‘Horrendous birth experience left me needing therapy’

Amy, 31, from Suffolk, who gave birth to her son in July 2021, said the worst part was “not being listened to”.

Amy says she has been left with diagnosed postnatal depression, anxiety and PTSD, and is currently taking antidepressants, having “never ever struggled with mental health before”.

She describes herself as “physically disfigured” after her C-section: “The scar is like a flap – it’s completely numb, it’s not a nice neat line.”

At her six-week check-up, she was told she would need plastic surgery, but that had to be done privately.

In September, Amy started a midwifery course at the University of East Anglia: “I wanted to be a midwife since I was 19 but my experiences in childbirth and miscarriage have propelled me into wanting to do it even more.

“I want to make a change, I want to be able to provide the care and attention that I didn’t get, I suppose…”

“It’s really sad to see that actually the midwives are burnt-out – they are working way past their hours.”