A devastated grandmother has missed the birth of her grandson after being barred by security at Toowoomba Base Hospital, leaving her daughter distressed during labour.
Laura Davies was repeatedly calling for her mother while giving birth, but hospital security barred the grandmother from being present during the delivery.
“It was awful. I yelled out for her. I called for her. And do you know how heartbreaking it is? For a mother to be out there and hear her daughter crying for her but not be able to respond,” Davies said.
The grandmother said she has been advocating for her daughter to stay in the shower when she was asked to leave the birthing suite. She was later allowed to return, but by that time her grandson had already been born.
Darling Downs health Service has apologised for the incident.
“We do apologise for an experience that was not what the family had expected,” chief executive Annette Scott said.
The case comes as another mother Faith Sihvola shared her own traumatic experience at the same hospital.
Faith Sihvola said she was sent home while in labour, before later giving birth with the assistance of paramedics after being told “it was going to be hours and hours and hours before he was born”.
“When he came out … he had the cord around his neck. He was grey, he wasn’t crying or anything, and I was haemorrhaging,” Sihvola said.
Darling Downs Health is reviewing the findings of an investigation into workplace culture at the hospital.
“We stand ready to engage. We only want to do things better,” Scott said.
Davies said she spoke out to prevent other families from experiencing similar trauma.
“I don’t want this to happen ever again. That’s all I’ve wanted from the start,” she said.
Images: 7NEWS
