February 2014 - I always felt rushed at appointments and the midwives told me I was over reacting many times. One time a midwife used latex gloves on an internal exam despite me stating I was allergic many times. The day I gave birth another midwife told me I was exaggerating my pain that I should suck it up and I wasn’t in labour. Well, not even five hours later I gave birth! I had to be transported in an ambulance and almost gave birth in it.
In 2018 I was pregnant again and had to return to MCM because there was a lack of other midwives in my area. The experience was the same. Always being told I’m over reacting. A midwife saying this isn’t the same pregnancy and you need to forget how quickly your other child came.
This pregnancy I was very ill, and had many symptoms of ICP (Intraheptic cholestasis of pregnancy) but they refused to test me. At 39 weeks I was having contractions and was told to come back to consult the ob at the hospital. He took one look at my chart and said, “Induce her, she has ICP, we need to get this baby now.”
These experiences affected me negatively. With my second pregnancy they took one look at my chart and treated me exactly as they had done with the first birth. I never felt I was heard and my concerns ignored. Luckily, the outcomes were good with both pregnancies but it could have ended so poorly in both cases.
I believe my age had a factor in it as I was a young single mother. I am also Indigenous which could have been a factor.
I submitted an anonymous survey with the first pregnancy but not with the second.
Please have compassion for your patients especially in later pregnancy. Listen to their concerns. It can be life saving.
Submitted by Z
