Hi Claudia, many thanks for speaking with me. Firstly, can you tell me who you are and what you do?

 

Claudia Pastides, GP – I finished my GP training in London in December 2016. 

 

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First up – many women described feeling unprepared before birth, that the process of birth was very unexpected. What would you like women to know before birth?

 

That it is good to be positive, and believe in yourself and your body. If things then take an unexpected turn I would want women and their partners to feel confident that they are being cared for. I wish women knew that birth is unpredictable, and that those around them are there because they want to look after them and do their best. 

 

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Women particularly talked about feeling unprepared for emergency situations. In your opinion, could women be better prepared for the possibility of an emergency? 

 

I’ve thought about this many times. Both as a GP, a woman who has had 3 kids AND who has worked as an obstetric and gynaecology junior doctor (I worked for 6 months in the second busiest department in the UK so was present at a lot of births, both complicated and uncomplicated). I think you can never ever prepare anyone for every eventuality as birth is so immensely unpredictable. Even the same woman can have such different births every time.

 

I remember during an antenatal class one of the mums asking to see forceps. Everyone else said no. Many women don’t want to be prepared for every eventuality!

 

Also as a doctor and a mum- I must say I’d have preferred to know LESS than I knew. I’d rather not have been sitting in labour at 36 hours, knowing what 4cm dilated meant, that it wasn’t going well, that the epidural wasn’t quite in right, that the top up might ascend and affect my breathing, that the decelerations on the CTG would soon begin and I’d likely need a crash Caesarean! And so on!

 

I wish, though, that women had a regular midwife and medical obstetric team. To build rapport. To feel safe to ask questions. And most importantly to feel secure in the care they are receiving, so that they don’t feel the need to worry about every negative outcome because hopefully they trust the team around them to work in their best interests should any emergencies arise (AND IMPORTANTLY be able to debrief after too.)

 

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Do you get any specific training on PTSD or trauma after birth?

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Zero

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And would you usually ask a woman about her experience of birth if you saw her post natally?

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I will often look at the birth details provided on the discharge summary and then say something like “The midwife sent us some details about your birth but tell me, how did you find it?” Again though mostly since I’ve had kids myself! l truly appreciate how hard/emotional/physically scarring it can all be.

 

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Thanks – finally, how do you think we can make birth better?

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Continuity of care. More staff…more happy, non-stressed, non-overworked staff!

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Thank you for speaking to me, Claudia

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