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Traumatised new mums are speaking out about their horrific maternity experiences - read some of your stories and email us
We had an enormous response this morning, with thousands of you emailing and texting your birth stories to us - read a selection of them below and send in your own story using the form at the bottom of this page.
Horror stories
New mums have been posting their harrowing stories of childbirth experiences on a new patient website and midwives are being called upon to stage a mass walkout in protest at appalling maternity services.
Women are bombarding the Patient Opinion website with complaints about filthy wards, cockroach-infested dining rooms and being forced to stand for hours while they wait for beds to become available - sometimes up to an hour before giving birth.
Biggest ever maternity survey
A damning report by Government watchdog the Healthcare Commission found there were particular concerns over hospitals' failings on postnatal care, communication, food and cleanliness.
It states thousands of women are being left to give birth terrified and alone due to a desperate shortage of midwives, says a damning report.
Ward squalor
The biggest ever survey of maternity services revealed how women are forced to have children in filthy wards and go hungry because they are not given enough to eat.
Hundreds of thousands are also suffering unnecessary pain because doctors are telling them to give birth in the wrong position.
The report found:
43% of women were not offered a home birth
23% said they were underfed in hospital
36% were not offered antenatal classes
18% said toilets and bathrooms on wards were not clean
Midwives' strike action
The Royal College of Midwives has estimated there is a shortage of at least 5,000 midwives, and some are contemplating strike action.
Your birth stories
GMTV highlighted the plight of new mums on Britain's maternity wards last year and this is what you had to say...
Vicki: I had my daughter eight months ago! I was thirteen days over due; they finally induced me and gave an emergency c-section! Then only two hours later I was alone, in shock, still unable to move.
Lisa: "My sister had her baby at a hospital in Peterborough and found they were extremely under-staffed. A few midwives were cold and very unsympathetic."
Sheryl, Colchester: I gave birth for the first time 11 years ago and felt I was a burden from the moment I arrived. The midwives complained about having to change his cot sheets. I took my baby home the following morning as I could not cope with the negative atmosphere.
David, Bolton: I had four weeks in an English hospital and three weeks in a French hospital. In England bed linen changed every other day, surgical gown changed once a week and the ward cleaned daily. In France the ward is cleaned 23 times per day and bed linen and surgical gown changed daily.
Anon: "I gave birth ten weeks ago and I was only checked on every half an hour even when I was in the birthing pool! My husband spent most of his time trying to find a midwife and cleaning up the whole time."
Anon: "I gave birth to my son at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent last July. I can say I was well looked after. My labour was fairly quick and my son was in distress - the midwife acted very quickly."
Simone Cox in Wigan: "I gave birth to my second child in 1998 totally alone in a side ward after being told I was not in labour and my husband was sent home."
Diana in Northants: "I had a great home birth with two great midwives. After a twelve hour labour one midwife helped me into the bath and the other one put all the used linen in the washing machine and made me a snack!"
Laura in Darford: "I gave birth to my first baby boy in October and I couldn't have asked for better care. There are some brilliant midwives out there, it's just a shame the NHS doesn't recognise this."
Have you had a nightmarish maternity ward experience? Or were you impressed with the level of care you received? Email us using the form below
