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“HELD DOWN”, “TOLD to be quiet”, and “lied to” about their care.
These are not the experiences of women in 1950s Ireland, but accounts of recent births in modern hospitals across the country.
In dozens of lengthy emails to The Journal, mothers told of the trauma they endured during and after labour and delivery.
Several said they will never return to certain hospitals, or said they’ve lost faith in the HSE altogether.
The Journal asked women to share their experiences following an inquiry into birth trauma in the UK, and calls for the same here.
A 2020 survey of people who gave birth in Irish hospitals found that 52% had a very good experience, while 33% had a good experience. Some 15% of those surveyed rated their overall experience as fair to poor.
Respondents reported problems with their care immediately after giving birth, such as not being involved in decisions, not being supported emotionally, and insufficient information about mental health services.
From accounts shared with The Journal, many of the same problems still persist.
Alleged medical negligence, understaffing and a lack of empathy were recurring themes in the stories shared.
There were also multiple accounts of women not being asked for consent before invasive procedures.
Laura said that she will be “forever haunted” by her experience.
When she was in labour at 32 weeks, she was told she needed to go for a c-section and that her husband would join her in theatre soon.
“When alone, they tried to insert a catheter while I was in the middle of a contraction. I begged them to wait until the contraction was over but they wouldn’t.
They just held down my legs and shoved it in, while I screamed in agony.
“Then they put a mask over my face and told me to count down. I pulled the mask off and asked if I was being put under general anaesthetic. They had never once informed me of this or asked consent.
“I woke in a dark room alone and had to cry out for a nurse to ask if my babies were okay. After an agonising wait, she returned and told me that they were okay, but that I couldn’t see them.”
Laura says she was put in a ward with other mothers and their babies, but she could not see her own for 12 hours.
“I have attended birth trauma therapy but I’ll be forever haunted by the horrific memories of what was done to me.
“I have lost all faith in the health service.”
Now pregnant again, Laura says she’s paid over €7,000 for a private midwife, to avoid dealing with the HSE.
Getting treated with care and respect in pregnancy and birth should not be such an expensive privilege, but a right afforded to all women.
“It costs nothing to listen to us and respect our humanity and autonomy.”
Linda said a cervical sweep was done without her consent, and the doctor was “rough”, leaving her in pain and bleeding.
Another reader said staff at the hospital she attended were “stuck in the old school Catholic mindset”.
She said the midwife was “aggressive, mean and impatient”.
She refused to allow me to get pain relief as it ‘wouldn’t be fair to other women who don’t have it’.
“She attempted to do a cervical dilation check mid-contraction. I was in such pain I screamed for her not to and she left her fingers in my vagina in a way that left me feeling completely violated.
“She rolled her eyes at me and sighed loudly while I screamed in pain, and only informed the anaesthetist to give me the epidural when I was fully dilated, so I gave birth without pain relief against my wishes.
“I would never go back and I always worry about other women who experienced the same attitudes. We still have a very long way to go in this country to support women.”
One mother said her labour and delivery was the worst experience of her life due to medical mistakes and staff attitudes.
“During the birth, the baby was facing the wrong way, which meant I would have a difficult, nearly impossible birth, but the doctor didn’t come back from a dinner date in time for me to have a c-section so I was forced to give birth by forceps.
“I had an epidural that only worked in the bottom of my legs. The needle hit spinal fluid. I had to lie flat on my back for two days so I wouldn’t have air rushing to my brain.”
She said she lost a lot of blood and her baby almost died.
“I had no follow up support, only nurses making me feel shame for not persevering with breastfeeding, with them knowing we had both nearly died.”
Jennifer said she feels women are “treated very poorly” in Irish hospitals.
She had a c-section, immediately after which her baby was taken away, against her wishes. This was a recurring complaint among the women who wrote to The Journal.
“[The baby] was given to my husband and brought outside while they worked on me.
“I’ll always remember someone saying: ‘She’s bleeding but I can’t see where from.’
I was absolutely terrified I’d die and never see my baby.
Jennifer said she never found out what happened to her or why her baby was taken away.
“I was brought through to a recovery room and just remembered a midwife being beside me checking me, but I just wanted my baby.
“I was shaking all over and nauseous. It was absolutely horrible.
It could have been so much better if things were explained to me.
Jennifer added that the midwives are “heroes without a cape”.
Caroline suffered from PTSD and postnatal depression after her labour and delivery experience, which she says has deterred her from having any more children.
After giving birth, she hemorrhaged and lost around half of her blood “within minutes”.
“My husband was ushered into a theatre room with our daughter who was just wrapped in a towel and was told nothing,” she said.
“I passed out from the loss of blood, woke up four hours later and went into shock.
“When I asked what happened, all they told me was these things can happen and I was just ‘vascular’. They have never told me the truth.”
Caroline was in hospital for seven days afterwards, where she says she got more than 30 stitches in her cervix and received a number of blood transfusions.
I had one doctor tell me that I should have planned my child. She was very much planned.
“I was offered no help or answers, and I certainly was not listened to by staff in the hospital. I still suffer with trauma.”
One woman said that she required stitches after having her first baby and wasn’t listened to when she described the pain.
“I could feel every single stitch. The doctor wouldn’t believe me and told me to suck on some gas.
It was horrendous. I was lying there, legs in stirrups, feeling that needle pierce me over and over.
Another reader said she was treated like a child when in labour with her first baby, “left screaming and told to be quiet”.
“I thought that experience couldn’t get worse and moved to [a different hospital] for my second, where they quite literally nearly killed me.”
After having a c-section for her second child, she went home but soon experienced chest pain and difficulty breathing.
“I was told I was just anxious. I returned two days later coughing up blood. I was told my respiratory bloods were showing viral infection and to go home with prescribed anxiety medication.”
She says she collapsed the next day and was brought by ambulance to a hospital before being transferred to a Coronary Care Unit.
“My lungs were filled with fluid. I was in heart failure and diagnosed with often fatal peri-partum cardiomyopathy.
Now on medication for the rest of her life, she blames “negligence” for the progression of her illness.
“All because they said I was just anxious.”
Readers say overcrowding and understaffing contributed to negative experiences and poor care.
Claire said she was denied an epidural for hours as it could only be administered in the delivery ward, which had no spaces available at that time.
Due to complications, she had an episiotomy.
She said she was in hospital for four days and “could barely walk”, but was then sent home and “told to take paracetamol”.
“I ended up back in a few days later as I got an infection and I couldn’t stand up or walk.
“I stood bent over against a wall for three hours outside the ER until a nurse finally felt sorry for me and let me lie on a bed.
“It was horrific. I was sent home with an antibiotic.”
Claire sought counselling after the experience.
People say you forget soon after, but I’ll never forget.
Another reader told us that overcrowding in the hospital she attended made her feel like she “was in a cattle mart rather than a healthcare facility”.
“When my waters broke the day before my due date, there were no available beds in the labour ward, forcing me to labour on a trolley without pain relief or monitoring.”
The same woman experienced a miscarriage earlier this year, and said her care only added to her distress.
“Following a private scan that revealed my baby’s death, I was left waiting for two weeks before [the hospital] could perform a dilation and curettage, adding to the emotional and physical strain during an already difficult time.”
Dozens of mothers reported a lack of mental health supports after their traumatic experiences.
One reader, who had previously struggled with postnatal depression, said: “I felt alone and not listened to.
“They said that I was just low because I had only given birth and to just wait.
“I am now finally getting help after nearly 2.5 years of demands from my doctor, but the HSE clearly don’t think my case was bad enough.”
Rob described his wife’s traumatic birth experience, from which she developed PTSD.
“She was not offered any mental health support by the hospital,” he said.
“Maternity care for women in Ireland is a disgrace and not to modern standards. There is no follow up for women after childbirth.”
Several mothers told us that even when they asked for support or referrals to counselling, they did not get a response.
The HSE offers a birth reflection service, but many mothers reported not being told about it. Some of those who sought appointments had to wait months, and many found the experience lacking, as they felt their concerns were dismissed.
Many women who wrote to The Journal said they will never have a child again for fear of having another traumatic experience.
There were also some positive experiences shared, mainly commending the care provided by hospital staff who were described as being “run off their feet”.
The HSE previously said that “the quality and safety of the maternity services is of utmost importance” and that it wants to ensure the safety of all women and babies.
“Listening to women about their experience in the care they receive is really important.”
It also said it will conduct another nationwide survey on maternity care in early 2025, “and the HSE will act on the findings from that survey”.
It signposted its debriefing services for mothers. Birth reflections are available at some maternity units.
“Debriefing services are recognised as being hugely beneficial, particularly after a traumatic birthing experience or where emergency action was required to safeguard the wellbeing of the women and her baby with a view to supporting the woman to understand what happened and why.”
Some quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.
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I have four kids who live and one little girl who didn’t make it. It was the worst experience in my life and would break a relationship. I took a white coffin out the back door of holles street and as much as they were sympathetic it felt like nothing. We travelled with my little girl to glasnevin and I handed her into an open grave, it sticks to me this day. I have never really gotten over the trauma nor has my wife. We are lucky we have three healthy kids and my heart goes out to everyone that loses a child. Support Feaileacain
@orb7eckn: My deepest sympathies .. sorry have no other better words ..
@orb7eckn: Heat broken for your loss
@orb7eckn: Thank you for sharing your story a wonderful Lady and forever in my heart.
@orb7eckn: omg this is heartbreaking
@orb7eckn: So very sorry for your loss Joe. Condolences to yourself & your wife.
@orb7eckn: So sorry Joe. Heartfelt condolences to you and your family. My wife ( before I met her ) suffered the loss of her 10 day old Baby. She had a husband whom she was in the middle of divorcing. She told me she had a social worker and a language interpreter by her side who offered whatever comfort they could. The hospital staff and medics just wanted them out. I hope your family are doing well.
Savita Halappanavar …..
In all walks of life there good and bad. The problem now days is there to much box ticking and appearances the new nurses have no empathy or emotion or told not to then you have the others the only reason they choose health care was to get a visa so they have no interest at all added with overworked is what we see now.
@Be Lucky: As a patient in st James and st Vincent’s . Care was so bad,, couldn’t call it care , I felt like a criminal who didn’t deserve kindness .. nurses , it was rare to find one nice nurse .. if you cried or anyone saw you crying you got worse care .
I well.believe these horrible le stories I had the worst nightmare myself 23 years ago in the Rotunda hospital
@Karen Marten: I was so scared having my second child but it was the easiest birth out of 3 . 3hours from checking in to delivery was home 12 hours later .
3rd child in drogheda dirtiest hospital I’ve ever been in .
@Karen Marten: Same, but only 5 years ago.
I don’t think this is limited to birth, but is more widespread.
Maybe the problem is with how medical staff are selected.
There is a certain segment of the population that is psychopathic, or of similar psychological makeup.
People who lack empathy.
Yet the presence or absence of empathy is not a factor in who gets to become a medical professional.
Shouldn’t it be?
“… people giving birth …”?
@Athena: Yep!
We’re not discussing pigeons here.
@Jimmy Wallace: Yes, as it is part of the root cause of the problem.
@Athena: You mean the root cause of the problem is people in the medical profession who seem to lack empathy?
Is there anyone commenting here that shows that same lack of empathy, do you think?
@Jimmy Wallace: Of course it is a dreadful story but calling out the Journal when they publish woke nonsense is important too. People don’t have babies, women do. To ignore this nonsense is to allow it to become normalised.
Any wonder birth rates are falling with no proper health or housing
It was better in the times of “call the midwives ” my mother had some stories of the midwives calling when the younger kids came home from school they were told look what the mid wife brought a new brother /sister .
Even with paying private you aren’t guaranteed to have a private room. It’s bonkers. You spend 5 to 7000 and you aren’t even sure not to end up in an overcrowded public hospital room.
Doctors aren’t qualified, nurses have 0 empathy. If you can avoid giving birth here. Do.
@Alex: A lot of them were not qualified. My older brother was delivered by a trainee doctor in July 1973. Due to a lack of oxygen he suffered brain damage. He is 52 next month has the mental age of a 8 year old. God help him, he never stood a chance with the backwards system we had then.
@David Corrigan: that’s awful your poor mother and brother
@Karen Marten: It’s not simple Karen. My mother took great care of him until she passed away. Her attitude was that it was her problem. They were chased by the solicitors in the 70′s but they would have nothing to do with that. It’s not going to fix him is what they would say.
I reckon he would have been a solitcitor or something. A big strong man denied everything by a system not fit for the stone ages.
@David Corrigan: iys just awful the way women were and still are being treated so badly during childbirth . And then theres no support or services for children or parent .
@Karen Marten: We had A LOT of problems getting my brother care after my mother passed away. Escalated it to the highest ranks politically and in the HSE. Might as well be talking to a stone bloody wall. One HSE executive got angry at me because I emailed her. I told her to go and get a fecking real job and cut out her nonsense.
As far as I am concerned, the state put my brother into the condition he is in so they state will definitely provide a little support or whatever he needs.
Like you said, there’s no support for a lot of people. First world taxes for third world services.
I can’t actually fathom this is still ongoing. We had very good care.. apart from one nurse in her early 20s who decided that our 12 hour old little one should be woken up by rubbing an wet towel soaked in ice water on her back to shock her awake… If I had been less sleep deprived I’d probably have rammed the towel somewhere else.. but to see the horrors written above is painful to read.. it should be a wonderful memory not scarred by the traumas as described..
What a horrific read. Those poor women. I’ve only recently had experience of medical professionals not believing a patient crippled with neuralgia pain. Every single one of those women should be taking a Medical negligence claim against the HSE or a Human Rights action against the state for abuse.
I have to wonder how much of this horror is down to being understaffed and overloaded.
There should be enough staff of all levels in every hospital that they work the same kind of hours as everyone else.
There should also be enough facilities that nobody is on trolleys.
Exhausted overworked staff pretty much guarantees poor care and bad mistakes.
How do we get there from here?
We can’t start somewhere else.
@Steve O’Hara-Smith: I remember midwives chatting and laughing away at the workstation for most of the night 1 night after I’d had a section it wasn’t busy. I had to ring the bell for painkillers that were due as they weren’t giving them to me routinely and she was irritated when she came in, gave me the drugs and I asked when the next one was due. She told me the next one was due at 5 am and if I wanted it, to come out to the nurse’s station to get it I was still struggling with walking. They were definitely not rushed off their feet. This was holles street and it was rife with this culture so much treatment like this it was disgraceful. I was private too not that it should make a difference.
Stories like this make me even happier with my decision to not have children.
Absolutely despicable women are bring treated like this when they are at their most vulnerable point in their lives.
They deserve better!
Oh but we’re a ” rich advanced country ” so we should be happy
Private is the only way, no one wants to be around medical card riff raff
@John D Doe: typical snobbish remark. Who ever reared you must be so proud
@Joe Kelly: class is very important in life
@John D Doe: Even with private you are not guaranteed a private room. It’s one of their policy.
@John D Doe:
Yes, class is important, it’s a pity you have none.
@John D Doe: you could ne treated just as badly in Holles Street or any other private maternity hospital as you could be in a public one actually
@Regular John: as a members of the elite I find your comment amusing
@John D Doe: You claiming to be “elite” whilst unable to write a single sentence without multiple mistakes is amusing. You’re fooling nobody.
This sounds quite barbaric and I’m sure everyone can sympathise for all these women and their families however can I ask if an organisation like the Journal, which prides itself on factchecking, has checked the facts of all these experiences or to play Devils Advocate, if there may possibly be reasons for some of them.
I know when I was a small child and spent a considerable amount of time in hospital I found out it was a training hospital, I honestly thought every injection, every poke and prod was someone practicing on me. I hated them.
The facts are Ireland is one of the safest countries in which to give birth, clearly not one of the most pleasant, as your own statistics show a small, but significant, amount of women have a negative experience.
I suspect questioning this is any aspect will invite certain wrath but is it possible that in the hectic environment of a labour ward certain births become more difficult or confused than others and during these births ideal communication is not always possible. During these births the midwives and doctors present may be focused on delivering a healthy baby and ensuring the new mother is kept well too. This sounds quite barbaric and I’m sure everyone can sympathise for all these women and their families however can I ask if an organisation like the Journal, which prides itself on factchecking, has checked the facts of all these experiences or to play Devils Advocate, if there may possibly be reasons for some of them.
I know when I was a small child and spent a considerable amount of time in hospital I found out it was a training hospital, I honestly thought every injection, every poke and prod was someone practicing on me. I hated them.
The facts are Ireland is one of the safest countries in which to give birth, clearly not one of the most pleasant, as your own statistics show a small, but significant, amount of women have a negative experience.
I suspect questioning this is any aspect will invite certain wrath but is it possible that in the hectic environment of a labour ward certain births become more difficult or confused than others and during these births ideal communication is not always possible. During these births the midwives and doctors present may be focused on delivering a healthy baby and ensuring the new mother is kept well too.
@Boyne Shark: my story is one of them above and everything written was my own words. Yes midwives and doctors are there to ensure the safety and birth of a baby but mistakes happen and they did. But not being honest to a mother is not good enough. Yes giving birth is an unknown esp as a first timer but honesty is easier to deal with hiding information.
@Boyne Shark: I wouldn’t rule out a certain degree of exaggeration in some cases, in the hope of generous compensation. Let’s face it ,it happens.
@Caroline Walsh: I don’t doubt that you recounted your experience accurately and honestly and can only sympathise with you for what you went through. What I asked is if the Journal performed due diligence and checked if there may have been a genuine medical reason or mitigating circumstances that could explain your experience. If they haven’t carried out due diligence then, unfortunately, we will never know.
Terrible reading all this unnecessary suffering of women I could write a book on my very traumatic births which depend on sympathetic and caring doctors and nurse who listen to women .The culture in some hospitals mitigate against this happening and no-one is ever brought to account for mistreating patients .And nothing excuses these inhumane careless so called professionals
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