Mother Left Traumatized After Midwife Slapped Her During Labor

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Mother Left Traumatized After Midwife Slapped Her During Labor

Giving birth can be a scary process, even if you've done it before. Tracey was giving birth to her third child when the midwife acted in a way that left her so traumatized that she left the hospital within six hours of giving birth.

The midwives are supposed to help you through the child birth, keeping you calm and comfortable. But when one of them went against that in a way no one expected, this mother was horrified.

She first noticed the unpleasant behavior when she was sitting in the shower using a gas machine to help alleviate the pain. It was the only source of pain relief she had as she didn't have an epidural. Tracey said that when the midwife came to get her and took the gas off of her was when she started feeling the friction.

Tracey was laying in bed, still going through contractions "I would sort of moan through contractions, by this stage I wasn't using the gas anymore, I was trying my own pain relief."

She felt something unusual and felt like it was time to push but the midwife ignored her. "When it came time to push I was on the bed. I told them I needed to push but she looked down and told me that I didn't need to push and not to push, but I needed to, so I tried, it was horrible, so, so painful, not like my others."

She knew something wasn't right, "I told her something was wrong and please check my cervix but she told me nothing was wrong and that I just didn't need to push like I said I did. I begged her through pushes, to please check my cervix something was wrong - she still didn't."

Another midwife came in the room and Tracey pleased that she check her cervix. When they did, it became clear that she was right, her cervix had lapped over the baby's head and he couldn't get out.

"He was coming but he couldn't go any further, so she moved the lap and I began pushing again, grunting through the pain - keeping in mind I've had no pain relief except for the gas hours beforehand," Tracey recalled.

It's not unheard of that people make some noises while they give birth, if anything it is absolutely expected. But apparently the first midwife didn't appreciate it. She came at Tracey aggressively and according to Tracey "She put her face against my face, and said "˜you're being too noisy be quiet before you scare others' and slapped me across the leg. It left a mark with a clear hand print - it wasn't an "˜encouragement' slap - it really hurt."

Tracey says that she had to grab her partner to keep him back, and the only thing she said after the slap was "I bloody wouldn't" and went back to pushing, making all the noise she felt necessary.

After the baby was born, she was uncomfortable remaining in the hospital so she left only six hours after giving birth.

While the midwife who had listened to Tracey didn't say anything in the moment, she did report her colleague after the delivery and urged Tracey to do the same. She also was empathetic and kind towards Tracey during follow-up appointments.

When Tracey called in to ask for an apology, the woman refused. Tracey found out she had only been issued a warning and no other action against her was taken.

Tracey is now pregnant with her fourth child but will not be returning to the same hospital.

Do you think the midwife should have been fired for what she did?