Hayley Adams-Mcgovern, (pictured above with husband Matthew and baby Noah), who gave birth to second son Noah at Queen’s Hospital in April, has praised the medical team who kept her safe and well-cared for following a haemorrhage.

Hayley, 33, is especially grateful to our staff for remaining calm and reassuring throughout, particularly as she has a borderline personality disorder, and is affected by anxiety and depression. Her anxiety was also heightened by her experience having her first son, Zachary, five, via emergency c-section.

She said: “I first started to pass blood clots when they moved me to bring me back to the High Dependency Unity following my planned c-section. The staff were so calm and reassuring, acting completely normally.

“I didn’t realise the seriousness of the situation until I asked my husband about it at home and he said one of the clots was bigger than the baby’s head. I was so grateful to the staff for how they cared for me, if I had known how serious it was I would have got stressed and anxious. I’m also thankful they were so on it, checking me regularly, as it could have been a dire situation if I wasn’t monitored so closely.”

Hayley and husband Matthew, 46, are both healthcare assistants. Matthew, whose role in healthcare meant he knew the seriousness of the situation, works at Southend Hospital while Hayley joined our Trust in August 2019.

The couple, who live in Hornchurch, were also hugely grateful to our team for being so supportive during periods when Hayley was alone.

She added: “It’s just the two of us so after dropping me off, Matthew had to go and do the school run. During that time, all the medical team involved in my surgery took the time to introduce themselves to me – they were so lovely I felt really calm and relaxed.

“My anaesthetist had a very reassuring manner, and when my anxiety did ramp up, he kept checking on me every few minutes to ensure I was okay. I really needed that and it made me feel I was in safe hands. When Matthew had to leave to pick our son up later in the day, they kept checking on me and the baby, and were a constant source of support.”

Hayley and Matthew were particularly grateful to a student midwife who stayed with Hayley, reassuring her and keeping her calm. When she heard Matthew would not be able to make the visiting hours the next day due to the couple having no one to care for Zachary, she spoke to the Post-natal ward to ensure Hayley was placed in a different bay with visiting hours Matthew would be able to make.

And Hayley has expressed her thanks to a midwife who, when Matthew wasn’t there at the start of the birth as he was taking Zachary to school, offered to take pictures on Hayley’s phone, to ensure he wouldn’t miss out.

“They went above and beyond,” Hayley added: “and when staff go out of their way for you, you want to do everything you can to ensure they know how grateful you are.”

Our Maternity unit is one of the busiest in London, delivering over 8,000 babies a year.