Tracey and son Beau in a picture taken three weeks after his birth

According to research published today, more than one in three new mothers are left alone and worried during labour or shortly after giving birth.

More than 30 per cent of the mums polled said they received no antenatal classes on the NHS, and 43 per cent did not have access to a midwife while they were on a postnatal ward.

The UK-wide survey, commissioned by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), was released on the eve of the union’s annual conference in Manchester.

More than one in four (28 per cent) women described their maternity care as neutral, poor or very poor, but 29 per cent said it was excellent.

Here, Shropshire Star Women’s editor Tracey O’Sullivan describes her own experience of giving birth in Shropshire. You can tell us your stories in the comment box below.

My son has just celebrated his first birthday. He is here, alive and well and causing all kinds of mischief, thanks largely to the excellent maternity care I received in Shropshire.

But his birth was not without its drama and those terrifying moments when you fear the absolute worst.

I believe my experience was a good one thanks to the two very different facilities we have in this county, facilities which we should always fight for.

I had an easy pregnancy so was naively expecting an easy birth. That was my one mistake.

Beau was showing all the signs of being a big baby (he eventually weighed in at 9lbs) so I was the one to push for an induction as soon as possible as I dragged on 10 days past my due date.

At each point the community midwives explained all the options to me in detail and I had several appointments in those final few weeks at which I could ask questions and feel happy in my decision.

I now believe the little lad was simply not ready to make his entrance because, despite every drug possible to induce established labour at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and after almost 18 hours of discomfort escalating to the agony of drip-induced contractions, I was nowhere near ready to push. My body was just not working as it should and I had not even dilated to 2cm — I needed to be at 10 to allow for his safe delivery.

My waters had broken just after 10pm and there was meconium in it — sometimes a sign that the baby is in distress.

As Beau was overdue I was reassured it was perfectly normal, but it was still important to get him out as soon as possible.

But by 9.30 the next morning I was still making no progress and Beau had had quite enough of what we had both been going through. His heart-rate started to drop —dangerously so.

We were scared — very scared. We had a midwife with us throughout and a consultant who was on hand that morning to take the decision we needed him to take.

“You could labour for another eight hours,” he told me, ” but your baby needs to come out now.”

I trusted him completely and once the decision was made for an emergency cesarean I have never seen such swift, efficient and supportive action.

They talked my husband and I through the whole thing — even the moment Beau was officially born. He didn’t cry at first and they also didn’t lift him above the screen to show him to us, so I knew something wasn’t quite right.

But while it seemed an eternity, moments later he did open his lungs and let them rip — thanks to our midwife Maggie’s quick reactions in getting him the burst of oxygen he needed to breathe. They were a superb team.

After the c-section I spent two nights at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where the care was second to none in terms of my medical needs. There were regular checks and I had support from several members of staff who came by to explain to me what had happened and to ask if I had any questions.

I then moved to the Wrekin Maternity Unit for two nights. The warm welcome was like the perfect half-way house between hospital and home, and my more maternal needs were cared for.

Barbara, one of the fabulous green-clad auxiliary staff, was my rock as she helped with breast-feeding, bathing and just those first emotional days when the responsibility of this new life hits you at full force.

I felt I had enjoyed the best of both worlds in terms of medical know-how and nurturing care. Shropshire should feel privileged to have that within its county borders.

We felt totally ready to leave hospital and had several home visits for Beau (hearing tests, weighing etc) and me (to remove stitches so I could leave hospital when I was ready).

I totally understand not every experience will be as positive but we should also shout up when they are.

Mums-to-be deserve to hear the good as well as the bad. I know it helped me to have faith when things did go wrong.

By Tracey O’Sullivan