116: “ I had my first baby in a London hospital...”

I had my first baby in a London hospital and felt very well cared for. I had to stay in hospital for a few days after the birth. There was a Black mother on my ward at the same time with her second baby, whose first baby had been premature so she had never been able to breastfeed him directly. On about day 2 or 3 we were both struggling with breastfeeding and needed support. I felt the staff were much more patient with me than with the Black mother, even though she explained she hadn’t done it before either. I felt this impatience even came from the Black midwives. They told her to stop complaining and get on with it.