required.
On the occasion that my baby’s heartbeat could not be found, I was initially told it was because the machine was old.
Had the basics been done, with proper attention and record keeping, I fully believe that I could have had a C-section and that my baby girl, Olivia, would have been delivered safely.
I feel there is generally a culture of denial regarding deaths.When we found out Olivia had died, I asked for a C-section as I was so distraught and shattered by what happened, but I was made to deliver her normally which took more than three hours and was extremely distressing.
I was diagnosed with moderate to severe depression due to losing our baby. My partner has struggled to talk about what happened, and we both struggle today more than three-and-a-half-years on.
I think changes need to be made and the first is to stop treating pregnant women like they are overreacting and being irrational when they know their own bodies and should be listened to when they feel things are wrong.
As a mother who lost her first baby, I was made to feel like I was at fault for not protecting her. How can that be? We need a complete change of culture, and that is what I hope an Inquiry can bring about.
Read more: Why Hudgell Solicitors is calling for a Public Inquiry into maternity services.
