"Incorrect stitches leading to several weeks of agony"

I gave birth in Wishaw General in June 2024. I had to be induced and I had a fantastic team of midwives, unfortunately I had to have an emergency section after failed forceps and subsequently had three second degree tears. I was stitched up and my stitches were never mentioned to myself or my birthing partners at all whilst we were in the hospital. I was visited at home and they just asked for verbal confirmation that I seemed okay, which at the time I said yes, slightly uncomfortable but seemed normal and it was stated that they would dissolve soon. 

Weeks and weeks after my c section I could still feel the stitches, I was struggling to sit down and do normal tasks and it began to really get me down and have a real negative impact on my journey of being a mum. I visited my GP surgery who advised that the stitches should have dissolved by now but to give it more time.

As the weeks went on I was reaching 9 weeks postpartum with the stitches still present as they were on day 1, my GP investigated and suggested that these were in fact not dissolving stitches and that they were stitches which had to be removed. I was in complete agony by this point and believed the stitches were infected, I had to phone 101 as I was now discharged from the midwifery services as I was that far postpartum. Thankfully someone called me back that evening and triage at Wishaw said they would see me.

I was introduced to a gynaecologist who examined the stitches and confirmed that these were indeed not the stitches that should have been used and that they needed to be removed. I had to have gas and air and was in absolute agony to have these removed, 9-10 weeks postpartum. I was having to relive the birth trauma that I had been working very hard to overcome and heal from.

I was assured at this point that an investigation would be open into what went wrong and why I was left like that for so long. I went into triage a few weeks later to see the Dr who examined me and confirmed I had healed and it was mentioned by a member of staff that the staff member who stitched me initially was no longer working at the hospital and there was not much record of my birth care or post birth care. I was again assured that an investigation was being carried out and I would hear from them soon. It’s now been nearly 6 months since I have given birth and I have not heard a thing from anyone at the hospital.

It’s been a completely traumatic experience and I can say for certain that it has definitely impacted my decision to have children in the future. I found it to be clear negligence which could have led to so many more serious consequences for my physical health.