'life and death situation': Expectant mother describes Causeway Hospital birth service anxiety

A pregnant woman has spoken out about the additional 'anxiety' the closing of Causeway Coast birth services and the lack of transparency from decision makers is adding to her pregnancy.

Cathy Bradley, 34, from Swatragh is due to have her third child on May 17 but says she has not been told when the service will be cut.

“I know nothing. I don't even know which hospital I'll be going to. I haven't been told that I'm going to Antrim or I'm going to Derry or Coleraine, I haven't been told where exactly I will be giving birth,” she said.

“I've been told absolutely nothing and I've asked the Midwives and they seem not to know either. They seem to be in limbo as well. I even asked the consultant staff and he doesn't seem to know either.

“The first time I heard that the Causeway was shutting the service was when my husband came home and told me at the dinner table. A million things started going through my head like ‘what if I don't get there in time?’”

Despite frequently attending the hospital for appointments during the Northern Health and Social Care Trust's so-called '14 week public consultation' period, she was not told it was happening. She says the consultation was advertised on Facebook, which she does not have.

“Nobody said it to me and I was never out of the hospital. Why was our input, our thoughts and values not taken into consideration as expectant mothers?”

Cathy has given birth to her other two children in Causeway Hospital and says the care has always been exemplary as well as convenient.

For Cathy, potentially needing to travel to Altnagelvin or Antrim is adding additional stress to her pregnancy.

“It just gives me such anxiety – having to go somewhere that's so unfamiliar. It scares me. I'm so used to going to the Causeway. All my appointments are there. I know my surroundings. The staff are friendly.

“When I heard it was closing I actually thought to myself I'd prefer a home birth because I thought there’s no way - my anxiety is bad enough without having to go somewhere that's unfamiliar. I don't even know where the maternity ward is in Antrim.”

Cathy had never even considered a home birth before for any pregnancy as she was so familiar with Causeway Hospital and knew she could always get there in 20 minutes.

Cathy's last two children were born in around three hours and she didn't even know she was in labour at the start.

She has concerns about the journey from Swatragh to Antrim Hospital, which she says takes around 45 minutes, and what would happen if someone hit traffic while in labour.

“My births were quite quick so there's the fact of having to travel to Derry or Antrim and maybe give birth along the way or something. That terrifies me.

“For my first kid I didn’t know and I just thought I was hungry. I rang them and they said 'no, come on down'. When I got there I was nine centimetres and she was born within the hour.

“For me, or somebody else who has quick bursts, I don't know how they're supposed to get from Swatragh or Portrush to Antrim.”

“For somebody who can't drive but is close to the Causeway, the change in location could be a life and death situation here that we're dealing with.”

Cathy fears this may be another step in a trend of closures at the hospital culminating in the closing of the hospital entirety.

“They took away our children's department, now they're taking away our maternity services. What's next ICU, A and E?

“It will be missed if it goes and I think people need to rally behind this campaign because the cuts are just ridiculous.”