Re: Abuse of power!! Re: [ozmidwifery] URGENT INFO NEEDED

[Judy Chapman]

This is one of the saddest stories that I have heard in ages and how those on that fateful night can call themselves midwives has got me beat. I am not a huge believer in the legal system but I think, down the track, your sis has a case to call the hospital to task and expect explanations to her satisfaction or to take the matter further for psychological damage.

Cheers

Judy

Abby and Toby <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> The phototherapy equipment is often on wheels - the baby can be given
> phototherapy but be in the same room as mum. In fact, in most places the
> equipment is available for hire and mum can give at home.
> Good luck.
> Nikki Macfarlane
> Director, Childbirth International
> www.childbirthinternational.com


I wish we had known all that Nikki.................

I know this sounds unbelieveable but it is all true. I don't know exact
times.

After a very tiring day, my sis finally decided to leave Jamies side at
about 9:30pm when BIL took Aiden(other son) home. Sis was giving Jamie a
feed before she went to bed. During the feed along came a nurse who told her
to stop because a "doctor" wanted to speak with her. She said she wouldn't
stop feeding him but would talk to the doctor when she had finished.
She went out of the nursery and to the room where her bed was set up. She
wasn't admitted as a patient, but they provided her with a bed. Outside her
room were two men and a wheel chair and inside were the doctor, a midwife
and the head of the nursing unit.

The doc started asking questions about psychosis, without even telling her
who he was, and when she asked he said he was a psychiatrist. She grabbed
the phone and rang my mum while he was telling her not to call anyone. By
this stage it was past 10pm. He got on the phone to my mum saying that he
was going to admit Sis to the psych ward as an involuntary and unwilling
patient. My mum told him if he did he would end up there! LOL! My mum is
good value! They told Sis that if she put up a fight they would sedate her.
It seemed like they had waited till everyone had left before they approached
Sis.

My mum arrived in 5 mins and then BIL arrived in 20mins. BIL tried to get
some info! from the doc as this had all happened completely out of the blue.
No warning, no sign of concern from the midwives and nurses in contact with
Sis except some of them didn't like her asking questions. Sis, BIL and mum
were given no answers. We are all so aware of the signs and symptoms of PNP
and PND and sis was definitley not showing any, just tired and stressed
because of her very long day.

They kept asking her questions, the doc and head nurse, till 1:30am and
proceeded to tell her that she seemed "flighty"!!!! I would too at 1:30am,
with a son in hospital being told I couldn't feed him on demand because he
might die of brain damage!

Anyway....to cut a very long story short, a midwife stayed outside Sis room,
BIL slept on the floor, my mum stayed till 2:30am and Sis tried to sleep.

I got a call at 7:00am, completely oblivious to the goings on of last night
and raced down there.

A different psychiatrist came along and met wi! th Sis, BIL, my dad and I. He
said he didn't understand what or why all this had happened. He asked Sis
some questions and spoke to all of us and said he was sooo sorry, he thought
it was some kind of beaurocratic thing!!! Like they couldn't figure out how
to book her into maternity??!!

So today we spent the day in hospital and I watched my sister go from,
yesterday, stressed and tired but doing a wonderful job mothering, to today,
an emotional, sleep deprived wreck, who was now questioning herself as a
mum! I don't know how this could've happened, it seems so sureal!

The head nurse that was on this afternoon was so apologetic and couldn't
believe what had happened either. She said that there had been things
written in Sis files that were not true, like the Mental Health Emergency
Team had come to speak to Sis and that they had called the psychiatrist,
they never came. All the nurses today and midwives were saying to Sis that
they c! ouldn't understand any of it either.

This evening I rang an independent midwife and she came to visit Sis and
just tried to talk with her and stuff, she was really lovely.

The worst part of this, is not how or why this happened, but what effect it
has had on Sis. I am really feeling for her, it has started the ball rolling
in her head and she doesn't see how she can stop her negative feelings and
thoughts about herself.

I don't understand how any of this could happen.

Love Abby




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