Undercover Mother
Undercover Mother investigates the overstretched maternity services which are resulting in new mothers having traumatic births and at worst, putting lives at risk.
The Government has pledged to provide one-to-one care for mothers and a choice of having a home-birth with two healthcare professionals in attendance. But Dispatches uncovers a critical shortage of midwives at a time when the number of births is at a record high and conditions far from the promised 'gold-standard'.
Reporter Tazeen Ahmad goes undercover to film her post-natal treatment following the birth of her second child by caesarean section. She returns to the same NHS hospital in which she underwent a traumatic first birth to see if conditions have improved and film the reality facing mums-to-be in Britain in 2007.
Tazeen finds her post-natal ward under-resourced and midwifery staff so under
pressure they openly admit they can only offer patients 'the basics.' She and
her husband struggle with a lack of fundamental communication and sufficient
post-natal treatment and support from hospital staff - despite Tazeen being
in recovery from surgery and having serious concerns about the health of her
newborn son.
