Childbirth almost ruined me ... doctor must be held to account
Mum speaks out on trauma and launches petition
A Paisley mum who suffered horrific physical and mental trauma after the birth of her son 12 years ago is speaking out to reassure other mums they’re not alone.
Ca r o l Sunnucks was permanently affected by the birth of Kai at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley back in 2008 and had to give up her job as a children’s support worker with Women’s Aid.
Supported by husband Stephen, she has set up an online petition calling for doctors to be held accountable for birth injuries sustained due to negligence.
And she’s hoping that any Paisley Daily Express readers who identify with her story will get in touch and take comfort from not being alone.
Carol, 51, said: “My pregnancy was a difficult one, with different conditions including heart failure, that failed to be diagnosed until after my son was born.
“I was short of breath and my feet and ankles were swollen.
“I was consultant-led because I’d had an ectopic pregnancy before I was pregnant with Kai and I’m also rhesus negative – a rare blood type – so I was up at the RAH every week.
“No one diagnosed the heart failure until after I had Kai.
“I had to spend ten days in coronary care while Kai was in special care. It was an awful time and nothing like I’d imagined.”
Carol’s labour with Kai failed to progress, which meant doctors had to intervene to help.
She said doctors decided on a ventouse suction delivery, but didn’t explain that this could result in a tear for the first-time mum.
She said they also didn’t give her any other options, like a caesarian.
The day after Kai was born, Carol developed severe bruising to her right buttock.
She was given morphine for the excruciating pain, but on the fifth day, she suffered a haemorrhage, lost four pints of blood and had to have emergency surgery to save her life.
It was discovered at that point she had a six centimetre tear to the back of her vaginal wall that had been bleeding into her buttock.
Carol said this had been missed post- birth because the doctor didn’t carry out a proper examination.
When Carol got home after having Kai, she found it difficult to control her bowel movements.
After five months of attending the hospital she was finally diagnosed with a tear that had torn her sphincter muscle.
Again, something which she said was missed because she wasn’t examined after the birth as she should have been.
She had surgery 13 months after giving birth, but it wasn’t successful and she is still bowel incontinent.
Carol developed post natal depression and post traumatic stress disorder after Kai’s birth and hasn’t been able to return to work due to her injuries.
She said: “I want to make women aware they have the right to ask and they have a right to be informed.
“It should be planned and decided before they deliver your baby.
“You’re seen as just the vessel for the baby, which ,of course, is precious, but your life matters too.
“Women should be in control of what’s happening to their bodies.”
“No one has ever said sorry,” she said. “The doctor who delivered my baby – why is his career more important than mine? I had to give mine up.
“I want the doctor who failed to follow guidelines and protocols to be held accountable for how he has changed my life.
“There are so many women suffering because of these injuries being missed.
“The heart thing is a big issue, but just a small amount of women suffer from this each year.
“There will be a huge amount of women suffering life-changing tears who are too embarrassed to speak up about it.”
She added: “Knowledge is power and if I can give pregnant women a voice, which is what should happen during their care, then this petition will be worth it.”
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We are sorry to hear of this patient’s concerns, however, we are unable to go into details regarding individual cases.
“We can confirm all decisions made in relation to Women and Children’s services at NHSGGC, are subject to a rigorous and nationally led risk management procedure.
“This ensures the most appropriate clinical decisions are made in relation to the best interests of the patient.
“As part of this system, clinical guidelines are regularly reviewed and audited, with key learning also applied wherever necessary.
“Furthermore, we work closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to respond to any recommendations made by the Maternity and Children Qu a l i t y Improvement Collaborative.
“If patients do have any concerns in relation to any aspect of their care, we have a number of channels for them to raise their concerns, including our patient feedback forms which all patients are encouraged to fill out before discharge.
“We also have a more substantive and robust formal complaints process which allows us to swiftly consider and take appropriate action on any issues which may arise with a patient’s care.
“These processes combined ensure we’re able to provide the safest, most informed and effective care for all our patients across NHSGGC.”
To view and sign Carol’s petition, go to http:// chng. it/6zXT9Vxr
If you’ve been affected by similar issues and would like to get in touch with Carol, you can email her at carolsunnucks@ hotmail. co.uk
I want to make women aware they have a right to ask and they have a right to be informed