Mackay Base Hospital review: Mum recounts birth experience

‘I’ve had no explanation as to why I get this recurring pain, and I have a filthy big big scar where I got the staples, so it’s not a pretty caesarean.’

Amy Puddy, 32, with baby Nate Andersen who was born at Mackay Base Hospital on March 23, 2021. Ms Puddy says her artery was cut during a caesarean. Picture: Contributed

The overwhelming feeling of a mother’s love should have followed a four-day labour and caesarean.

But the first time Amy Puddy held her newborn son and first child Nate Andersen, she says she felt numb.

Seven months on from the traumatic experience of Nate’s caesarean birth at Mackay Base Hospital, Ms Puddy says she is just now coming around to the idea of having more children. But she said they were unlikely to be natural births after an artery in her uterus was cut.

“I remember holding Nate and feeling nothing,” Ms Puddy said.

“I thought holy s--t, do I have post-natal depression? I don’t. But that is not how that moment should have been.”

Nate was born at 11.53pm on March 22 this year, weighing 4.3kg, after a long, four-day labour that ultimately resulted in a caesarean after meconium – a baby’s first poo – was detected in her womb.

Ms Puddy, 32, said the days leading up to the birth were spent in increasing pain as she lost fluids – something she was told was normal.

Amy Puddy, 32, with baby Nate Andersen who was born at Mackay Base Hospital on March 23, 2021. Ms Puddy says her artery was cut during a caesarean. Picture: Contributed

By the fourth day, Ms Puddy and her partner Trent Andersen were back at Mackay Base Hospital where a midwife told her that while she and baby Nate were OK, the meconium carried a high risk of infection.

“From the moment I entered the birthing room, I cannot fault the midwives – they were unreal.”

Hours later and with progressively worse pain, Ms Puddy got an epidural as she was prepared for theatre. Her partner later told her the first incision was done by one doctor, but the second – to make the wound wider – was done by another.

She said her partner witnessed the procedure, standing in the room near her feet. Ms Puddy said she was alert enough that she felt the caesarean – a pressure on her left side and her “body being shaken around a bit”.

“I could feel whatever they were doing on my left side,” she said.

“I was throwing up again. It felt like my guts were across the room, that everything was going everywhere.

“They got Nate out – Trent turned around and there was blood all over the floor – they were holding something of mine and frantically stitching.

“Trent said it was at that point that everyone seemed a little frantic. The drugs hadn’t worked but they had no idea of anything that had gone wrong.”

Amy Puddy, 32, with baby Nate Andersen who was born at Mackay Base Hospital on March 23, 2021. Ms Puddy says her artery was cut during a caesarean. Picture: Contributed

Nate was born at 11.53pm and Ms Puddy was back in her room by about 2.30am the next day, and debriefed on her surgery about 6am.

“(A doctor) had come in and explained to me that the artery had been cut on the left-hand side where I could feel them stitching me up,” she said.

“It wasn’t an emergency caesarean in the way that I was going to die, but it was needed, I guess, because of the meconium – if not for that, they would have let me labour longer again. There were no issues with Nate, he was healthy, fine, and if I take one thing away from this, it was that he was perfectly fine and we didn’t then have to deal with a sick baby.

“I now feel robbed that I will never be able to have a natural birth and I’ll have to prepare myself to go through that again.”

Ms Puddy said she was grateful to Mackay Base Hospital’s midwives for their support.

Seven months on, Ms Puddy said she still had pain and had developed a fluid sack around the incision which, because of Nate’s size, was made bigger during the procedure. I have a severe abdominal separation on my stomach that I had to go to my GP for.

Baby Nate Andersen who was born at Mackay Base Hospital on March 23, 2021. Ms Puddy says her artery was cut during a caesarean. Picture: Contributed

“I can’t sit up properly, I have to throw my legs around as if learning to sit up.

“The pain comes and goes, but the pain is there. I’ve had no explanation as to why I get this recurring pain, and I have a filthy big big scar where I got the staples, so it’s not a pretty caesarean.”

Ms Puddy has contacted the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department hotline, and spoke with a woman who explained counselling would be offered.

MHHS said it was unable to comment on individual patient experiences but encouraged anyone with concerns about their obstetrics or gynaecology surgical care to phone the hotline on 4885 6244 Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.

‘They took decisions away from me’: Hospital under microscope

Hayley Mietzel says she spent the first five weeks of her motherhood in escalating pain after what she believes was an unnecessary emergency caesarean at Mackay Base Hospital.

Ms Mietzel said she was 9cm dilated and preparing to push when a doctor told her she was tired and would undergo an emergency caesarean.

A panicked call to her sister and about a half-hour later, she was wheeled into theatre and soon after, her son Harrison was born on May 23 this year.

But it was after that the 21 year old learned she had developed a haematoma under the caesarean incision which filled with blood over five weeks.

She said major blood vessels were cut during the procedure and she developed a haematoma, a collection of blood between the bladder and the lower uterine segment, that went undetected.

Ms Mietzel said the pain became unbearable, she was bedridden and unable to breastfeed.

A couple of weeks later, she says the haematoma was detected, giving her an answer for the pain but what has lingered is the psychological trauma of her experience at Mackay Base Hospital.

It was only through her trusted GP Mrs Mietzel learned there was nothing in her medical records from the hospital that suggested the need for an emergency caesarean.

Hayley Mietzel and son Harrison. Photo: Contributed

Tests for pre-eclampsia were negative, she said, and aside from the 38-hour labour, she remembers feeling strong enough to push and give birth naturally.

“They took decisions away from me,” Ms Mietzel said.

“They told me I was really tired and ‘we’ll take you into theatre’.

“A few months passed and I went and saw my GP and, looking through the notes, she said she couldn’t see anything needing an emergency caesarean.

“Half the notes in there didn’t seem to be anything about me.”

Ms Mietzel is among a chorus of women speaking out about concerns about post-caesarean procedures at Mackay Base Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department.

She said seeing so many comments and women come forward was heartening for her, as she no longer felt alone in her experience.

“But it doesn’t change what happened to us, happened to me,” she said.

Ms Mietzel said she had filed a complaint with the hospital but it was unresolved, and she had again contacted the hotline set up in the wake of an external review into the obstetrics and gynaecology department.

Hayley Mietzel with son Harrison and partner Jaiden Edward. Picture: Contributed

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones on Thursday said 19 people had contacted the hotline.

“Some of these relate to obstetrics and gynaecology surgery and others are more general inquiries about future care,” she said.

“The health service continues to work with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to provide appropriate support and mentoring for doctors undergoing specialist training.

“I can confirm a senior medical officer from the Mackay HHS Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department has been suspended.

“The health service has secured a senior obstetrician to work at Mackay Base Hospital to ensure the continuation of obstetrics and gynaecology surgery.

“We will also partner with the Mackay Mater Hospital as needed.”

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones.

Ms Mietzel has welcomed the review into the department as she continues her recovery, both physical and psychological.

She said she was diagnosed with post-natal depression, for which was still undergoing therapy, and developed post-traumatic stress.

The doting mother, who wants more children, said she was told a natural birth would be difficult because of the caesarean.

“They ruined that through their stupid choice,” she said.

The MHHS was contacted for comment but said it was unable to comment on specific patient cases.

“We encourage anyone with concerns about their obstetrics and gynaecology surgical care to call our dedicated feedback line on 4885 6244,” a spokeswoman said.

Originally published as Mackay Base Hospital review: Mum recounts birth experience