I thank God for the safe delivery of my first born. The whole experience was such a rollercoaster ride for me, believe me I enjoyed my pregnancy more than giving birth. I had initially planned to give birth at a private hospital , where I trusted the doctor and I knew I was in good hands. Unfortunately for me I went into labour in the middle of the night, the driver was nowhere to be found and I had to drive myself and my mum to the closest hospital to my house. This happened to be maitama district hospital. On getting there, the nurses at the labour ward refused to check how dilated I was , claiming that the ward was full until my mother greased thier palms... and that was the beginning of a palm greasing spree because none of them seemed like they were ready to do their jobs. Did I mention there was a second ward there? It was filled with some new equipment and appeared to be a new room altogether. They refused to let me in and check me there because "they hadn't started using it and their boss was going to be upset. Smh. Anyway, she collected the money from my mum, took me in and checked me, I was 8cm dilated already. Few minutes later I was taken into the other labour ward and I went fully into labour. They kept telling me to push, etc. at some point, I felt a sharp cut with a razor and I finally pushed my baby out. After a while, another doctor was meant to come and stitch me up where her colleague and performed an episiotomy on me, she came, started her work and complained from start to finish about how it wasn't done properly, how I was cut too deep and how the person that cut it had to come fix it herself cos she wasn't up to the task. At some point she almost left me halfway to go look for some other doctor to come stitch me up. This was where I knew there was a big issue and my vjay had been damaged. I swallowed all this up in good faith, I even started begging her because I wasn't about to be rude or get angry and be left to bleed to death. Besides, I was under their care and judging by the stories I've heard and my past experience with general hospital staff, it's Better to be on their good side when u are under their care. Cos one mistake and u are left to die for no reason. So, I got sewed up and discharged the same day. I was only told to do a sitz bath to help my wounds heal. There was no other form of education on how to manage my health as a new mother.. this is something that needs to be addressed. Leaving the hospital as a new mum, u are only told how to take care of the baby and not yourself. Anyway, I got home .. all was well till 2 days later I started feeling a burning sensation when I pee. I didn't know if this was normal or odd considering I had no idea how I was supposed to feel. Anyway, I endured for a week then I went to the hospital because it was getting worse. I was asked to do a swab test and urine test. The urine test showed I have staphylococcus infection. I was very confused because I thought that was a sexually transmitted disease and I know my husband has a clean bill of health. Now I know it was caused because of how badly I was cut during my episiotomy. I was given medication, and now my baby is still recovering from a rash breakout due to an allergic reaction to the penicillin in the drug. It's been 5 weeks since I put to bed, I've been to the hospital over 10 times since then. The careless nature of the nurses and doctors that day have caused me so much pain and regret. I took a look at my vjay tonight and I don't recognize it. That doctor literally butchered me. They put in so much effort to turn a thing of joy to that of sorrow for me.m, but I won't allow that. Today, I'm still in pain.. the drug didn't work and I have to go back to the hospital. I put my story here for those who have an option. Please don't go to maitama district hospital to have your baby. I regret making that decision. I wish I had an option at the time, my story would've been different. The only good thing is that my baby made it out safe and sound and I thank God for that. Sorry for my long story, I just needed a place to vent.

So sorry about your experience @op, wish you quick recovery and congratulations on the birth of your baby.

May God help our country o. Doctors and nurses who are suppose to help save lives will now treat humans like animals. Its well.

So sad reading this

Fortunately, you can have a feel-good cosmetic surgery later to make the down below good and fine again, if you're up for that.

You are a superwoman, driving yourself during labour and enduring all that pain.

I know this thread is over 3 years now regardless, I would still share my story here hoping that one day, our medical system will be fixed.
It started at first during my ante-natal at Federal Staff Hospital in Abuja, I did all the necessary tests in a different clinic before going to Federal Staff and Hep C came out Negative. I didn't want to use the general hospitals because of stories such as yours.
When I did the same sets of test at the Hospital, Hep A and B showed negative while Hep. C and VDRL came positive.
I took the result from the Federal staff and that I did at the other clinic and showed them, the Doctors said all they can do is prescribe me some antibiotics for me. I refused and told them I didnt have it and so on my next visit, one of their Doctors then recommended I go to SynLab at Wuse 2 and re-run the same tests because that is the only lab they can trust.
My people, I went there and did the test though expensive but the result was all that mattered and behold it came out negative.
I went back to Federal staff at Jabi (FMC) and showed the doctor who kinda apologized and guessed it maybe a mix up in the Lab.
I was due for March 31st but on March 5th at 10pm, labour started, my husband, my mom, my aunty and brother went with me to the hospital and there the misery began.
The doctor who started attending to me checked and said i was 4cm then immediately called a female doctor to come and check because he may not be too sure. She came and confirmed it 4cm. PS: During Antenal (ANC) we were never educated as first time moms about the care of the baby (except for jaundice) and ourselves, they kept reminding us to pay the 50,000NGN delivery fee (that was their priority).
When they agreed I was 4cm, I was taken to the labour ward and left there without care meanwhile a lady beside me was already screaming that her baby's head was almost out and they all kept quiet and were sleeping outside like we are not humans, when babies were born, no tags on the babies - story for another day.
At 6.43am, i had my baby after I started calling everyone I could from the Labour ward (LW) on phone and my mom was already making some serious noise that was when a nurse came in and said I was not permitted to enter the LW with my phone and she also wants to insert her fingers and check the cm (that's after so many hands has checked, you how how u check/scatter your wardrobe when looking for something really tiny . Angrily, i told her i was going to give her a dirty slap if she touches my fone or inserts her fingers in me. Just then a nice nurse came and looked at me, asked a few questions and said it was time.
My bundle of joy came out, I was conscious and quickly monitored my baby even though they didnt give him to me.
After about 3mins, he stopped crying and the nurse said he had breathing problem and put up oxygen on him then sent for a paediatrician who came and said the oxygen can was empty however, he went through my file carelessly and said d baby has infection and then they carried my baby outside to my mom from there they went up stairs to the Special baby care unit.
While all this was going on, i was lying down helplessly then the nurse told a doctor that she gave me a tiny cut.
The doctor looked at it and started complaining and finally said my people have to pay 5K before he starts. My husband did and gave them the evidence of payment and then the whole thing went from Misery to near death.
The doctor started stitching me up without any pain killer that moment I cried out my being, I regretted ever being a Nigerian. After about 5minutes of stitching and complaining, a female Doctor saw the pain I was in and asked the male doctor (lets call him Ade) to let her do it if he was going to continue without pain killers and complains.
The Doctor truly left me. The female Doctor (lets say IJ) gave me 2 10ml of pain killers but the pain was killing then she gave me another 2 10mls. When she was almost finished with what Ade had started, she realized I was bleeding inside and so she had to start a different stitching inside and she explained to me that she has to do it to prevent internal bleeding.
While she was at it, I guessed the injury she has on her fingers was beginning to hurt her so she called their chief to help her out.
The chief came and continued but guess what, IJ didn't leave my side she held my hand and kept telling me to stay strong, that it will soon be over, I should think of my baby and some other stories.
At 11am they finished and the nurses came to clean me up and told me to always pour hot water in a deep bucket and sit on it so the vapour will help heal.
While I was being wheeled out, I then asked of my baby. Lo and Behold they gave me another woman's baby, it was until I was out of the LW that my mom asked whose baby the nurse carried and following me then I said mine. Then my mom started screaming at them eventually people around also started screaming and quarreling over such display after much that was settled also, they refused to release the placenta to us. After much quarrel, they finally did.
That I kept doing and these guys kept us in the hospital for over a week that they were treating my baby. At first, I was told sugar level later dehydration. We kept buying drugs upon drugs on the 6th day, my mom and I went to them to know why they were keeping us that long then they said the baby had infection.
Infection? From where?
They said it's from the Hep C result.

Hep C? Then she said that 1 Dr. Maduka had prescribed drugs for me which I have been taking, I told them NO that I had been discharged days back but I stayed back because of my baby.
That was when I asked them to go back and carefully check my file again. She didn't want to at first but after much, she did and then saw the result from Synlab and immediately notified the Dr. Maduka.
At that point, they knew they had done wrong and so quickly they apologized and discharged us. By that time I could hardly walk properly because the stitches was becoming too painful but most importantly, i was going home with my world, my bundle of joy.
At home, I could barely move and then i went back to the hospital.
That Monday, I met another doctor on duty and narrated my story to him, he looked at it and said he has to loosen it. He loosened it and asked me to go and come back on Friday for re-stitching and I should do sitz bath 3-4 times a day because they were all busy that night. And I quote him; my dear but if you want me to care for it personally, I would but at a cost otherwise you could come back and the same mistake may repeat.
I left and got back on Friday, after much turn-turn another doctor attended to me and said they were all busy but he could do it for me at a cost, if I agree, I should return the following day at 7am.
At 7am on Saturday, I was there and he did it at a cost. Since then, it has been from one pain to another.

Truth is amidst this Corona Virus saga, if we have a working system and a near-standard health system then not many people will complain of a failed system.
This is just a bit of my story, no intent whatsoever to spite the government but a little bit of my voice and yours can save a first time mom tomorrow, I survived it doesn't mean the next person may, I was lucky to have a good Doctor like Doctor IJ by my side (someone i have never met in my entire life) does not mean the next mom will have but when moms comes out to share their story both good and bad then our voices will be heard.
I may not have the right resource to reach out to young and 1st time mothers all over Nigeria right now, but a little bit of my story (not contained within is the standard of healthy living or toilet) will save a mother tomorrow.
Share your story! Save a life!!