IN response to your front page story “Maternity care in crisis” I feel it necessary to share my experience of the care that I have received on two occasions within two years.

My son was born in September 2010 and when my waters broke and I was admitted to the labour ward, the midwives couldn't have been more fantastic.

They made me feel completely at ease even though I was labouring for 24 hours. I haven't got enough adjectives to describe how helpful they were.

However, the aftercare was atrocious. I ended up having an emergency caesarean and they were extremely unhelpful with giving me my medication and helping me with my first newborn child, it was as if I was an inconvenience being there.

The blood-stained sheets were neglected to be changed until I requested.

Pain relief was regularly more than two hours late and was often requested but to no avail. When asked to help change my son’s nappy, I was met with huffs and puffs and then when replacing my son in his cot, carelessly discarded the pack of baby wipes, catching him on his head.

I was disgusted as a first-time mum to be treated in this way and this is only a handful of complaints I have with them.

I was approached by a routine visit from one of the staff, who turned out to be the head of maternity ward and I aired my feelings to her. Two years on, I revisited the maternity ward to have my daughter and sadly it was much the same story.

The midwives, surgeons etc were second to none and a credit to the hospital. The aftercare staff were the same as when I had my son two years previously and nothing had changed in both attitude or professional standard.

I would also like to add that it was only the day staff for aftercare, the night staff were lovely thank goodness, as they were the only ones looking after me and my daughter to a standard I expected and doing their job properly.

GV by email