Woman Needs 300 Stitches After Traumatic Birth When Doctor Put ‘Whole Arm Inside’ of Her

Kajal Da Silva, a mother from the UK, has bravely shared the harrowing experience of her son’s birth, which left her with significant physical and emotional scars. Her son, Mateo, who turned six on June 30, endured a traumatic entry into the world that not only resulted in 300 stitches from a severe episiotomy but also his own complicated health issues. Da Silva’s story comes at a time when there are increasing calls for reform of the maternity care system in the UK.

Da Silva recounted that the difficulties began when Mateo became trapped behind her pelvic bone during labour. Despite her pleas for assistance, she was left waiting for extended periods while staff were preoccupied. “They said they would check me in three hours,” she recalled, highlighting the dire consequences of inadequate staffing levels exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. When a medical professional eventually did assess her, it was discovered that she was fully dilated and that Mateo’s heart rate had significantly increased.

As the situation escalated, Da Silva was rushed into a surgical theatre where a decision was made to use forceps to help deliver Mateo. It was at this critical moment the medical team realised the urgency of the situation, leading to an “extended episiotomy” to facilitate the delivery. Unfortunately, when Mateo’s head emerged, he was not breathing, with his shoulders obstructed. Da Silva described the urgency of the moment probably as one of her life’s most terrifying experiences.

In a bid to assist the delivery, the medical team employed a technique known as the McRoberts manoeuvre to reposition her. However, Da Silva stated that a senior staff member inserted their entire arm to help dislodge Mateo’s shoulders. The delivery was fraught with anxiety, as the medical team informed her that they had only two minutes to save her son’s life.

Once Mateo was born, he was taken away for urgent care without Da Silva having the chance to see him immediately. “I thought he was dead,” she said, reflecting on the emotional toll of those early moments. Mateo was resuscitated and then moved to intensive care on a different floor, leaving his mother in a state of worry and despair. When Da Silva eventually was allowed to see her son, she faced additional distress as she suffered complications herself, bleeding heavily as a result of the birth.

Da Silva noted an alarming culture within the maternity ward, revealing that staff had made fun of patients, including one woman struggling with English. After lodging a formal complaint, she was informed that the staff involved had been outsourced, raising concerns about accountability and standards of care within the facility.

Despite Mateo being healthy today, he was born with a paralyzed left arm and requires ongoing physical therapy. Meanwhile, Da Silva continues to grapple with the aftermath of her experience, which has left her in persistent physical pain and struggling emotionally. “It’s affected my whole life to be honest,” she shared, admitting to experiencing severe depression in the months following Mateo’s birth.

Her story comes amidst increasing scrutiny of the UK’s maternity care system, particularly following reports detailing a ‘toxic culture’ within some wards. A recent investigation indicated that more than 500 mothers and babies had suffered harm or worse as a direct consequence of care received. Baroness Valerie Amos, chair of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, has called for urgent reform, stating that the current system is failing to provide consistently safe and compassionate care.

“In every instance of avoidable harm, there is an indescribable emotional toll on families,” Amos stated, emphasising the necessity for a comprehensive overhaul of the maternity system. Side by side with this call, Da Silva herself insists that the need for reform extends beyond mere incremental changes. She advocates for a complete transformation of the system, recognising her own difficulties as part of a larger issue faced by many mothers in the UK.

Da Silva’s experience shines a light on the critical need for maternity care reform, urging that significant changes are required before more lives are impacted by similar traumatic experiences. Her story exemplifies the human cost of systemic failings and highlights the urgent responsibility to improve care for mothers and newborns across the country.