Nenagh Hospital 

We attended Nenagh General for a babies hip check. After the check which went great we were feeding our daughter when a volunteer Polly came to speak with us. She seems to be such a fantastic person and an asset to the hospital. She stopped to chat with us, sang the praises of the hospital and staff and chatted to every patient, visitor and child. Opening doors, explained layout, directions, anything really to be kind, friendly and helpful.

William

Clinical Age Assesment Unit UHL 

My daughter attended the unit for a tilt table test. She suffers severe anxiety. The staff were very understanding, caring and helpful which made the experience for her less stressful than she expected.

Angela

University Maternity Hospital Limerick 

I wanted to share my recent experience of giving birth in UMHL. In the lead up to the birth I was under the care of the community midwives and saw Sarah for my appointments in Barrackview, Limerick. Each appointment was such a pleasure and I always walked out feeling heard and respected. I gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby.  The care I received while in UMHL exceeded my expectations. Each midwife we met along the way treated us with such respect and listened to our questions, concerns and preferences with patience and kindness.

The midwives were so welcoming to us having a doula and it made all the difference. At each step of the process the midwives provided us with such amazing care and demonstrated such lovely collaboration with the doula that it really felt like we were all working together as a team to bring our baby to us safely. Each midwife we met was amazing. I know there is a shortage of midwives and that staffing is an ongoing issue however there was never a moment where we felt that trickle down to us. Each midwife took the time to explain situations and procedures to us, listen to our questions and concerns, discuss risks and benefits and the choices that we had. We felt incredibly listened to and respected at each point in the process.

There were 3 people in particular that we had the privilege of working with - Helena and a student midwife Kimberly, when we were in the Danu Suite and Catherine when we transferred next door to another delivery room. Helena and Kimberly began our experience with such a warm, gentle and caring approach. I feel so lucky to have spent time labouring in the Danu Suite. They welcomed Shelly, the doula and it really felt that the 5 of us were working together to create a lovely atmosphere to birth in and to welcome our baby into. Helena explained each step so well and made me feel so heard and respected. Kimberly echoed her gentle and caring approach and kept me at ease. When it came time to transfer out of the Danu Suite due to my baby having a high heart rate, Kimberly and Helena so kindly brought the atmosphere into the next room. It made the transition so smooth and again kept me calm. This was where we met Catherine. She began our time in that room with breathing exercises that helped keep me present and keep the baby and myself calm. From then until the birth of my baby I could hear Catherine advocating for me and really taking on board what I had included in my birth preferences. As someone who experiences anxiety, can become overloaded easily and has a history of shutting down when asked to make quick decisions, I feel the collaboration between me, my partner, my doula and the midwives supported me in such an amazing way that I was able to stay present and have a wonderful experience.

I feel like I’ve come away learning about wonderful examples of what informed consent should look like and the impact that staff being calm has on the patient and their overall experience. I must also mention the midwives on the postnatal ward. Unfortunately I don’t remember each of their names.  Again, each of them showed such patience, care and kindness in their approach. While logically I know they must have been incredibly busy, I never felt rushed when asking questions and no request was too much and was always met with a smile. As a first time parent I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m glad to say while my birthing experience took a different route to what I had initially thought of, the approach to each part of my experience kept my preferences at the fore front so I still came away feeling I had an incredible birthing experience. I want to thank the midwives for all that they do, particularly in the face of challenging times with staffing levels. I can only hope that the profession grows and women continue to be cared for by such lovely people.

Grainne

UHL A&E, SAU & 1C

My son was told to go to a&e with suspected apendicitis. From the check in in a&e to his discharge 2 days later post surgery everything was so professional and seamless. The check in staff in a&e gave us a rough time of waiting and were very helpful. Bobby and his staff in SAU were so kind and took such good care of charles while he awaited surgery. The staff on 1c were excellent aswell. Just wanted to say thanks so much for minding my son and for doing such a good job.

Charles