‘I was begging for pain relief but they said I wasn’t dilated enough’: Women query HSE maternity service guidelines
Expectant mothers in Ireland are raising concerns about rigid HSE maternity guidelines that delay hospital admission until a specific stage of labor. Critics argue that the current 'latent phase' policy forces women to endure extreme pain at home without adequate medical support.
Why it matters
The debate highlights potential systemic failures in public healthcare maternity services and the need for more compassionate, flexible clinical practices.
I t was a weekend in January when an expectant mother knew she needed to attend hospital. She had been experiencing contractions for 24 hours, staying at home during this time because “they tell you to wait as long as possible before going into hospital”.
After a night of no sleep due to the pain from her “freight train contractions”, she attended a Dublin maternity hospital. She wasn’t dilated, she was told, and was encouraged to go home.
“I asked them what they could give me to help with the pain because it was so excruciating. She said paracetamol, a hot water bottle or a hot shower. But I said I had them at home so we went home,” the mother said.
While at home, the mother said she was “incapacitated” by the pain. After another sleepless night, she went back to the hospital the following morning.
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