AIMS Ireland writes:
If you could change one thing about Irish maternity services, what would it be? Interested to hear from women/pregnant people and HCPs [health care providers]!
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Everything. As It Happens.
The cross-country statistics are not perfect, but it is clear that breastfeeding rates in Ireland are among the lowest in the developed world.
Several women I have spoken to say that support to new mothers for breastfeeding in Irish maternity hospitals is of poor quality. You will find a lot of this in online accounts as well.
I do not know if this is a resource issue or a cultural issue, or indeed both, but it is something worth improving.
it would be nice not to have the threat of legal action dangled in front of you because you want to do things differently than the consultant. Also not being unnecessarily forced to give birth to a schedule. No inducing, cutting etc unless it’s necessary to save health/life as opposed to just save time.
Id firstly fix all the cracks in the systems : ) I apologise in advance.
Yeah breastfeeding support needs to be improved I think it’s part policy part resources. I think it’s important not to push women one way or another but if they choose to breastfeed there must be consistent support, not dependent on getting a ‘good’ midwife or not.
Also that women feel like they are being listened to and their choices respected. The staff all work very hard but you can really feel the cogs moving and it’s often not appreciated if you stray from the system even when it is medically safe, just not logistically ideal, to do so.
It would be good if professionals listened to the women who are their patients. If they had done so, Savita Halappanavar and Siobhan Whelan’s baby Conor would not have died, for instance.
More pay for nurses….blah blah…gards…teachers….etc..frontline staff all heros etc. Garda average pay works out at 65k plus but all we ever hear from the PS lobby group is how they’re in the breadline.
Repealing the 8th amendment would have a huge positive impact on Maternity care.